Score one for Daddy!!

I feel like a post about nap time struggles is not unusual, but even so, here’s another one.

All last week Titus was SO exhausted.  He would tell me numerous times a day how very tired he was and it was honestly hard to get him to do many active things because he could barely keep his head up after lunch time.  Each day I would lay him down for a nap and he would resist with all his might!  I tried something new each time to encourage / convince / force him to sleep, all to no avail!  Now, I know that he is 3 1/2 and if it’s time to go to no naps, I am truly okay with that, but this was much more about him learning special techniques to not allow himself to sleep and then complaining about tiredness the remainder of the day.

Well, this weekend came and I let Andy have a turn at the battle.  Would you believe that we are now on the 3rd day of Titus taking a nap?!?!  What’s the trick you want to know??  Well, instead of making Titus ever so comfortable in his bed, praying with him, giving hugs and kisses, pleading to go to sleep, reminding him how very tired he is, etc., Andy took a new approach.  He takes Titus into his room, haves him sit on the floor across the room from his bed and tells him to stay there until he’s ready to sleep.  This is not cruel and unusual punishment…just a place for Titus to get all his talking and wiggling out before he gets into his bed.  Lucky for us, Titus is a sometimes an extreme rule follower and so he was super uncomfortable not being in his bed trying to hold his eyes closed as the bedroom door gets shut and so he pretty much runs to his bed, tucks himself in and falls immediately asleep as soon as we leave the room (believe me, I check!).  It is amazing to me how sometimes I just need a new perspective.  I felt like I had tried every tool in my toolbox for getting him to go to sleep and nothing was working.  I admit that a tiny part of me is disappointed that an answer came so easy to Andy after I had spent so long failing but I guess that’s why we work as a team!  That being said, thanks partner…you rock!