Nap-Time: Mama's Golden Hour

Mmmmm this is my own special Golden Happy Hour. One of my favorite times of the day! I just put Kateri down for her morning nap, and, if I am lucky, she will be sweetly dreaming away for the next hour or two. An hour or two of reading, blogging, or watching some guilty pleasure (is it just me, or do shows like 'A Birth Story' and 'I Didn't Know I was Pregnant' suddenly become the best show ever when preggo? I have been wondering about this, because they really don't interest me much when I'm not, but boy do I enjoy watching them now!).

 

 

So you may wonder why I don't become more productive and get something done around the house. Sometimes I wonder that, too. Occasionally, if Kateri does sleep past two hours, I do drag myself off the sofa and get some little task done. But usually I just opt to get a dose of chillaxing. 

Here are the reasons I use to convince myself of the wisdom of this choice:

1. There will always be 'something to do' around the house, forever and ever, amen.

This is Truth. There just always, always will be something. Kateri isn't even walking yet, and already she is an active toy-spreader, smudge-maker, cabinet destroyer. Here she is in a cabinet reminding me that we are almost out of clean washcloths.

"Only five left, Mama!!"

But there will always be floors that could be vacuumed again, or windows that need washing, wood floors that need mopping, and if you happen to have stainless steel appliances, you will mostly likely need to clean them about five times a day if you truly never want to see the inevitable smudges.

So I have realized that even if I spend the entire naptime frantically working to get as many tasks done as possible, there will not only still be more to do, but I will feel exhausted and drained when she does awake from her sweet slumber. Which brings me to point numero dos:

2. Taking an hour (or more if I am lucky) in the morning to rest is incredibly rejuvenating thing and helps me get through the rest of the day.

Having this time to rest has really helped my productivity for the rest of the day! Not only does it give me more energy around the house, but it also helps give me the extra push I need to exercise and get through afternoon errands. This in itself makes it worth it!

3. Knowing there will be some relaxing time makes the early mornings so much more productive.

Laundry, bathrooms, floors, dishes, suddenly seem do-able and easy, mainly because there is an end in site and the anticipation of a relaxing time is a wonderful motivator! I have found I can get a lot more done, and the routine becomes much more set, which is so nice.

4. This time of morning naps is most likely fleeting! So appreciate it while it exists!

As I sit here typing, my little son is kicking me and reminding me that in three and a half short months he will be here. Who knows what that will be like? Crazy at first, I am certain. And later, although synchronized naps remain the ultimate goal, they will likely be a long time in coming (id est, if they ever do at all).

5. This is also a perfect time to fit in a few minutes of quiet prayer.

It is next to impossible for me to wake up really early to pray. I blame that on the pregnancy (convenient scapegoat!) and needing more sleep in general. It is hard enough to wake up and get out of bed to shower before Kateri is up and ready for a new day. So, for me, at any rate, this is the best time to fit in some quiet prayer, though I definitely need to be more consistent in this!

6. Pat is a huge supporter of blogging and taking time to relax.

He is always so encouraging, and always tells me to relax, as he is on his way out the door for a long day at work. Such a great guy! He tells me, "There is a difference between Want and Need. The laundry/floors/dishes don't Need to get done right now. Don't forget, this home should be your haven and you shouldn't see it as a constant to do list."

This attitude has helped me so much! And combined with the FlyLady method of a little bit every day, all the maintenance has become so much more manageable.


So I think I will keep using this precious hour to pray, relax, read and write, at least until this new little munchkin makes his entrance.

What has worked for you? Do you prefer getting things done around the house during morning naps (which is truly a very productive way to go as well! No distractions!)? Or do you relax? And how do you handle it if you have more than one kiddo? Any words of wisdom or advice?