For summer, I’m trying to establish a new ritual: the family siesta. Shortly after school ended, I found that our days could be packed with so many fun, tiring activities; that we’d all lose steam by 5 pm. (I’m primarily talking about weekdays, when Husband’s at work and I need to see the kids through dinner, bath and bedtime routines.)

 

So I decided we’d try most days to have Quiet Time around 2 pm. Daughter, who at three years, can lose so much steam without a nap that it actually blows out her ears by 6 pm as her whining turns into one continuous illogical tantrum. This gave us the directive to be home in early afternoon so she could get some Quiet Time (“nap” is now taboo) and I decided to place the QT on Son and I as well.

 

At five, Son doesn’t nap anymore but morning camp or outdoor activities tire him out. And if we have a BBQ, outdoor concert, or other summer gigs that push bedtime back to 8 or 9, I know he needs the rest. So my request is simple: You need to spend ½ an hour in your room reading, playing on your computer (that’s a Cars learning game machine), or doing quiet play. He usually falls asleep.

 

The kicker in this new routine, is forcing myself to take some Quiet Time, as well. My default mode is to run around accomplishing as many chores as I can while the kids are in their rooms. But this still leaves me without steam at 5 pm and I’ve decided it’s more important to rest and keep my own energy up.

 

It’s easy to throw up guilty excuses that the mommy job requires my attention and if I worked outside the home, I wouldn’t get a nap. But if I left the house for an office, I’d have some downtime on the commute, I’d have a day without little demands ALL DAY LONG. My break is the best investment I can make in all of our well beings for the day.

 

So, I’ve forced myself to lie down when the kids do. I put my feet up, grab a book, and usually….fall asleep. I didn’t think of myself as a napper until I… put my feet up. And what a relief it is to be rested at the end of the day instead of dying for rest.

 

One of my favorite childhood memories is of lying down in the summer. My mother would insist that we all “lie down” each day. And she didn’t hide the fact that she planned to nap as well (mothering five kids probably has a way of keeping rest on the priority list). When I was little and it was very hot, she would spread sheets out on the floor of her bedroom, sprinkle baby powder on our backs, and we’d all fall asleep to a whirring, cooling fan. When I was six and seven, I’d lie on my bed and polish off my first little novels about Bob and Jane or whatever kids and their little adventures. I honored her rest time and my own.

 

So far, after a few successful family siesta’s, I’m seeing a little bit of honor for Quiet Time in my own house. Each day I have to force myself to leave the laundry unfolded and dishes in the sink for my short break in the afternoon. But when we’re all a little smoother around the edges at dinnertime, it’s well worth it.