I have this problem. As soon as my baby falls to sleep in her cot during the day I lose all realistic perception of time. In my head, her nap will stretch on and on and on. And then, a little voice whispers into my ear, “Go on – quick! Get ALL the stuff done before she wakes up!”
You probably put a wash on when your baby’s in bed. You might even do a spot of polishing or answer a few emails. Perhaps you do the sensible thing and put your feet up with a cup of tea. Not me. Nope. As soon as my baby’s eyes are closed and she’s making those cute little soft snorey sounds that babies do, I go CRAZY.
It’s honestly like I have some kind of alternative reality experience and think I’ve just morphed into a superhero. I see the minutes of freedom nap time ticking along indefinitely and decide it’s a good time to not only get all the regular chores done that I’ve not had a chance to do yet, but to begin a couple of projects too. You know, like, start decorating the bathroom, begin an upcycle job on a chair on a whim, reorganise the entire contents of our kitchen cupboards. That sort of thing.
And alongside all these big projects – weekend projects at the very least – I have work to do as well. But instead of accepting that it may not be possible to bang out three features and ten blog posts in the space of baby nap time, I think I’ll do all that AND a major redecoration project too.
Of course the first law of baby naps is that as soon as you begin a big job the baby will wake up. So we end up with half-finished jobs acting as a constantly irritating reminder that I’m not a superhero. I HATE NOT BEING A SUPERHERO.
Come the evening, when I may get a blessed five minutes to myself before Baby Girl inevitably wakes up needing a cuddle, the last thing I want to do is complete all the ridiculously over-ambitious projects I began earlier that day. By 8pm I’m far more aware of my own limitations and it’s all I can do to finish the things at the top of my work list – the things I’m being paid to do – as well as all the other stuff. Picking up a paintbrush at that time of night just isn’t appealing.
And so the baby nap time dilemma rolls on to the following day. Because, that day, I will be left with all the stuff I started the day before, as well as my dumb inner wannabe superhero’s ideas for that day too. And then we have yet more projects begun that are doomed to fail. And more frustration when I can’t redecorate my entire house, complete a year’s worth of accounts admin, clean the oven, alphabetically organise the freezer and landscape my garden – all in the golden hour and a half before my baby wakes up.
Perhaps by the time the baby turns 30 I’ll have got on top of my to do list. Until then, I need some tips on quelling my dumb inner wannabe superhero.
What do you manage to get done in baby nap time? Do you ever bite off more than you can chew?!
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Yup! Its like they know as soon as you want to do something like eat or catch up on something that needs concentration boom he wakes up and demands my attention but when im just sitting waiting for him to wake up his nap can last 2hours but i darent start anything because he will wake any second
I know the feeling!
I think most moms do this
When I was to tired I always thought of Nana’s saying “You have to drive yourself!” and I still do.
YES! I do that too Helen! xxx
haha I totally do this too! I race myself and see how much I can fit in!
I used to just enjoy the silence. Perhaps I am just intrinsically lazy? Or Mindful before Mindful was a thing.
This is so true. Once they nap it’s amazing what you can get done in that time. Little Miss is over 2 now and stopping napping, which is causing me all sorts of issues on my days off. Way to go, you are a superhero x
My baby is three weeks old (today) and I’m finding nap times very odd – the tug between “YES!!!! GET EVERYTHING DONE RIGHT NOW!!!!!” and sitting poised over her crib, convinced that the moment I make the slightest movement she’s going to spring back awake.
YES – know that feeling well!
Ha ha, ditto. On today’s list is plant some hanging baskets, sort car insurance, find a swimming cossie online and order, and finish painting skirting board in bathroom. Lunch for moi? Never time for lunch!!!
SNAP!
I remember vividly tiling the kitchen during Charlotte’s nap time, about 10 tiles at a time. After about two weeks, I just about managed to complete it. When I look back, I don’t know how M and I took on a wreck of a house and did it up. Usually when we had time, we didn’t have the money and vice versa. Fortunately, both babies slept well during the day. The thing is, some of these projects are quite therapeutic and I’d much rather decorate than get on with work that brings in money! I think your mum may need to run up a super hero costume with Madonna-like bra!
I know! Huge kudos to you and M on that renovation. I feel the same about Mum and Dad – how they managed to do up our house with a baby and a 4 year old beats me.