Making the Most of Nap Time!

I am often surprised by the amount that I can accomplish during Connie's nap time. Those who have had babies will surely agree, that there is no greater gift then the chance to have even just 15 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time. When it comes to filling that 15 minutes, the possibilities are truly endless.

Now on average, Connie tends to nap from around 11am until about 12. This gives me a solid 60mins of freedom to whizz around the house doing as many odd jobs as I can physically handle effectively. It's a personal challenge I set myself daily and I often have a list as long as my arm of 'nap time things to do' to check off throughout the week. The list usually looks something like this:

Thorough clean of the kitchen/bathroom/bedrooms inc. hoovering as quietly as possible

Tidy away the pile of clean laundry at the bottom of the stairs 

Sort through girl's wardrobes and clear out clothes that are too small then arrange all wardrobes

Put said unwanted clothes on eBay or gumtree

Prepare lunch/dinner make list of ingredients to buy

Clear out under sofa

Clear out the messy cupboard

Clean windows 

Pay bills

Make important phone calls to important grown up people like the bank and my insurance company

Change and make the beds

Study

Rearrange the furniture because I fancy a change (then forget where I put everything and lose important objects/documents

Try to write a blog

Try desperately hard not to use up the gold dust time on Facebook/Gumtree/Ebay......

I usually try and get at least two of these jobs done while Connie is asleep. This nearly always involves me rushing around the house like a woman possessed, often resembling one of those cloudy puff balls that you used see in cartoon fights, with the arms and legs poking out at odd moments.

For those of you excitedly awaiting the birth of your first child (and those others who haven't yet mastered the art of the nap time marathon) I have compiled a short list of things that you can do to help make the most of even the tiniest chunk of mid day freedom.

1.) Coffee

Since becoming a Mum and learning how to utilise nap time, I have made a very special friend. A friend who truly gets me through the tricky parts of the day, who forces a smile upon my otherwise grumpled face and who I quite honestly I could not get through life without. Coffee. Beautiful, wonderful coffee.

For some reason, coffee actually seems to make me want to do the housework. So I tend to drink it religiously in the morning and just before nap time. It seems to break me out of my Gruffalo type shell in the morning, and turns me into more of a Snow White (in the cleaning department if nothing else). It makes achieving the things on my every growing list possible. 

2.) Lists

Make a list of 2-3 things that you want to acheive while the little one is asleep, this will give you a success criteria to work towards and you'll feel lovely when things get checked off. I was once told to write things that I had already done on my list, just so that I could physically cross them off. It gives you a wonderful sense of accomplishment if nothing else!

3.) Prioritise

Only try to do the things that really need doing - mainly the things that have been getting on your nerves. Mine usually includes decluttering a cupboard at some point and sorting out the ever growing pile of laundry. Don't be hard on yourself when you can't finish everything you planned, there's always tomorrow - be kind to yourself.

4.) Be Realistic

Try not to bite off more than you can chew - there is nothing worse than having your little one wake up just as you have emptied out the entire contents of the messy cupboard. 

Also, don't pin everything on the nap time, there may be times when your little one inconsiderately  decides that they don't want to nap any more. In which case your nap time plans will have to be postponed I'm afraid.

5.) where comfy clothes

If you are attempting the nap time housework marathon, you must be dressed for the occasion. My preferred attire consists of a pair of Steve's trunks, a baggy old ugly t-shirt that I got from work several years ago, no bra and hair scraped up. It's not my best look, but it shows I mean business.

6.) Keep moving

I try to rush as much as possible and move around lots when I am attempting a house work marathon, that way I can view it as my exercise session for the day thus removing all traces of guilt from the daily dose of dark chocolate.

7.) Treat yourself 

Making the most of nap time doesn't always mean doing the house work. Have some you time. Take a bubble bath, read a book, have a cuppa, watch your little one snooze or whatever you need to do to feel happy and rested. If your baby is really tiny, the best idea might be to have a nap yourself (if you can). As I always say, happy Mummy = happy household. As long as your surfaces are clean you're fine!

Danielle

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