I'm posting early today as we're going to a BBQ at some friends this evening and i don't know that i'll have a chance to post when we get home. I wanted to follow up my frustrated post yesterday with some reflective thinking on the subject of Henry's naps.
First of all i know i should be grateful that he sleeps so well at night-- that is a blessing and something to be celebrated. That said somehow it's easier to focus on what isn't working so well, which you are abundantly aware, includes his naps.
It's clear to me that the line about getting your comeuppance when you become a parent is patently true. From all accounts i was an easy baby but not the easiest teenager (although are there really any easy teenagers?) I remember having one power struggle after another over my schedule. I had what i considered a strict curfew (i believe it was 11 pm on weekends) and a lot of homework during the week. I felt that i had a very precious amount of time to be out living life and i wasn't going to waste it doing something menial like sleeping. I would stay up until all hours and then get up at the crack of dawn to work at the bagel bakery. I ran myself ragged and got sick often (i've always had a sissy immune system.)
My father used to point out how poorly i was treating myself and why it was inevitable that i got sick as much as i did. Of course this only made me more upset because the thought that someone else, especially a parent, knew better than i did was just so enraging. At a time when the most important thing was establishing independence, any reminder that you weren't doing what was best was frustrating.
Somehow parenting Henry, now i get it. You want him to do what's best for himself (which includes taking good naps) and it's so hard to watch him fail. In fact, it's painful to watch him do what you know isn't good for him. So, i guess i should get used to it because i assume we'll have many more years of this lesson to hit home.
I should say that waxing philosophical about the issue helps put it in perspective but doesn't make the reality any easier to bare.
1 comment:
Tamra, it is nice to know that you get it! We were always trying to do what we thought was best for you whether you knew it or agreed or not. Parenting is not the easiest job but it can be one of the most rewarding! Dad
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