Nap Time & Sundays

As I sit writing this, my sweet boy is upstairs snoozing away. It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Little Man and I have left church early so that he could get some rest. I feel very conflicted about Sundays, nap times, and routines.

Having taken care of other peoples children for years, I have seen first hand just how much a consistent schedule affects a child. That being said, I am adamant (probably to a fault) about keeping our family on a schedule. This week has been insanely successful and L has taken daily naps lasting longer than two hours-- two weeks ago we were singing a different song. Maybe it's a growth spurt but I'm holding out hope that this is just an awesome new habit he's picked up.

Either way, I digress. I found myself sitting in the chapel this morning thinking about what to do for my child whose morning nap time had come and passed. Church starts at 9am, he naps at 9:30. Do I take him home so that he can nap? Do I try to get him to fall asleep at church, most likely in the hall, and definitely not for a decent length of time (all the while not receiving any spiritual enrichment but still "being there")? Do I just forge ahead, keep him awake, and pray that he makes up for it with a solid nap when we get home? I feel like it is my responsibility, and obligation, to respect him and his needs-- napping being one of them. My thoughts then went on to what will happen when we have our next child and how we can't just work around their nap schedule in the same fashion that we do now.

For now all I can do is hope that our Heavenly Father will know that I really am trying to do what I think is best. Deep down inside I think he does, but I also feels like he knows that we know that there may be a better option out there.

With that, I ask you: what do (did) you do with your little one who has nap time at the same time as church?