What do I do? WORK. The end.
Haha no, but below I am listing my dream nap and quiet time adventures. I do believe it is possible to get a few minutes of quiet time while your children are taking their afternoon naps, but what on earth do you do before that time is quickly gone? Here is a list of the top 10 things I hear most women do during their children’s nap time:
1. Prepare ahead of time! The minutes are extremely valuable. So make sure to eat lunch with your kids or start a load of laundry as the kids are grabbing in a few extra minutes of playtime before heading to their rooms. If your plan is to grab a cup of coffee, prepare the coffee maker ahead of time. This may be the only time you have to yourself in the day, so make sure you make the most out of it.
2. Take a bath or shower. A refreshing shower or nice hot bath can get you through that second half of the day. I swear by this. It is the fix for everything. A bath can help wash away the stress of the day, so try a bubble bath with some essential oils such as sandalwood or lavender, which are safe to use during pregnancy and will help ease stress.
3. Workout Videos. Remember the days when you could just go for a run at any given time and felt no pressure of cutting it short due to getting home to your kids? Yea, that seems like ages ago! You may not be able to go for a run in the middle of the day, but you can always find a great workout video or find something on YouTube and take 30 minutes to stay healthy and fit. Why not get a little exercise in?
4. Coffee and a good book. Being still can be all you need to help you get through the day. A good book and a nice hot cup of coffee that you can actually finish can make that hour or two all worth it.
5. Prepare for dinner. Some women love to cook. (Unfortunately, not me). It’s their happy place. But what most often happens is time catches up with them (if they don’t have a good crockpot meal ready) and dinner is yet again chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. If you enjoy cooking, take this time to prep for a good healthy dinner. Cut up all the veggies or start marinating the chicken. It will help the evening run smoothly.
6. Catch up on your favorite TV show while doing a chore. This actually gets me through folding laundry. If I know I have a TV show that my husband really doesn’t care to sit through, I will grab that laundry basket and turn on the show. It relaxes me and takes my mind away from the list of items I haven’t yet gotten to.
7. Write a letter to a friend. This is something I have never done but would love to try. It really can be a fun and creative time to share some love with a friend or family member. Try it out and spend some time writing out a simple thinking of you note or sending some encouragement to a friend in need.
8. Give yourself a manicure/pedicure. Why not pamper yourself a little bit! Give yourself a little manicure or pedicure. Without interruption. Can you imagine…?
9. Pinterest Project. Have a project or craft you pinned? This is the time to do it! Have your materials ready and work on your creativity. Work on it every nap time until it’s finished and you will feel accomplished once it’s done!
10. TAKE A NAP!!! If all else fails…take a nice nap! Refresh yourself and your body with a quick little rest. Even if you can get 20 minutes of sleep, it will jump start your afternoon and give you that extra boost to get your through.
