Walking and Naptime

While Miss Sophie has taken some steps around her house, she's been holding out on the walking thing here..... until now! Hooray! We had 2 steps! Crawling is still the faster, preferred method of getting from point A to point B, but the steps have happened.... before we know it I'll be reminding her that we don't run in the house! I was really hopeful that she would be walking before baby Ethan starts in March and it looks like we'll be there. Good job, Sophie!

Naptime...... ah, the delight of daycare providers and the dismay of parents at home on the weekends! Really.... almost all of the kids I've done daycare for nap here more easily than at home from about the age of 2 1/2 or 3 on up. THIS IS VERY NORMAL! Although frustrating, it seems to be the way life goes. No fights about naptime at daycare even though it may be the end of the world to take a nap at home. I can't explain why the phenomenon happens exactly but I do have several theories.
Naptime Theory #1: Normal routine. Weekends are the time for parents to relax, not worry about a schedule, enjoy time off of work with family, friends, etc. This a good thing. Although infants and the under 3 crowd still benefit greatly from a regular schedule at home as well as at daycare, once they hit the 2 1/2 - 3 age, they would much rather be playing with you and having their "downtime" for the weekend, just as much as you do. Going to daycare is just a much a job as parents going to their jobs. And at daycare, the schedule is so much the same from day to day - their bodies are programmed to go down for a nap about noon every day at my house.
Naptime Theory #2: Peer Pressure. Normally, peer pressure is considered a bad thing. But it can be a very good thing too! If your child sees everyone else going down for a nap calmly and thankfully, they are "pressured" to do the same thing. That's why if I do start to have issues with anyone going down for naptime, the rebellion is squashed as quickly as possible so that other kids don't play "follow the leader" with the mutineer!
Naptime Theory #3: You are way more cool than me! The older kids get the more they realize that the weekend is the time they get most of your time and attention - my kids feel the same way. And they love you and don't want to interrupt this time for something as "silly" as a nap!