The "N" Words

There are two words that start with the letter N that come into play with small kids.  One you don't want your kid to learn the other your kid doesn't want you to use.  Those words are NO and NAP.  Kids learn to say no too young these days and it's not something we can prevent.  They can pick it up from almost anywhere and it's a word we as parents dread.  When a kid learns no lookout there is trouble ahead.  My daughter goes to a babysitters when both me and my wife work.  Our sitter is an elderly couple who won't spank, which is fine my and my wife should be the only ones to discipline with an occasional spanking.  So the way our sitter gets on to our daughter is by pointing her index finger and shaking it at our daughter while saying no no no.  Now my daughter runs around the house saying no no no and waving that finger around.  Really what have you thought her to do.  Now my daughter usually does it playing around and never does it out of disrespect, but that's because she isn't even two yet.  So far we have been lucky that she doesn't fuss at us too much unless she is tired which brings us too the other "N" word, nap.

Nap is the word that our kids don't want to hear us say.  For some nap time is easy, for others it can be a nightmare.  For me it goes either way depending on my daughters mood.  It's funny but when my wife is at home my daughter will take two naps for her, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  When I'm at home with her it's like world war three breaking out trying to get her to nap.  I lay her down and her bed and a few minutes later I'll hear a boom, she isn't napping but ripping her room apart.  Which I don't mind her playing in her room if that means she goes to sleep eventually but she sure does make a big mess.  I guess making a mess is normal for her age.  Sometimes she is so exhausted that she will just lay down and go to sleep.

My daughter has to have something to snuggle with while she sleeps.  It used to be a singing bunny but recently she has started sleeping with a baby doll.  If I don't give her either of those she will not go to sleep.  Its funny to watch her reactions when she lays down though.  She is a sweet heart, but I miss the days when she would take good naps.

So these two words are the most dreaded words you and your kids don't want to hear.  Hopefully you'll get lucky and not have to deal with no as early as I am.