Why You Shouldn’t Clean During Nap Time

Why You Shouldn’t Clean During Nap Time

Today’s post is going to be a hot topic! Do you clean during nap time? I’ll let you in on a not-so secret: I don’t! Gasp! And I don’t think you should clean during nap time either! 

 I know, I know, it’s the only free time you have during the day. Your child needs your attention or they get into mischief. You need to focus in order to accomplish anything. I’ve heard it all because I’ve said it all. 

But hang with me for a minute. What if…. I know this sounds crazy… What if you took nap time for yourself? That’s what I do and it has made a huge difference in our family dynamic. 

Be aware that this post is dedicated to mothers of older babies and toddlers. The newborn stage is a whole ‘nother ball game and you just hang in there! Save this post and once you have established a schedule with your baby and you are down to (preferably) one nap, come on back and give it another read.

Benefits of Not Cleaning During Nap Time

Having Time to Recharge

Having time to focus on yourself is important whether you have kids or not. But as a mom, and a SAHM at that, you get very little time to yourself. Having a chance to unwind or catch your breath or just not be touched for a little bit is crucial to being the best version of yourself.

If you spend the very limited downtime you have working on chores, you don’t really get a chance to reset your clock, so to speak. Even if you use this time to work out, you’re still doing something purely for yourself, that in turn your family can benefit from.

More Patience

When I am touched out, burnt out, overwhelmed, or frustrated, I’m not the best mom I can be. And personally, my patience is the first thing to go when I’m on edge. Taking nap time for myself gives me a regular chance to recharge and come back with more patience.

You Can Rediscover Yourself

Being a mom can be an all consuming identity. Taking the time to enjoy your hobbies or even find new ones can help you find yourself outside of your role as mother. Check out this post on self care for stay at home moms for some ideas.

It is so easy to let motherhood be a badge of honor (which it is), but be sure to remind yourself that you are also a wife, daughter, friend, acrobat, baker, candlestick maker.

You’ll Have Less Burnout

If you are constantly feeling like you never get a break, it’s be aide you probably aren’t. Or the ‘breaks’ you take aren’t exactly rejuvenating.

Think of it this way: if your husband works in an office, is he working from the time he wakes up until 7 at night with no breaks? If he works in construction or as a chef or firefighter, does he work around the clock or does he have breaks?

You are (most likely) getting up at 6am and immediately changing/dressing/feeding. That work doesn’t stop until your kiddo goes down for nap. So let’s say that’s at 1pm. That is seven hours of straight work. And then you’ll work again from 2:30-7:30 (or whatever you child’s schedule is). That’s a 12 hour day, and you decided to clean during the hour and a half break you got.

You are Teaching the Value of Hard Work

If your kid never sees you clean but wakes up and his toys are magically put away, the clothes just appear in his drawer, or the dinner table always appears clean, he won’t understand all of the work you do (at least not until he’s older).

By cleaning in front of your child, you are showing her that it takes work to maintain your home. You are also teaching in a roundabout way that good things are not just given to her.

Barriers to Reclaiming Naptime

Unsafe Tasks

Let’s be realistic, there are some tasks that are just plain unsafe to do when a small child is around. So what then? 

• Relegate unsafe tasks to a time where dad/a trusted adult can care for your kiddo. It doesn’t make sense to sharpen your bandsaw collection with your baby crawling on the garage floor.
• Do it During Nap Time. Wait! Didn’t you JUST say not to work during nap time?! Yes. I did. But there are some things you just can’t avoid doing when you’re child free. My point is to not make it a regular thing. If you need to get under the crawl space of your house, it’s wise to do it during your free time. But you’re not doing dangerous things everyday. At least I hope not!

If you have to work during nap time one day a week, fine. But on a weekly basis, make sure the majority of that time is spent devoted to yourself.

My Child Wants Undivided Attention

Most kids do. But realistically, your child will not always be able to be the center of attention. And it’s better to learn that in the safety of their home, rather than among peers. You can lovingly teach your child to entertain themselves (more on that below) so that you can get more done. Independent play is important to development, as well as necessary if they ever have a younger sibling.

My Child Gets Into Trouble When Unsupervised

I get it. I have a very rambunctious little boy who wants to run, climb, scream, and take everything apart to see how it works. Creating a safe place for your child to be while you work is important. Whether it be their bedroom, a playroom, or even your living room, find a safe place in your home.

You can also involve them in your tasks. Young children are much more capable that we give them credit for. Two year olds can help carry laundry. Three year olds are able to help unload the dishwasher. Giving them tasks gives a sense of purpose, and kids love being involved!

Ways to Transition Away From Cleaning During Nap Time 

Start Small

You can start with sitting down for 20 minutes. Just the first 20 minutes after you kid falls asleep. Try doing…nothing. I know, it’s hard! But have a cup of tea, read, or nap. Check out an awesome Instagram Page while you’re at it 😉

If you’re still itching to clean after 20 minutes, go for it. 

Slowly build up that amount of time that you aren’t working until you feel comfortable reclaiming the entirety of nap time for yourself. 

Teach Your Child to Entertain Themselves

If you are worried about not getting enough work done, start cleaning in front of your child. Start slowly at first and keep reminding them that ‘mommy just needs to put these dishes away,’ and then you’ll play with them.

As you incorporate more cleaning tasks into your child’s waking schedule, they’ll get used to being around you while you work. You can also check out my post on teaching your child to play independently.

Have Your Child Help

Getting Your Child to help you clean is such a blessing. Ask them to help you move laundry from the washer to the dryer and then go back to playing. When the dryer is done, ask them to help you carry it to wherever you fold clothes. Kids LOVE helping, especially toddlers!

*DISCLAIMER* when your kiddo helps, it will take longer to accomplish your chores. But you are simultaneously showing them the value of the work you do and entertaining them.

Get on a Schedule

You can use a cleaning schedule so that your chores don’t become overwhelming. By regularly maintaining your home, your chores don’t pile up.

Give Your Child a Job

You can teach your kid to clean up after themselves. It takes time and effort, but they’ll have to learn eventually anyway. Why not start early so that you can get your personal time back?

Declutter Your Home

You can simplify your space so that there is less to maintain. This gives you less to clean and more time to spend the way you want to. Who needs all that clutter? Not me.

By shifting your daily routine, you can reclaim some time in your day, thus allowing guilt free personal time while your child naps. Do you clean during nap time? If so, have you tried claiming that time for yourself?

If you do take a break during nap time, what worked best for you? Let me know in the comments below how you like to spend your personal time!