MOPS

Dear Walters Wife,
I'm in a sleepy rut. I only have one child, but I get so tired playing, cleaning and cooking that I've been taking a nap ever afternoon when I put down my 2 year old. This is time that could be better spent working around the house or planning fancier dinners. I want to break my napping habit, but I fail everyday. Do you have any suggestions for me to find the motivation or inspiration to get out of this "lazy" rut?
Tired of being tired

Dear Tired,
My dear one . . . being the Mother of a 2 year old can be exhausting. Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm hearing your frustration though, so I will make a few suggestions that might help.
A normal, healthy adult woman needs at least 8 hours of sleep. There are times when we don't get that much in one stretch. If you are not getting good sound sleep each night, then that could explain why you feel the need to nap. So if your body is tired, rest is important to your health - take a nap.
Do you eat healthy well balanced meals that includes all the food groups? If you are lacking in sound nutrition, you will feel sluggish mid way through the day. Are you reaching for snacks that are high in carbohydrates and sugars? These give you an energy high, which follows often with a low that leaves you tired and lacking energy. Have you had a checkup including blood work to see if your hormones and blood levels are in the normal range? You might consider vitamins if you are not taking them now.
Working around the house is a never ending task. Does everything in your home have a place and is it easy to put things away where they belong? Lack of organization can cause tremendous stress, giving you a feeling of fatigue just thinking about what needs to be done. If the task seems too big, it's easy to want to close your eyes and take a nap. I know, because that has happened to me more than you will ever know. I found that once I uncluttered my home and assigned a specific home for each item, it made keeping the house so easy.
Keep in mind that you have a busy 2 year old - does your child play well alone for short periods of time? I remember letting our daughter play in the pots and pans cupboard while I washed dishes or cooked. She was content, although very noisy, and I could accomplish what I needed to do. By the age of 2, you do not need to be entertaining and giving 100% of your attention only to your child. You can spend time together while you are doing your home tasks. Give your child a dust cloth and the two of you can be "dusting" together.
Consider portioning out the toys into bags of the days of the week. On Monday, when you need to be doing something on your own for a short time, present the "Monday toy bag" to your child. Tuesday do the Tuesday toy bag. Each night, you will put those toys back in that days bag and next week, it will be all new again. You may find their attention span is lengthened and their independent playtime extended too. a child is no different than we are. Looking at a huge mix of toys day after day can be overwhelming to them too.
Let's talk a little about the meals. Most Dad's would be happy coming home to a happy wife and a happy child. Now, I'm not dreaming - this can happen. Walter would have been happy with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner and me rested, cheerful with happy children. Here are a couple of ideas to consider. Make a list of dinners that you will have that week. Write down the ingredients you will need and shop for them so that you are prepared. Walter and I worked as a team on weekends. He would spend his time with the children, while I prepared ingredients for our meals that week. If I needed 5 cut up onions, I cut them all at once and put them in the refrigerator, so I could scoop out what I needed without all the fuss at the last minute. I often cooked multiple pounds of ground beef and portioned it into freezer containers, so that was done ahead of time. It would be so simple to make spaghetti at the last minute because everything was prepared ahead of time. I mixed up meatloaf and put it in the freezer, so all I needed to do was put it into the oven. While Walter and I were raising our children, I used to cook stews and sauces on the stove long and slow. Chicken simmered for chicken and dumplings. We didn't have crock pots back then like you have now. That might be a great idea for you to use too.
As far as fancier dinners go, I always had a centerpiece on our table. It wasn't fancy, sometimes I would set an African violet plant that was blooming on the table and sometimes it was a single candle. Our table was meant to be a special place where we settled after a particularly busy day. I tried very hard to keep it clear of clutter and make it a pleasant place to dwell together. I often set the table for dinner in the morning - that way I was prepared ahead of time and last minute distractions didn't cause me stress. While I prepared dinner, I had a sink of dishwater ready and I washed up items as I went along - so there wasn't a huge mess after dinner, just our silverware and dinner plates. Now you have dishwashers that make it even easier.
I hope you find some solutions here, but I would want you to understand that having a 2 year old child is a mighty task. I'm certain that you are a fine Mother and I know your heart is in the right place. Just take good care of yourself and rest when you need it. This too shall pass. Until next time,
Walters Wife