For future referance

To my young daughters:
We need to clear something up.
Nap Time, is nap time.
It's a time for reflection on how you might change the world, reading, praying, SLEEPING.
It's a time for quiet and peace.
It's a time to be alone. Breathe if you have to but it is optional.
What it is not:
A time to tell mommy you need to use the bathroom every five minutes, if you need to go my dears, just go and then immediately return to your room, shut the door quietly, no slamming at the very least.
A time to fill up every conceivable toy in your room with water from the bathroom sink and try to 'sneak' it back to your bed. When I am laying flat on my bum in the puddle formed on the floor you will be found out.
A time to pull off every toy from every shelf or every piece of clothing from every hanger. When did you learn to untie the ribbon on the closet handle anyway?
A time to try on every piece of clothing that you pulled down from every hanger in the closet you can now untie.
A time to freak out over the fly in your room or outside your window.
A time to sing every song in your repertoire at the top of your lungs.
A time to color on the walls, windows, toys, clothes or any other non-paper item.
and last but not least, it is not a time to 'just see' if mommy really meant it when she said,
"stay in your room".
I meant it, I really really meant it.

There, now that that is all cleared up I feel so much better.
Let's try again tomorrow and see if we can do better.

~Your adoring mother who really really needs some quiet time