The Method

Marley has decided that there are at least 50 million things he'd rather do in his room than nap.  The list includes: read books, throw books, play with toys, throw toys, write on his door with a pencil, and bang his head against the wall - just to name a few.  The thing is, he still needs a nap during the day - desperately!  When he doesn't nap, bad things happen.  Plus, he falls asleep at the dinner table.

So, I've given up on trying to get him to fall asleep in his room, and instead, have developed The Method.  When followed with precision, The Method has about a 95% success rate.  The first, and most important, step in The Method is to plan a busy morning out that involves returning home IN THE CAR sometime between 1 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  Note: If the car is not available, the stroller or carrier can be substituted, but the success rate drops to about 60%.

Now, simply being in the car around nap time is not enough.  Even if he is REALLY tired, Marley is very skilled at keeping himself awake.  So, the next step is to be sure that the area surrounding his car seat is free of distractions.  This includes all toys, food and drinks, loose clothing items, rocks, bits of fuzz, etc.  The final step is to turn on Vampire Weekend (the old one - not new, very important).  The volume should be loud enough to discourage conversation, as incessant talking is another one of Marley's favorite ways to keep himself awake.

The Method works best when there is at least a 15 minute drive home.  It's also very important to make sure Amelia is happy or sleeping.  I've had a near perfect execution of The Method go bad when Amelia decided to start screaming her head off two blocks from home.  Once Marley's asleep the hardest part is over.  He transfers to his bed fairly easily, and usually stays asleep for at least two hours.

I probably won't win any parenting awards for developing The Method, but at least I'll keep my sanity.  Mostly:)