After Fathers Day I got to thinking lots about my dad. This post is not about that. It is rather about the technique of which he perfected. The Dad nap manoeuvre.

Dad Code IV: When trying to nap around kids, sleep with one eye open.

While attempting the dad nap may be tempting it is not as easy as it seems. The beauty of this move is that it can be performed at any time during the day or night and all that is required is a tired dad, and not-tired kids.

To date, whether out of necessity or greed, I have attempted to nap while the kids play quite a few times. When the boy was little, it worked out great, just leave out a drink, the tv and his favorite toys and everyone was happy.

Then something happened.

That innocent child grew, and I was no longer waking to a happy kiddo playing away. I woke to a boy swinging from the curtains covered in chocolate and torn open treats squished to the kitchen floor. Nothing was safe. Try as I might to hide the treats, he rose to the challenge. He found more treats: Cheerios, candy, chocolate, juice and more… and chaos ensued.

Oh, did I mention the cheese? The last time I tried to close my eyes on shift I woke to him showing off to his brothers by putting cheese in my ear!

Luckily, I got it out without a trip to the hospital.

I don’t try to nap on the job any more. The boy has won. From here on out, I will stick to drinking coffee…

-Photo credit: Living in Monrovia via Flickr.