It happens, sometimes when you least expect it. Many of you have been victims.

The nap trap occurs when the couch starts calling your name. That familiar thought crosses your mind, “I’ll just lay down for a minute”. Right. That is the equivalent of walking into Target saying “I’m just gonna grab some trash bags”. It is just not possible. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either a liar or some sort of alien life form.

I work 4 days a week which means I have one week day home with my one year old daughter. I always have grand plans for this one day. In my mind I have one day to be mom of the year and complete a laundry list of household chores (see what I did there?). On a typical day off I make my daughter a nice breakfast, simultaneously clean the kitchen, and then whisk her off to a play group at our library. When we get home it is time for lunch and as much reading, music, and playtime as we can cram in before her nap. Alright, in the spirit of total honesty there is usually some TV in there too. Again, if someone tells you their toddler never watches TV please refer to previous statement about Target. Sometime around 1pm the little princess starts losing steam and we head upstairs for her nap.

I always plan out every minute of this 2-3 hour window of time. I need to workout, make phone calls, vacuum, begin organizing the spare room, plan dinner, and the list of impossibility just goes on and on. But first, I decide to sit on the couch to check Facebook, just for a minute. This is where things begin to slide downhill. Then the dreaded “I’ll just lay down for a minute”. Next thing I know it’s been almost 2 hours and my little person will be awake soon. So much for my grand plans.
Most times when this happens I spend the rest of the day feeling like a lazy failure. I tend to be very hard on myself about most things (who isn’t?). Without warning an innocent scroll through my facebook newsfeed leads to the dark abyss of inadequacy.

Social media is a beautiful thing. It connects us to family and friends who are far away and even introduces us to new friends through groups and events. But, there is always the temptation to compare ourselves to others. Well I am here to tell you that just about everyone out there has fallen victim to the nap trap or another type of quicksand of distraction whether they broadcast it or not! And you know what? IT’S OKAY. What is the worst that could happen? Dust bunnies in the corner? Laundry spilling out of the basket? Leftovers for dinner? One day when we all look back these are the things that we won’t remember. Or if we do we will laugh at how insignificant they were.

So everyone has my permission to take a nap today. You’re welcome.

It always makes me feel better when I know I’m not alone.