Tip 3: Foster, Nourish and Cherish The Nap

Nothing is better than a good sleep. As parents of young children no one knows this better than you. It is vitally important to get the kid to go down during the day, at the same time every day, in the same way every day. I cannot stress enough how important routine is to the little buggers.

With the first one I would try to go out in the morning, a park, a playgroup, the library, anywhere different that would stimulate his senses and tire him out. Then I'd come home, make lunch and give him an hour of TV. Quesadillas, Dora the Explorer and by the closing credits of Blue's Clues I had the boy in my arms, stuffed lamb in his, and the crib waiting invitingly.

The post-meal food coma happens to them, too. Do this. The more they sleep the better, for them and for you. I'd try to take advantage of that time to write, look for a job or get some exercise (in the house [see reference to Child Welfare Services above] no mountain biking during nap-time). They will be better behaved, more cogent, and easier to get down at bedtime if they have a consistent sleep schedule. This ain't rocket surgery, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to slip up and give them some sugar or a Red Bull or simply lose track of time and miss the window. When they get out of rhythm they will be on their way to eschewing the siesta altogether, and that is a sad, sad day indeed.

Oh, and buy a pair of velvet slippers. Practice tip-toe-ing. Pretend you're hunting rabbit.