Once upon a time, there was a baby who tried to give up his nap too soon. He had just spent a day at his grandma and papaw’s, where he had only one nap, and so he thought he had grown up and given up the morning nap forever.
So the next morning, Friday, when he rubbed his eyes and his mama put him down, he just cried and cried until she got him out of his crib. Then, after his lunch, he relented and took a nap, but only a very short one. After all, he was a big boy and he’d heard that big boys don’t take long naps. Instead he played and played, and also fussed and fussed all afternoon, so mama put him down for an afternoon nap at 4:30. Believing himself too old and mature for two naps, he cried and cried again until his mama came for him.
Later, the very tired baby fussed and fussed after dinner. He didn’t want to play. He didn’t want to read. He didn’t want to stack blocks, play peek-a-boo, or throw the ball. In fact, he fussed so much that his papa put him down for a nap at 6:30. Only this time, the very tired baby slept for 13 ½ hours straight, in his clothes, without having gotten a nighttime cup of milk, story, or cuddle.
And that was the last time—we hope!—the little baby tried to grow up and give up his nap too soon.