Today was a pretty hard day. My sweet 20 month old daughter was a little bundle of chaos. Typically, Little Rabbit takes a nap everyday around 3:00 PM. She's been really great about taking naps as long as we follow the same routine. Daddy has to leave (he's her playmate) and be out of sight. I turn off any TVs and make the house as boring as possible. Then, I go in lay in bed and pretend to go to sleep. Almost every time, she will lay down and fall asleep easily. Today was a rare day where my daughter refused a nap and suffered from a serious case of NNT (No Nap Time).

How To Survive No Nap Time Suffering Toddlers

When toddlers don't get a nap they can be grumpy, easily over-saturated, more emotional, and higher maintenance. Little one's get tired easily and naps help to recharge them. When my daughter naps, she's is a super easy kid during the day. When she has NNT she is crazy! She is destructive and will mess with things she normally wouldn't mess with. She'll take food and smear it places. She'll cry really easy and throw tantrums. She will be more codependent and will stay by my side needing comfort more frequently.

NNT days are hard as a mother because my daughter can't handle everyday life because she's so tired. As the day progresses and she continues to fight sleep, the harder the day becomes for me.

My NNT toddler can be bad sometimes

I thought she was being cute and looking at the painting on the cover to where an old wood stove use to be...nope...she got hold of potato chips and was stuffing potato chips into the space behind the cover.

Ask For Help

You should never feel bad about having to ask for help. Today was really hard because I was busy all day. I woke up with my feet running. Around 3:00 PM I tried my hardest to put my daughter down for a nap but she fought me. As some point I really needed to get up and get some work done and my daughter won the no nap fight. Because she was more needy and destructive I couldn't take care of her and be productive at the same time. I am so thankful for my husband who took turns with me watching her so we could both get work done.

Take A Moment To Breath

When your toddler is throwing lots of tantrums and fighting sleep it can be stressful for parents. Sometimes you need to step out for a few minutes to regain your sanity and composure. Your toddler will be fine for a few minutes if you need to take a time out in another room.

My moment of sanity....I went and bonded with our ducklings. I poured Cheerios over my legs and let them eat off of me hoping they'll learn to be less scared of me. Duck nibbles feel really good and calm the mind.

Accept That You Can't Be A Superhero

Sometimes I feel bad not picking my daughter up when she is crying but when my hands are busy with something else, holding her maybe impossible. I made my husband a big Father's Day dinner of pork chops, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, and fried squash. It was a lot of work and my daughter followed me everywhere in the kitchen. She would cry for me to pick her up so she could try to meddle with things on the counter tops. Dealing with hot pots and pans, sometimes I couldn't pick her up and I felt terrible for it.

In the back of my mind though I knew she didn't need comfort as much as she wanted me to be a tool to help her play with things high up. I know I can't make a toddler suffering from a lack of sleep happy all the time and didn't kick myself too hard for not picking her up every time she tantrumed.

When All Else Fails Turn On Some Entertainment

I don't like letting my daughter watch much TV because she's so young. That being said, sometimes it is a necessary element for survival. A nice kids video will save my sanity and allow me...like 15 minutes of freedom until she loses interest.

I Won't Lie: Spock-a Doodle Amuses 32 Year Old Me And My Toddler

Ice Pops Keep Her Entertained For A While Too

My toddler is teething and loves ice because it feels good on her gums. I pour water into popsicle molds and freeze them. Entertains her for a good while and gives me a few moments of peace to work around the house as she enjoys a cool treat.

At The End Of The Day Take Care Of Yourself

I did some tilling out in the garden today. It took a lot of physical energy to hold the cultivator on a steep hill. It was 90 degrees out today. Right now I'm sore and stiff. My NNT toddler made every task take four times longer. She finally lost the sleep fight around 10:30. After she went to bed I took a long hot bath to sooth my hurting body. I had a chocolate ice cream cone and now my husband and I are spending a bit of time alone watching Terminal with Tom Hanks. After a hard day of NNT suffering I really needed to take time before bed to care for myself. I know as soon as I go to bed, morning will come quickly, and a new day of motherhood will begin. It's good to take a moment to care for myself now because I'll wake up, feet ready to run in the morning.

How do you manage a NNT toddler? What do you do for yourself to survive the terrible twos?