If you are a babysitter or nanny, do you ever wonder what to do when the kids nap? My kids are two years apart, and when the oldest was a toddler and the youngest a baby, I worked hard to get them to nap at the same time. I was a stay-at-home mom then, and I knew that I needed that hour of time by myself. So what did I do during nap time? Some of the things I did wouldn’t be appropriate or needed when watching someone else’s kids, like napping or showering, but here is my advice for what a babysitter or nanny can do. First, you can use the time to do any little jobs that you can’t get down easily at other times, like doing the dishes from lunch or starting dinner, if that’s one of your responsibilities. This can take the stress off of trying to do those things when the kids are awake. You can also use it for personal projects like studying, if you’re in school, or catching up on emails. Since being with young children all day is tiring, my very best recommendation is that you use at least some of the time for something that you find personally relaxing, like reading a good book or doing yoga. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the quiet, because soon enough they will be awake again!
What to do when the kids nap
