Sleepytime

Sleep is like a drug - or at least like Coca-Cola. I need more sleep than ever, and I get less sleep than ever. I never liked to nap, but now I must take a nap, usually taking one every day. Sleep has become a necessary weapon to take on work, kids and life. It's a deterrent - like nuclear missiles in the Cold War - keeping the dark side at bay.

Sleepytime

Old Wahoo loves sleep, especially now that the three boys make a nap an almost daily necessity for the old man. But with school getting ready to start here in the Great Lakes State, the time has come to rearrange the boys' sleep patterns. If we learned one thing, a tired kid is a cranky kid. Thus, sleep is our friend.

The Motherlode blog at The New York Times had a nice article with tips on getting your kids on a sleep schedule for school. But as the author Lisa Belkin says, even following good advice does not always lead to the intended result. The best laid plans of mice and men ... 

Sleep schedules are a much bigger hassle for Mrs. Wahoo since my work schedule takes me out of the rotation for at least three school nights a week. Getting the kids to sleep is tough even when it's two parents against three boys, but one parent vs. three boys ... even Norman Dale couldn't lead the Hickory Huskers against those kind of odds. And since I get home late, I'm usually cranky or worthless in the morning, so Mrs. Wahoo has that going against her, too.

Anyway, I was just wondering what worked for everyone else, or if you all had similar worries about sleep schedules. If you'd like, leave a comment below, or give me an e-mail at john.hetzler@gmail.com.

EDITED: To fix e-mail address.

The first kids

Old Wahoo knows this story will warm Mrs. Wahoo's heart: The first kids - next to Old Wahoo's, of course - have a bed time. Mrs. Wahoo is big on this, and we agree: when the kids go to sleep on time, they have a much better chance at having a good tomorrow. They act, perform, behave, etc. much better when they have a full night's rest. The Obamas have this one right. This is a stimulus plan all parents should support.