"During the early toddler days when I would pick my son up from daycare, his end-of-day report would always say he took a two-hour nap. I couldnât believe it. Back then, my son would only ever nap for 30 minutes tops at home, on a good day. My husband and I would joke that our daycare was lyingâbut they werenât. One day I had to pick him up from daycare at the end of their scheduled nap time. While everyone was waking up, he was the last kid still tucked away under his blanket. Before I entered his classroom, I stood outside peeping through the door window just dumbfounded. Letâs just say I was truly sorry for ever thinking my sonâs teachers were liars. Theyâre not liars. Theyâre fairies. In fact, theyâre nap fairies. I immediately called my husband to tell him the news.
we put it to the test, and it really does live up to the hype đ
So, how do we replicate this nap magic at home? My sonâs teachers told us he didnât have a problem with naps at daycare. The funny part was sometimes they would even have to wake him up. What? I was desperate. While experts say bribing kids isnât recommended, Iâm definitely guilty of bribing him with ice cream. One mom, however, has a different solution. Sam Previte (@find.food.freedom on Instagram and @findfoodfreedom on TikTok), a mom of a toddler, recently took to social media and posted a mom hack she learned to help get her child to sleep. She says this advice is essentially what no one tells you about parenting.
The Viral Nap Fairy Hack
My childâs teachers arenât the only ones who are nap fairies. Parents can be nap fairies, too. Previte confessed that she pays her toddler to take naps. Before you judge her, she says it works. Like one parent commented, âNever say never when parenting.â She shared that she has a very defiant toddler at home. âSheâs very independentâLittle Miss Independent, if you willâand she decided that she doesnât want to nap at home on the weekends,â says Previte. Like my son, her daughter takes naps at school for them âlike a princess.â
What Is the Nap Fairy?
If you find yourself like @_kidunlap_, who commented, âWhy do they always nap SOOOO well for everyone but us?! đ,â Previte shared how the nap fairy hack works. The ânap fairyââAKA, youâbrings a penny, a nickel, a dime, and a quarter. If your kid falls asleep, they get paid. If they donât fall asleep, then the nap fairy doesnât come. The ânap fairy only comes when those eyes get heavy, and you rest your head on the pillow,â shared Previte.
Before You Judge the Nap Fairy
One mom posted a comment saying, âIâll be honest, pre-parenting, I would have judged this so hard. Now, as a mom of a similarly independent and strong willed 1.5 year old; I am taking NOTESđđđ đ.â Previte said, âDid I think I would be paying my toddler to take a nap? No, but she loves it.â
Desperate times call for desperate measures. However, this one stuck, and it seems to be working for Previte and her toddler. Other parents commented on their own experiences. Instagram user @wonderfulworldoftori commented, âMy mom told me she used to lay down with us and tell us that we didnât have to sleep but we needed to help her sleep, I now do that with my toddler, itâs been working so far.â @jennycrugerphotography said, âCurrently paying my 5th grader for every chapter book read. Itâs great.â
The Nap Fairy Has Some Learning Value
Previte also bought her toddler a unicorn piggy bank so her daughter has a place to put her nap fairy money. âShe loves putting money in there,â she said. The plan for Previte is to teach her toddler how to save the money that the nap fairy gives her. She jokingly added, âWeâre going to talk about how to pay for some foodâfor some rent.â @jennycrugerphotography commented, âMy only advice is be careful upping the amount as they get older. Itâs expensive. đđ.â
Final Thoughts on the Nap Fairy Parenting Hack
Instagram user @theclinicdietitian posted, âHonestly kind of genius.â Iâm in the same boat as @katforos, who said, âI wish someone paid me to nap.â As a mom, I know I need a nap most days. One can dream.
Patty Schepel, Editorial Assistant
As the editorial assistant, Patty works with The Everymomâs team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When sheâs not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathonsâshe ran one 16 weeks pregnantâtraveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.