"Your four year old still takes a nap? You are so lucky."

There is nothing lucky about it. I may not be able to match their clothes, but I have to pat myself on the back on this one. I am really good at making my girls take a nap. You might even call me a nap expert. So if you would like to be as good as me at making your kids take naps here are a few tips from the nap master.

1. If you are driving somewhere in the morning and your kids are nodding off, yell "WAKE UP" and "DON'T GO TO SLEEP" until they are so mad at you that they are yelling "NOT NICE" and crying and completely awake. If they even think about sleeping in the car, I find that they won't take a nap.

2. I don't know what all the books say about this, but you have to let them stay in their room for a while. If you don't have the willpower, get it because it can take a while. I decline to be specific about how long I let them stay in their room before I give in just in case anybody out there is secretly reporting my bad parenting to the bad parenting police.

3. If you like to believe that you are selfless when it comes to your kids, get selfish because you need the nap as much as they do. I am not saying you have to sleep, but you need the time to decompress. Put them in their room for the nap even if you know that all they will do is play for an hour--you both need the separation. There is nothing better than having a break and then being greeted like the great emancipator when you go get them--It is almost as good as coming home after a day away from them.

From my extensive research on the subject I can only assume that I am the best in the world at getting kids to take naps, so just follow my impeccably written instructions and you might be half as good as me.