I often say I’ve been building my company making the best daddy diaper bag in 4-hour increments of babysitting and 2 hour increments of naptimes. Those precious naps were vital to my early growth.

And then? They grew up.

Let it be know, that on the 21st day in a certain month, in a certain year of our parenting lords, my eldest child, who’d blessed me with so much sleep time for 39 months, gave up their afternoon nap. I may only express myself through poetry to face my new hell.

LIMERICK

There once was a toddler who slept,

And made all their dad’s friends verklempt.

Until that one day,

When the nap went away

Now Dad looks at life with contempt.


HAIKU

Three years, two-hour naps

Now, night sleep evades ‘til ten.

Time to give up: me.

 

ODE…TO THE VANISHING NAP

Time. Fluid relative.

Once upon a time, my child stirred and I stopped breathing.

Then. A solid year of easy-peasy-breezy sleeping.

The nap: the gnomon of the day.

We revolved, we flowed.

But the shadow was always cast.

Dimmed lights, especially mine.

Indulgent? Necessary? Appreciated? Sans question.

Miraculous how four laundry loads regenerate a spirit.

Reading? Writing? Founding a fortune 500 company making baby gear for stylish dads?

Or simply making the best daddy diaper bag?

Icing on a piece of Amy’s bread cake.

And today.

No easy-peasy-breezy.

Aaaaaaand no tears, no gruff. Just “that’s enough.”

Time to grow up, Daddy.

Time to change minds, Daddy.

Time to join reality, Daddy.

Time to SCREAM AND THROW MY OWN TANTRUM AND TEAR MY HAIR OUT AND BEG AND PLEAD FOR THEM TO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE JUST GO.

BACK

TO

SLEEP

 

I was beating my head against the wall when we lost these precious times because I just wanted to have that focused time to do my own work on ECKnox, my company making baby gear for stylish dads. This was just about the time my daddy diaper bag had been accepted into Barneys and I was getting my daddy diaper bag blogs and daddy diaper bag companies to put eyes on me…but I needed those two hours of focused work. Sigh.

 

Gavin Lodge is a father, writer, failed haiku poet and founder of ECKnox making baby gear for stylish dads, particularly the coolest diaper bags for dads – in fact the best diaper bag for dads – and moms, too, which make a helluva a gift for a baby registry and baby shower for those new dads and moms in your life. Feel free to follow the gear and the missives on Insta and the like. ECKnox is expanding beyond beyond just the best diaper bags for dads. Stay tuned.