Are you looking for tips for daily quiet time for kids? Iāve got you! š
Having a daily quiet time for my kids has been one of the keys to my happiness as a mother. When you have young kids, it can feel impossible to carve out any alone time during the day, and having a consistent quiet time is a perfect way to give yourself a break (and plus, it’s good for your kids, too!).Ā
You might be thinking, “Okay, Rachel, that sounds great in theory, but how?” To help you out, here are my best tips for successfully instituting quiet time.
3 Takeaways for Daily Quiet Time for kids:
1. Remember how good quiet time is for your kids.Ā
I don’t have calm kids, so instituting and maintaining quiet time isn’t always easy. When I’m trying to do something hard as a parent, or I’m feeling mean, it helps me to remember that what I’m doing is good for them. Quiet time encourages deep, creative, independent play. It’s good for kids to learn what to do with boredom and how to entertain themselves. Quiet time also gives them a reset – we even do quiet time on vacation! It helps avoid overstimulation and exhaustion.Ā
2. Set them up for success.Ā
Help encourge a successful quiet time by making sure they have interesting and novel toys that inspire creative play. My kids love legos, mag tiles, blocks, coloring books, and puzzles. They also love to listen to audiobooks. Another way to set them up for success is to give them a way to track the time. Once they know their numbers, a little digital clock can help them know when quiet time is over. We use the Okay to Wake Clock and it has been an awesome purchase!Ā
3. Expect that you will have to train your kids to do quiet time.Ā
If your kids aren’t used to being alone for an hour, start small. Start with 5 minutes, set the timer, and slowly build up from there. Celebrate each time they make it to the timer. Remember, kids aren’t going to know how to do something the very first time they try. Help them learn slowly – it will be worth the effort!Ā
So, what do think about these tips for quiet time? Do you have quiet time in your house?Ā
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Ā Ā >>> Do these ideas for quiet time for kids feel helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below!Ā
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Related Episodes like this one on Quiet Time for Kids:
- 061: Avoiding Bedtime Battles // Marietta Paxson, LMFT
- 246: How to Encourage Creativity in Kids // Noah Nielson
- 271: Why Your Kids Melt Down After School + What to Do About it // Alyssa Blask Campbell
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Mentioned in the Episode:
- āOkay to Wakeā ClockĀ
- Quiet Time 101 by April Perry of Power of MomsĀ
- Quiet Time: My Very Best Parenting Secret by Janssen of Everyday Reading
Great episode! Thank you! Very helpful.
I’m so glad!!! Thank you for letting me know!
Quiet time! Yes! Definitely one of my best parenting moves too. My daughter stopped napping before she was 3 and used to wake up around 6 am so I needed a break somewhere! We homeschool now so I still need the break.
I agree with all your take aways. Consistency is key. I remember taking her by the hand and taking her back to her room over and over until she finally got it. We used the “bunny clock” (the clock’s face is divided in two. One half with a sleeping bunny, one half with a bunny awake which lights up at your preset time). When that broke, I simply put a green nightlight in a christmas light timer and told her when the light was on, that meant she could come out. I would use that in the morning and during quiet time.
Nowadays, my daughter is 8 and she knows not to wake us up in the morning. She’ll stay up to 2 hours in her room if need be. (She can also grab breakfast on her own if she’s hungry). And then she has quiet time after lunch while I take a nap. Quiet time ends when I wake up and/or leave my room. She tends to play with her stuffed animals, draw, or listen to audiobooks. No screen for us as well during quiet time.
I highly recommend it. I don’t think we’ll ever do without quiet time.
Great episode as usual!
I really love the idea of quiet time, but honestly, I was nervous about actually instituting it into our daily routine. I kept thinking, thereās no way my kids are going to go for this. But today, during a difficult moment where one kid was throwing a tantrum and the other was having attitude, I decided Iām going for it! I told them both we were doing quiet time in their rooms for 10 minutes, but I wouldnāt start the timer until they were actually quiet. They both cried and got upset, but we did it anyway and it took a while before they were actually quiet. And then….peace! I was able to clean the bathrooms while listening to another episode of 3 in 30 and they were in their rooms blessedly quiet. 10 minutes went by and after a bit the older asked if she could come out. I went and checked on my 3 year old and he was sleeping on the floor with his favorite blanket. So it worked!! I realized that we actually can have quiet time and it gives them a chance to regroup, get a new mindset, and even take a rest. Thanks Rachel and all of the guests! I really feel like youāve inspired me to change so many bad habits and learn a better and happier way to parent
This is so awesome!!! Thanks for the real-life success story! Like I said in the episode, I swear to you, they need it as much as we do! Thank you so much for listening.
WOW IT WORKS