Quiet Time

Connor stopped napping consistently before he was even three. Then the problem became him running through the house while Isla was sleeping. A toddler running around on raised foundation wood floors does not make for a quiet experience! So, I started sitting with him during Isla's naps. This made for loooong days without any break.


When Connor started school, I instituted quiet time. I did this because I thought he may need a nap after being at school. He never did nap. Of course, why would he...he's the boy that hardly sleeps! But the wildly successful quiet times made me wonder why I didn't start it long ago! Basically, Connor gets quiet time in his room while Isla naps (not her whole nap, I set a timer for him) and I can have a bit of me time. Recently, I started noticing that Isla went to bed so much easier on the days that she didn't nap. So, in general, I have stopped naps for her and instituted quiet time and it has also been hugely successful.


The first day that Isla had quiet time with her new big girl bed, she crawled up in it and went to sleep! Now, she hasn't done that at any of the quiet times since. But I love that no longer being in a crib, she has the option to decide if she wants to play or sleep...and that one time she actually chose sleep!

Do any other moms out there do quiet time? And if your kids are older, how long were you able to get away with quiet time? I am thinking I want to do it for a loooong time!



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3 comments:

  1. I maintain that I'm a huge fan of quiet time. We have one in my classroom almost everyday, and my students are 9-12 years old! It doesn't have to be long - we only go for 15-20 minutes, usually - and they don't have the sleep. Our classroom rule is you need to do "something quiet, by yourself" - no playing with friends or talking to teachers. It's a perfect amount of time for me to get a little paperwork done and the students to unwind. They love the time as much as I do!

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    1. Good to know I can (and should) keep doing a form of it for years! Honestly, one of the reasons I love it is it forces the kids to play on their own. Isla still does well, but these days it takes some coaxing to get Connor to play on his own. Once he is in the zone though, he is good to go.

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  2. Wow Connor's Eyes are so Beautiful.. love him and Isla so much!

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