Our Quiet Time Routine
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Yesterday, I shared our morning routine including our morning baskets. They have been a game changer for starting the morning right and with happy attitudes for the kids and the mom. Today, I am going to share our afternoon routine. I guess I will pick up where I left off yesterday.
Afternoon block - 11:30 - 4:30
11:30 – Lunch After the gym we come home and eat lunch. I let the kids watch a show usually while I eat and clean up the kitchen. Then I read a few books with my son and send him off to bed.
12:00 – 2:00 – School/Nap Time. This gives my daughter and I one on one time to focus on school. The goal is to do hands on learning from 12:00-2:00. And let me tell you, she LOOOOVES it! She loves the learning, the one on one time with me, and the uninterrupted time without her rambunctious brother. We read books, do her school assignments, she colors. It’s fun. Usually when she’s doing her coloring activity, I sneak away for a quick shower. Then if the stars align, when we are finished, the boy is still napping and Lucy goes to her room for quiet time.
2:00 – Quiet Time. Having both of the kids occupied allows me to have some time where I can focus on the house or other responsibilities that take 3x longer when the kids are around. I try my best not to get distracted and I follow my daily cleaning schedule. (I’ll share that soon)
3:00 – Outside + Snack Time. Going outside is a must for everyone. Here’s a pro tip: If your kids are grumpy- get outside. You have a bad attitude and feel run down – get outside. The baby is fussy – get outside. We usually eat a snack outside while I read some books aloud. Then we do chalk, bubbles, play with the ball, or just run around together.
Quiet Time
I try my best to be consistent with this time. It is one hour. We both need it. My daughter needs some alone time to recharge because that girl talks from the moment she gets up to the moment we walk out of her room at night. I would say when her head hits the pillow but that is not true. haha
I need the quiet time too. An hour when I am not answering questions, getting snacks, or singing Disney songs at the top of my lungs. We have a lot of fun around here but I get tired for sure.
Lucy has a ‘schedule’ for her quiet time. She has one of our handy timers in her room and she is in charge of setting it and moving through each activity. This may not work for everyone but my daughter loves structure and it helps her know when she can do her screen time. And saves her the trouble of asking when quiet time is over.
- Reading Time. She chooses the books, at least 3 and spends time reading them.
- Play Time. She has several activities to choose from. She just needs to have fun in her room.
- Clean Up Time. She has to put everything back where it goes.
- Tablet Time. We have the amazon tablet stocked with educational games and its a treat to her to get time on it.
Quiet Time Activities
Tips for starting a quiet time
- Start Small. We introduced quiet time when my daughter was about 3 and her nap times were keeping her up way too late. It was time to cut them out and I still needed some time after lunch to reset and get some things done so we instituted quiet time. My 19 month old does quiet time occasionally. In the late afternoon, when he’s a grump but its too late to nap. I stick him in his room with some books and shapes and he’ll play solo for about 20 minutes. Start small. Work with whatever level your child is on and then you can add time on. I heard from a mom recently that she does a two hour quiet time. Sounds great! Whatever works for you, go for it!
- Set expectations. Let your child know that they need to stay in whatever designated area you decided. If you have kids closer in age you can also have them play together. Set a timer or use their hatch to let them know when it is over.
- Make it fun. It should be some thing that they look forward to, not a punishment. Of course, there will days that they don’t want to and you just stay consistent. It’s ok to do things you don’t feel like doing. Life lesson. Choose activities that you know they will love. Grab a couple new toys from the dollar store or mess free coloring books from Target dollar spot. Make it fun. There’s also a lot of flexibility in this. Sometimes I get a hands on activity like a play-do themed kit and let my daughter do quiet time at the kitchen table. Sometimes she goes in her play closet and plays with her barbies. You get to decide or even give your child a couple options to choose from.
- Be consistent. I know I mentioned this before, but if you make the decision to institute quiet time, follow through. Your kids can do this and like it even if they fight you at first. Also, if you only enforce quiet time on the days that are going rough and you’re desperate for a break, then it might taint the experience for your kids. Be consistent and the routine will give you life.
No matter the age of your kids, you can implement quiet time. As a mom, you can use that time to reset, watch a show, take a nap, reset the house, clean out a closet, get some work done. The possibilities are endless. But fair warning, that hour goes by SUPER FAST!
I would like to also mention that you do not need to go out and get a bunch of new things. You can use what you already have and things that your kids already love. Quiet time helps your child learn to entertain themselves and use their imagination. Set out a bucket of magnet tiles, legos, coloring books, their favorite dolls or action figures. Use whatever you have and its okay if they say that they’re bored. It’s good for them!
Good luck mama! Remember, you are doing a great job and your kids are lucky to have you as a mom.
Read all about our hybrid schedule here.