How to instill some kind of afternoon quiet time around here.

[Hazelnut]

Naps are a thing of the past, but we could really use some "quiet time" kind of thing in their rooms. I want them to rest and I want a little break.

With ds1 this was always impossible, so I pretty much gave up and tried to make sure he was playing in a more mellow manner where he usually plays, or I sat with him for some book reading or something. But ds2 is two and is skipping naps most days, and I think he would be more amenable to some quiet time in his room. Still though, I need some HELP and creative suggestions so that I can do this in some kind of gentle manner without losing my cool. The last thing I want is to get into a game of control with a 2 and 4yo, but I feel like this is really not an unreasonable thing to expect.

Someone mentioned in another thread something about a little "feet off the floor" rule which I like. I don't know where to start with this one. Little
ules, games, transitioning ideas? Anything!

[jillmamma]

A few ideas:
* have some quiet toys (or puzzles or books) that are just to be used during rest time
* built a fort or something for the 2 year old to rest in
* take them to the park or something in the mornings to REALLY burn off lots of energy
* put on a video for them if you do TV
* or listen to a book on tape/CD

Good luck!

[lovemyfamily6]

Maybe you could buy a little rest mat. My son is in kindergarten and they don't call it quiet time. It's "recharging time". Time to recharge your batteries. The mat is there recharger. They can look at books quietly, do puzzles, take a nap, pretty much whatever as long as it is quiet. He loves it. I tried for years to get quiet time (he stopped napping by age 2) and wasn't successful. If only I had known about recharging!

[cotopaxi]

I think a routine helps. If "quiet time" always occurs first thing after lunch, for example. When they know what to expect I think they can cooperate better and may even start to look forward to that quiet time.

[Jenlaana]

during last school year (we homeschool our 12 yr old) we instituted an hr long quiet time every afternoon. We turned off everything electric in the house...lights/tv's/games/etc. The only thing on was a CD of lullaby music in then 16 mo old DD's nursery. Then I'd gate us into the nursery and I would read in a chair while she played quietly on the floor. Her nursery is not a room she would normally play in, so those stuffed animals are new to her. My DD is still napping though so eventually it just tired her out enough that she would crawl into her toddler bed and fall asleep.

[Ellp]

I do that with my kids... I tell Dd#1 (2.5yo) that its "quiet" time and everyone goes to their room for some quiet activity. It can be reading, playing quietly, whatever, as long as they don't bother anyone else. Dd#2 (4mo) goes for a nap in our bedroom, I go into the computer room (gotta serf MDC!) and Dd#2's goes to her room, which is convieniently next door to the computer room, where I can monitor her.

Amazingly enough I've had this last anywhere from 1/2hr to 1.5hrs!

[Fuamami]

Could your four year old listen to books on tape? My dd loves that!

[Hazelnut]

Good ideas. I'm gonna get some books on tape from the library too. We've never done those- I think he'll like it. Thanks. I like the recharge vocab too. Reminds me of work management trying to shake things up with special new terms.

[AngelBee]

:

[Jescafa]

My oldest doesn't nap anymore, either, but she does have a "quiet time" in her room after lunch. This really just means that she is playing on her own with the door closed, usually with her Polly Pockets or something. It's much more about me getting rest than her.

She doesn't particuarly want to have a quiet time, but she doesn't hate it, and she is a good sport about it. She knows that when it's over she'll get to watch a 1/2 hour show on Noggin, or whatever, so that helps keep her agreeable about it...and frankly helps to extend the downtime for me.