Remember this little cutie? This is how great she feels after waking up from a good nap. She positively beams, even behind a binky.Unfortunately, although she can generally put down a two-hour nap without batting an eyelash, she has been on a bit of a nap strike lately. Neither of us like this very much. Although I really do think this is just a strike and she'll get back into her napping groove pretty soon, it has made me think a little more seriously about quiet time. She's almost two, after all, and I can't expect the glory days of napping consistently to last forever.
So. A question for you wise ones out there who practice quiet time in your own homes. How did you first implement quiet time for your children? Where did you put them, and what did you give them to do? How long did you expect quiet time to last at first, and how long did you expect it to last later on? I have ideas, but I would like to gather more of them and find out what has and hasn't worked for you.
Thanks, dears.
6 comments:
I don't know about quite time but a napping strike is definately the pits. Maddie looks adorable!
To give you hope, I haven't had to institute quiet time yet because Kathleen, at 4 1/2 still takes naps (along with Sophia and Edwin and me, too). She's reading now, so I'll just give her a book and some stern words about leaving her siblings asleep.
Growing up we had quiet time well into middle-school, and all we had were books, which was fine with everyone.
Quiet time has been great! I posted a picture of Abe in quiet time yesterday.
The day we started, I made a big deal of it. I said he was a "big boy," so instead of naps, he got quiet time. I had him call my mom, his Nonna, and she talked about how I did quiet time when I was little.
Our rules are:
No getting up (except to go to the bathroom)
Only soft toys and books
No calling me
He has a CD case, and before quiet time starts, he can choose from among the list of quiet-time-approved music. I show him the clock and show him how when the "big hand" is on the whatever, I'll come in and get him.
I started with just 15 minutes, and we have gradually worked up to an hour. When we first started, he'd get a sticker on the calendar every day he had a successful quiet time. He went through a phase towards the beginning of him being scared, so I went back to naps and re-introduced it when things had calmed down.
The best thing about quiet time: you get a free hour to yourself, AND you can put her to bed really early because she didn't have a nap!
That's a lot of details, sorry! Good luck!
Hey Sarah, in case you're interested in my no nonsense quiet time (my Mads stopped taking naps at 22 months):
If she's still in the crib, you can load it up with toys and books. Or, if you want, just keep the door shut and set her on the ground and let her have a go with a bunch of toys and books in her room. occasionally you'll go in to check and she'll be asleep on the floor with her blanket. Also, if you say, "It's nap time!" then she can choose to take a nap or play for an hour and a half. Ours is an hour and a half, although it gets less for Mads because she's five and can hang out with me without bothering me. If she can open doors, then get a childlock, and ducktape it on if she won't stop pulling it off. I was a desperate mother though, you seem much different!
Leah stopped taking naps just around 3 years old. And she was old enough to stay in her room and look at books or play with toys. It was usually a hour or hour and half. And for the most part, she would stay in there for a good while to give me a little break during the day. Cameron is still napping well, so Leah gets to play on the computer for 30 or 40 mins and then we play a game or two together.
I'm excited to hear what you come up with, Sarah! She will probably head back to taking naps if you continue with your consistency like I know you do so well. Marshall went through a really bad napping strike in the fall and sometimes it would take me an hour and a half to get him to go down, but he did, and now he's back to taking them without any problems. I share your concern, though--once naptime goes bye bye, I'm not sure what to do for quiet time, because I think either a nap or quiet time is necessary. You're such a great mother, Sarah.
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