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The concept of quiet time or rest time for little ones comes up for most moms when their their toddler\/preschooler is dropping their afternoon nap<\/a>. <\/p>\n You’ve enjoyed hours of afternoon reprieve for some alone time. Or maybe you used that time to work or get chores done and now… your little one is on a nap strike. <\/p>\n Or more accurately… they’ve grown out of the need for a nap. But still need some quiet time of rest. <\/strong><\/p>\n Don’t go from afternoon naps to full on busy days <\/em>without keeping that space for quiet rest. So let’s get into what rest time for toddlers looks like. <\/p>\n Rest time is when your child goes to a predetermined location to play quietly at a time determined by you for a duration determined by you. <\/p>\n This is not the same time as a child playing alone during the day focusing on one toy. It is a structured time. <\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n Get my cheat sheets\u00a0and find your family’s groove.\u00a0<\/strong>Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!<\/p>\n In our home rest time began at the same time the afternoon nap did. 1 p.m<\/strong>. The child goes into their crib (with toys) or their room (with safe toys) or wherever makes most sense for your child. <\/p>\n And they play there quietly for the duration of the time you have chosen. When your child gets into the groove you’ll soon start to see them loving this time. <\/p>\n So…how do we get our toddlers to a place where they enjoy quiet time<\/em>? Don’t worry, I’m going to talk about that! But first…<\/p>\n One of the best benefits to a toddler’s quiet time is you get to see their true little personalities<\/strong> shine. <\/p>\n I remember listening in and cracking up while one of my son’s made up stories based on the pictures in a book he was “reading.” He couldn’t read, but he could sure make up a funny story. It was priceless! <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n But really… here are some benefits:<\/p>\n Nothing is fun when you’re in full fledge meltdown.<\/p>\n When you’re toddler is over-tired or over-stressed,<\/a> introducing a quiet time might feel like a “time out.” This is clearly NOT what we’re going for here.<\/p>\n Let me say that again… quiet time is not punishment<\/strong>. <\/p>\n On the contrary, it is a time to enjoy. It can become a person’s favorite time of the day. <\/p>\n Having a healthy quiet time each day is beneficial for many reasons… as we discussed earlier. I see it as a soft spot during the day<\/strong> for relaxing and decompressing. <\/p>\n You want to make this time peaceful for your little one. Often your little one will fall asleep while playing. If they do this towards the end of rest time, let them nap a bit and then wake them up. If they start their nap late and sleep late, bedtime will be hairy. <\/p>\n Some kids may like some softly playing music as background noise. One of my little ones does well with a Sound Machine<\/a>. I think this is mainly to block out any sounds (outside of his room) that may be a distraction to him. <\/p>\n Get my cheat sheets\u00a0and find your family’s groove.\u00a0<\/strong>Chore, independent play, meal, nap, bedtime, and MORE routine ideas!<\/p>\n Now that my children are a bit older and afternoon quiet or rest time isn’t baked into their day, we have it before bed.<\/strong> About 45 minutes prior to kisses, cuddles, and lights out, my kids will go to their rooms with some books. <\/p>\n Picture books if they’re not reading, or any type of book they’re interested in if they are. <\/strong><\/p>\n When I started this I made it super enticing. I propped them up on comfy pillows, stuffed animals on both sides, turned on their light music and covered them with their comforter or soft blankets. <\/p>\n Even now, sometimes the kids fall asleep before I come back to kiss them good night. This prevents the Before Bedtime Second Wind<\/a> and also is just generally a great wind down practice. <\/p>\n Rest time will probably be an hour. Some children who are in the zone and loving it may even play for upwards of 1.5 to 2 hours. You can play it by ear, but aim for a good hour. Time will fly when they’re used to it and enjoying this time.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Depends on who you ask. Ask your toddler, then no. Ask a mother, YES! Of course you can get through the day without a quiet time, but it’ll definitely help center moods and calm your child’s spirit. And likely your own.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Quiet and rest time helps center your child. There’s no aggravation from other siblings, no loud noises or music, no having to share, no distractions. Your child will be able to go into a play world of their own and the benefits of this are limitless.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n To set up a quiet or rest time, create a welcoming environment for your child in a place of your choosing. Select safe age appropriate toys that will allow some room for the imagination, and explain to your child what’s going to happen. You decide the time and you decide the duration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n Most kids are ready to drop a nap between the ages of 3 and 4. I go into all things dropping a nap HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n ::<\/p>\n The post Quiet Time (Rest Time) for Toddlers: All You Need to Know<\/a> appeared first on Mother U<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Who know quiet time was so beneficial? As a mother of multiple children, it’s more than that. It’s a great break in the day for us all. Here’s what you need to know: The concept of quiet time or rest time for little ones comes up for most moms when their their toddler\/preschooler is dropping […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":306112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[137006,104289,137007,137004,97080,137005],"tags":[137008,8992,137009,6584,1231,670,1057],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-306111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-routines","category-family-practices-contribution","category-quiet-time","category-routines","category-toddler","category-toddler-routines-schedules","tag-daily-routines","tag-quiet","tag-quiet-time","tag-rest","tag-time","tag-toddler","tag-toddlers"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Girl](\"https:\/\/amotherfarfromhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/girl-playing-in-room-reading-book.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nLet’s Define Quiet Time for Toddlers <\/h2>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nRoutines To Cut Through The Crazy<\/span><\/h2>\n
What does a quiet (rest) time routine look like?<\/h3>\n
![\"\u27a1\"](\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/16.0.1\/72x72\/27a1.png\")
<\/strong> This will typically replace independent play time<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nWhat does it not look like?<\/h3>\n
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![\"Boy](\"https:\/\/amotherfarfromhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/boy-playing-with-cars.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhat the the benefits to a toddler’s quiet time? <\/h2>\n
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How to Ease Them Into It If They’re Resistant <\/h2>\n
I have found these tips to be extremely successful<\/em> in easing a child into a peaceful quiet time: <\/h3>\n
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Here are some tips for making quiet time safe:<\/h3>\n
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Keep the Peace<\/h2>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nRoutines To Cut Through The Crazy<\/span><\/h2>\n
Quiet Time For Kids Of All Ages<\/h2>\n