JDaniel has stopped taking naps. He would still take them if I wrestled him down and forced it, but then he would be up until ten o’clock chatting in his bed. So, we have stopped with naps.
He still needs to slow down in the afternoon and read, rest or play upstairs. We are calling this time “quiet time”. It isn’t always quiet and he spends a whole a lot of time wanting to know when the kitchen timer is going to beep. (When it beeps, he is released from being sequestered and can come downstairs.)
JDaniel sometimes sits at the top of the stairs and sings to see if I will do anything.
No, he is allowed to continue to sit at the top of the stairs. He just can’t come down the stairs.
When he does he is guided back upstairs and strongly reminded to stay upstairs or he will lose his snack.
(Snack is greatly desired in the afternoon at our house.)
Last week when he called down to ask if it were time and I replied that it wasn’t, his small voice muttered, “You have to be kidding.”
I suppressed a laugh. I knew the words he had just muttered where mine.
I wrote a few weeks ago about my words spreading to my son and here was a reminder that they had not only spread but had been planted in his memory.
When had I said those words? I couldn’t remember then and I still can’t.
I could hear his feet shuffling over my head as he moved from the hallway to his room almost in defeat.
I don’t think he thought the timer would ever go off.
One hour of time seems like a lifetime to pause from being with me to have time to play, read, or rest on your own to him. Yet we both need some “quiet time” even if it seems like a will never end for one of us.
Do you have a “quiet time” at your house in the afternoon?
I definitely have “quiet time”. We can’t live without it – or rather, I can’t!
I need the space and time to rest and just be quiet, just so I can continue being a mother at peace. And that’s what my kids need, so I protect the hour at all costs.
I set aside some favourite activities for the non-sleeping kid and try to rest in the knowledge that should she choose not to use them, she may, over time, learn to hear God’s voice in the quiet.
Snack is also greatly desired at our house 😉 Morning and afternoon.
There are days when my son refuses his afternoon nap and whether or not he is sleeping he has “quiet time” in his room. He can read his books or play with his toys but it has to be in his room. Half of the time when “quiet” time is over and I pop into his room to check on him he is sleeping in his bed or on his reading pillow.
I haven’t yet implemented ‘quiet time’ as my kids still take naps in the afternoon. They are usually very cranky by 5.30-6pm if they don’t nap and I can’t afford for them to sleep at 6pm because they’ll get up at 7.30pm and will be up till 11 or 12. It’s complicated. I’m trying to do away with the naps and have them sleep early but haven’t yet achieved it. Quiet time’s usually before bedtime at night.
JDaniel was so cute with “you have to be kidding” 🙂
Oh, yes, you have to be very considerate with your words these days. ‘Timan’ too, he’s picking up everything and it’s coming back at me some time, or days, or weeks later.
Normally we do naps after lunch and I would like to keep it that way as long as possible. But when the tot gets up too late, like 7:30am, he will not nap until around 5pm and at that time I try to avoid it. I know he’s going to be cranky and try to be super patient with him and make him ready for bed much earlier. So in case he falls asleep around 7pm he’s fed and clean and ready to sleep. And I keep my fingers crossed he’ll not going to wake up. He hardly does. 🙂
Oh, that horrible day when the afternoon nap time suddenly ended… I was never successful with either of my children in having a quiet time. They spent so much time trying to get loose that it was more exhausting to fight it than to just give up the hour. I probably should have stuck to my guns…
Pierce stopped napping right when the twins were born, and he wasn’t quite three. I let him watch a show in the afternoons so we both get a little quiet time.
When my girls were younger quiet time was definitely required in our house. I think I needed it more than they did, but it sure made life much more calm. When my husband got home from work he had three happy girls instead of one grumpy mom and two little monkeys.
I don’t have any set quiet time but I do try and get some when I can.
I hate that point in life when kids stop taking naps! My 3rd child never reached that point and I had a hard time breaking her of naps for Kindergarten to start! It was wonderful!
Yes, we have a little quiet time in the afternoon, though I’m never able to get enough done during that time!
The new phrase JDaniel picked up made me laugh–so cute. 🙂
Quiet time is not consistent over here, but I do cherish it and hope that I can do something like this with Donut when she stops napping. It’s always good to slow down and recharge.
Sweet Pea will take his quiet time when Buggy goes down for his afternoon nap. This way it gives Buggy an actual change to sleep and me some much need peace and quiet.
I love this. I know just what you mean about hearing my own words coming out of my sons mouth. It makes me realize I need to temper what I say. I strive for a “quiet hour” when the kids are home an entire day (they’re both at school full time now) but it rarely happens.
Love the post. Quiet time is sacred in our house, because my husband and I love taking naps on weekends. Daughter is well trained to stay in her room for 2 hours (she can go downstairs if she needs to go to the restroom). It does work if you stay consistent!
Ah, I miss nap days. I do make sure they take a quiet time though, because we all need a recharge, don’t we?!
We just started quiet time because I was tired of the naptime fight. Although, sometimes I still feel like he could use a nap, he’s really cranky by bedtime. so I make him lay down for 30 minutes and listen to music. He lays on the couch which was also a compromise for me but it’s better than him screaming in his room and waking up his baby brother. He likes to say things like, “this sure is a long song.” And I try not to laugh. I feel exactly what you are going through but I agree, we all need our downtime.
unfortunately…no quiet time here…never had..though I wish for some
It’s always interesting to hear what phrases and nuances kinds pick up! But it’s good you’re instilling quiet time… Mommy needs it!!
that is too funny…
the other day broxton asked me a question.. i answered and his response? are you kidding me? lol so funny and cute
My kids always gave their naps up early, and I don’t remember having specific quiet time to substitute. What I did was put them to bed earlier, and we had quite a long bedtime ritual that involved a lot of quiet time.
Sounds like you’ve got a good plan, though!
=)