Goodbye, Nap Time! Hello, Quiet Time!

I would like to start this post by taking a moment of silence to mourn the loss of nap time. 

(Quiet sob)….

Now that we have mourned, how do we move on? This transition is rough on parent and child. So how do we soften the blow of losing nap time? Meet quiet time - a very important routine of early childhood for parent and child’s sanity. Quiet time can replace nap time by simply keeping the nap time routine in tact, but allowing the child a little more freedom of activity. 

So what does that look like? 

1. Keep the nap time “prep routine”. Get in bed, read stories, tuck the child under the covers. The point of this is to establish connection with the child because leaving them alone. Children are more likely to cooperate if they feel connected to their parent. 

2. Explain and enforce clear and consistent expectations. Preemptively decide what quiet time will look like in your house. Take into account your child’s personality, preferences, and practical ways you will uphold the routine. Then teach your child the routine. In our house this looks like: “I will read you two books and then quiet time starts. After two books, you can read more books yourself or get out of bed a play with toys.” Then give them a concrete cue as to when quiet time is over. Ideas include: a visual timer, the OK to Wake clock, a music playlist, etc. This takes the pressure off of you to constantly cue them and creates an objective cue that dictates the end of nap time. 

3. Encourage independent play by rotating toys and getting rid of clutter. Often times, “boredom” or lack of creativity is caused by overwhelm - creating difficulty in focused attention, and lack of novelty or excitement. In order to keep the excitement and creativity flowing, give a few option and rotate through them. 

4. Capitalize on your child’s interest. One of my favorite aspects of childhood is the innate desire to explore and experiment. Children are hardwired to be curious in order to learn and understand the world around them. Leverage their curiosity! Check-out books about backyard bugs just like they collected this week! Place construction trucks by the blocks so they can create their own building site. Put extra blankets by the dolls so they can create a doll bed and a cape. Get in touch with your creative side to inspire theirs! 

5. Scaffold your child’s transition. “Scaffolding” simply means “temporary support”. The first couple of weeks of “quiet time” probably won’t give you the same break that nap time used to. Your child will need more guidance from you and may test the boundaries. Stay consistent, patient, and gently teach your child the parameters of quiet time. You are teaching them an important lifelong skill - self-regulation - the ability to recognize their body’s needs and meet appropriately meet those needs.

This sweet little break in the afternoon can provide your kids time to decompress and you time to find your balance before diving into the afternoon sprint! You can do it! If you need some help, we’re here!