If you’re the mama of a baby or toddler, you know how much you value nap time. It’s the time you get time to yourself whether it be to get things done, eat your chocolate in peace, read a book, or watch your favorite show. Imagine with me, if you will, what it is like to have all your children home with you all day, every day and all are too old for naps. Add in the fact that this homeschool mama is an introvert who craves quiet time to re-charge. (Or at least the right to eat snacks in peace) How does a homeschool mama keep from going crazy?
Enter Daily Quiet Time.
My Tips
#1: Hang onto the nap for as long as possible.
-From my experience, most toddlers and/or preschoolers will go through nap strikes. This doesn’t automatically mean they are done napping forever. I choose to keep enforcing nap-times with books or toys to keep them in their rooms. There may be a time when nap-time is anything but peaceful. If they still need naps, they will go back to napping again in a week or two.
-If, however, nap-times are interfering with bedtime, it may be time for nap-time to be done. The age range tends to vary widely. Some children don’t need naps by shortly after 2 years. One of my children needed a nap every few days until the age of 8 years! My current 7-year-old puts himself to bed randomly 3 or 4 afternoons in a 2 week period. Another of my children was completely done napping by the age of just over 4 years.
#2: When you’ve determined nap-time is done, transition into quiet time or rest-time immediately.
-Depending on the age of the child, you may need to teach them how long quiet time will be by setting a timer or teaching them to tell the time.
-At younger ages, don’t make quiet time very long. They need to know that they aren’t stuck in their rooms forever and that they are allowed to go to the bathroom or perhaps ask mama a question at times.
#3: If you are a homeschool parent and your children are older, you can certainly make quiet time longer and the rules much laxer.
-For example, I allow my more extroverted son to play in other places besides his bedroom. At the time that I am typing this, he is playing in the living room. Because he is more extroverted, I have had to learn to be okay with him coming to talk to me and ask me questions.
How a Daily Quiet Time keeps this Homeschool Mama from going crazy
• I’ve often been asked how I do what I do. Many other mamas have told me that they could never do what I do. The key for me has been to know myself and know my limits.
• Daily Quiet helps me to find the time do the things that I enjoy most. I really enjoy reading inspirational books, listening to podcasts, and writing.
• The children get much-needed time to themselves to do the things that they enjoy without any other siblings bugging them. This means that they fight less when they are together and that makes this mama happy!
• The children use this time to pursue their interests and they learn many other things that they wouldn’t get the chance to do if they didn’t have this time. I love that they have this time and I don’t need to supervise it. Obviously, when children are younger there is a greater need for supervision, but even as younger children, I made sure that wherever the kids were that it was a safe environment for them.
This is the way this homeschool mama keeps from going crazy on daily basis. Quiet Time has been a wonderful addition to this homeschool mama’s routine. How about you? How do you keep from going crazy as a homeschool mama?
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My Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 7, 10, and 12-year-old)
My Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 6, 9, and 11-year-old)
A Day in the Life of our Summer (with an 11, 8, and 6-year-old)
My Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 5, 8, and 10-year-old)
*All Photos are my own*