• Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Meet Sarah
  • How Wee Read
  • Shop Resources
  • Search

How Wee Learn

Out of the box learning ideas, playful art, exploring nature, and simple living - that is How We Learn!

  • Quiet Time
  • Letters and Numbers
  • Art
  • Science
  • Get Outside
  • Shop

Establishing Quiet Time – It IS possible!!

October 24, 2017 by Sarah Leave a Comment

Welcome back my Quiet Time friends and happy Tuesday! I have polished up my Quiet Time Queen Crown and am so excited to answer the question that I get ask at least once a week:

“How can I get my little ones to actually have a Quiet Time?”

Allow me to be brutally honest, because I have been here myself. There was a period of time when I almost threw in the towel and decided that THIS little monkey of a preschooler of mine (not pointing any fingers, but it was that one with the blond curls) was simply not ever going to enjoy Quiet Time.

I didn’t want it to feel like a punishment, but that was what was beginning to happen. If Quiet Time was viewed as something negative, then we certainly wouldn’t get all of the amazing benefits from it!

There are SO many benefits to quiet time. Increased attention, gaining independence and self-confidence, learning problem solving, encouraging mindfulness … I wanted Quiet Time in all of it’s amazing glory!

So I changed my plan, adopted a very different strategy, and now could not imagine what my days would look like if I had indeed thrown in the towel on Quiet Time.

Well … actually I can imagine it … it looks just like me, but as a stressed out, unshowered Mama with a messy house who survives on coffee and is just a smidgen too snappy at her sweet little ones.

I can imagine it, but I don’t want to. I have really come to enjoy showering regularly.

Though I still do survive on coffee because … well, kids.

Today I am excited to share with you exactly what I have done to establish Quiet Time in my home – even with my curly blond little monkey.

How to actually get kids to take and love a quiet time!

The real key I have found is to be consistent and start very slow. But let me explain:

I have made this a handy printable for you to pop on your fridge! Print your FREE copy right here!

  • Create a consistent time (or 2) each day for quiet time. We all thrive on rhythms and knowing what is coming next and what to expect. Having quiet time the same time each day is very reassuring and beneficial for children. We like to have quiet time right after lunch, and again just before dinner (our witching hour!) You might find some days you need an “emergency quiet time” – but most times having a consistent opportunity for quiet will avoid this need. Consistency is definitely key.
  • Start for a very short time and work up. For very young children, start with a 5 minute Quiet Time. I know that sounds pointless, but it is so much better to start short and have little ones gain confidence in their ability to do this! Once 5 minutes is easy, and little ones are really engaged in the activities, increase the time by another 5 minutes. At this point, my little ones have a 45 minute Quiet Time without batting an eye.
  • Set a visual timer. There are so many apps and visual timers out there. A visual timer is a great way for little ones to see how much time has gone by and how much time is left. This also plays up one of the benefits of Quiet Time: independence.
  • Get yourself busy. Cleaning up after lunch, washing some dishes, any little task. If you are busy during your little ones Quiet Time at first, she will begin to understand that this is her time to be on her own.
  • Stay close by. At first, it is very reassuring to little ones to know that Mama is still close by even though it is independent time. Make sure you keep busy though, because as soon as Mama’s hands look free, little toys will soon find their way!
  • Define the space. For our Quiet Time, I like my boys to rest their bodies too. For this reason, they are not to be walking/running about. We started by staying on a blanket on the ground, but that was only for the first few times. Kids catch on to things very quick – and they will grow to LOVE and look forward to Quiet Time.
  • Provide super engaging and super fun activities that only come out for Quiet Time. This last tip is the one that really got my blond curly boy on board with Quiet Time. Of course, it only needs to be this way for the first little while. Soon, children come to love Quiet Time for what it is — time to relax, rest, recharge, and play all on their own. But starting with awesome activities is a great way to ensure the love of Quiet Time happens nice and quick! This was why I wrote my eBook on A Year of Educational Quiet Bins – super engaging activities that kids love, and super simple for Mamas to prepare.

An entire year of educational Quiet Bin ideas for preschoolers and toddlers

I’m hoping that these tips help you to feel more confident about getting Quiet Time up and running in your home. You can do this! Be persistent, keep it fun, and it will work!

These are awesome tips for how to get quiet time up and running in your home. Great quiet time tips for kids and an awesome step-by-step tutorial available too. Independent play time for kids is so important. Great for preschoolers who are non-nappers too! #howweelearn #queittime #independentactivities #kidsactivities #preschoolactivities #toddleractivities #stayathomemom #momtips #preschoolteacher #homeschooling #childhoodunplugged #screenfree

Of course I am only an email away: HowWeeLearn@gmail.com – and this Quiet Time Queen is always happy to help. Each child in her kingdom shall love Quiet Time! Ahem …

You are going to love Quiet Time just as much as your little ones! (It’s fun. It involves uninterrupted phone calls, showers, and happy kids.)

Thank you so much for reading about how to establish a Quiet Time in your home!

xo
Sarah

Filed Under: All Ages, Quiet Time Tagged With: Quiet time, Quiet time activities

« The Astonishing Benefits of Quiet Time for Kids
The Best Quiet Time Activities for Kids »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, other. Drop file here



Let's teach your child how to read! Did you know How Wee Read now includes video lessons? Teaching your child how to read has never been easier!

Follow How Wee Learn

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
For every step of your journey
  • For Ages 1.5-3
  • For Ages 3-5
  • For Ages 4-6
  • For Ages 6-12
  • For Ages 6-12

Shop Resources


Copyright © 2025 · How Wee Learn · Privacy Policy · designed by blogger boutique · Genesis Framework

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
205 shares
  • 26