Part three, you gasp? Good heavens, how many parts are there for setting up a simple daily Quiet Time?!?! Well, for some unicorn children, it is one step. But, to be honest, those parents don’t even need Quiet Time. For the rest of us, it is a bit of a science—but when done correctly, it is worth each and every one of the steps. I promise!
So here we go onto Step Three—the final step of our Quiet Time journey. You will be all set and ready to enjoy the seven months of daily Quiet Time activities in The Quiet Time Club. You are going to LOVE IT. Life changing, it really, really is.
As you might know, The Quiet Time Club includes:
- Seven Months of Daily Quiet Time Activities. You will know exactly what Quiet Time activity to give your little one each day—no stress, no searching, and next to no prep.
- Only Five Materials Each Month! Each month, we select five new crafting materials (things like popsicle sticks, stickers, and a deck of cards) and use those five materials for that entire month of Quiet Time. This keeps things nice and simple for you.
- The 6 Golden Rules & Quiet Time Mastery Series. As you know, Quiet Time is a science, and there are some things you need to know to keep that blissful time running smoothly each and every day. I’ve got you covered!
- Plus Bonus Printables to keep Quiet Time fun, easy, and beautiful!
But just before we get you in The Club, let’s finish walking through these three steps for making Quiet Time happen.
Let’s quickly recap:
Step One got our little ones happily taking a 5-minute independent Quiet Time.
Step Two extended that to 10 minutes, focusing on clear expectations, a visual timer, and special activities.
And now, Step Three will extend Quiet Time to 20 minutes and help with some of the common issues that might appear.
Step Three: Addressing Common Issues
By the end of Step Two, your child is comfortably and independently taking a 10-minute Quiet Time every day. It is time to double that to 20 minutes! As we do this, it is important that we congratulate our little ones and let them know that they are doing such a wonderful job. We are one step closer to Quiet Time Success!
We will tell our little ones that they now get to play independently with their very special Quiet Time Activities for 20 minutes (of course, this is only important if your children are of an age where this conversation would make sense).
Simply set the visual timer for 20 minutes, keep the expectations clear and strong, and keep those activities fresh and engaging (thank you, Quiet Time Club!), and you are bound for success.
A few things that tend to happen at this stage are:
- Children calling out to show you things
- Children calling out because they need help
- Children calling out with questions
- Children. Calling. Out.
But do not despair! This is a normal step in transitioning to independent play. Our children are so used to us being there for every moment that they aren’t fully comfortable tackling things on their own.
A wonderful way to help with children calling out is to connect before and after Quiet Time.
Before Quiet Time begins, spend a few moments filling up your child’s ‘bucket’ and make sure your child feels connected to you. Sometimes, children feel that Quiet Time is our way of escaping time with them. It is important that we let our little ones know we love spending time with them, and we are so excited to see what they have been up to once Quiet Time is over. We can share that this is our time to get “grown up” things done so we can play again after Quiet Time.
This connecting time is also the perfect opportunity to brainstorm some problem-solving with your child. If your child wants to show you something during Quiet Time, what might she do? Perhaps set it aside so you can see once Quiet Time is done. If your child needs help, what can she do? Perhaps try it on her own or problem-solve herself. Encourage her to get creative and remind her there is no right or wrong way to do the activities.
Connecting before and after Quiet Time really is a magic trick.
Once your child is having a daily Quiet Time for 20 minutes independently, without calling out, Step Three is complete!
From here on out, continue to increase the length of Quiet Time by 10-minute increments until you reach the length of Quiet Time that is best for your individual family. Perhaps this is 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour. It is entirely up to you and will depend on your needs as well as the needs and ages of your children.
And just like that, you are ready for The Quiet Time Club! Take a peek at everything that awaits you right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/quiet-time-club
I can’t wait for you to join me, sweet friend.
xo
Sarah
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