What do you do when most of your home-schooled (never away from you ... always within arms reach of you ... would follow you to the bathroom if you let them) children aren't napping anymore?
REST TIME
That's right. During the school year, we spend the entire morning doing chores, doing school work, and trying to keep the little ones occupied. Lunch time comes and along with it 4 hungry children and at least 1 hungry adult - usually 2 hungry adults. So, lunch is quickly made and passed out and eaten ... and off the littlest one goes to her bed to nap. I send each of the other boys to a room where they are required to spend at least 1 hour (more if I can manage it) by themselves to spend in quiet. They can just lay there, play with a quiet toy, or read. Usually they read. Jonathan will look at books or play with toys.
The three rules are:
1. They have to be quiet
2. They have to be alone
3. They have to stay there until I come and release them
Ahhh ... it is just the breather that I need after a busy morning. You may have guessed by now that quiet time is not as much for the children as it is for me. I really need an hour each day without someone needing something from me or (quite frankly) without someone talking to me. Peace and quiet is one of those things that I absolutely cherish - and because of this season of my life - don't get very much. So, rest time is my friend. I look forward to it each day. I even try to spend it doing something that I like to do - and not something that I need to do. It's refreshing to my soul - and gives me a much better attitude toward my children for the second half of the day.
REST TIME
That's right. During the school year, we spend the entire morning doing chores, doing school work, and trying to keep the little ones occupied. Lunch time comes and along with it 4 hungry children and at least 1 hungry adult - usually 2 hungry adults. So, lunch is quickly made and passed out and eaten ... and off the littlest one goes to her bed to nap. I send each of the other boys to a room where they are required to spend at least 1 hour (more if I can manage it) by themselves to spend in quiet. They can just lay there, play with a quiet toy, or read. Usually they read. Jonathan will look at books or play with toys.
The three rules are:
1. They have to be quiet
2. They have to be alone
3. They have to stay there until I come and release them
Ahhh ... it is just the breather that I need after a busy morning. You may have guessed by now that quiet time is not as much for the children as it is for me. I really need an hour each day without someone needing something from me or (quite frankly) without someone talking to me. Peace and quiet is one of those things that I absolutely cherish - and because of this season of my life - don't get very much. So, rest time is my friend. I look forward to it each day. I even try to spend it doing something that I like to do - and not something that I need to do. It's refreshing to my soul - and gives me a much better attitude toward my children for the second half of the day.
I have GOT to do this with my own. Like you I need the time especially since I have a baby who would be happy to go all day with no nap. Thanks for the reminder about this!!
ReplyDeleteI've always had this one major rule -- when Momma is in the bathroom, NO ONE is allowed to knock on the door for anything unless someone is bleeding! Wishing I'd thought of your "quiet hour" when my children were younger. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and leaving a comment on my Muffin Monday post! Let me know how you like the Baklava Muffins if you do try them. Blessings! ~Lisa
Naptime for me is this refreshing time too! And I fully intend to implement "rest time" when they quit napping :)
ReplyDeleteyour schedule is very similiar to ours....we rest between 1 and 2. And boy it is needed. we even have the same rules.
ReplyDeletehappy rest to you~~
angela