How Do You Get a Young Child to Take Quiet Time?

Yeah--I remember those days. I think I needed the nap more than he did :)
That's when he got a DVD player in his room. 60 minutes of quiet. Ahhhhh...
I know some moms will bash this idea...but truth be told, it's more common than not!

My son quit taking naps at 1yr old. Except for at day care. When we needed the down time I put him in his room and put a dvd in. Kept him entertained :0) hope this helps!

It won't be easy, but it can be done. Routine is a lot of it. Tell him that we'll have lunch, then we'll go potty, then we'll read a story. After story it's quiet time, you can rest or play quietly in your room. Take him to his room, tell him you're going to set the timer for an hour and when it goes off he can come out.

You may have to enforce it for a few days. Or longer, he's still pretty young. If he comes out, take him back and remind him that it's quiet time, walk out, shutting the door if needed. He may scream for an hour... But once he gets the idea that he can come out AFTER the timer beeps and his crying won't help... He'll give up the tantrum. His screaming might also help him take a nap, you never know.

I know, it sounds mean. But if he keeps having his way, it's just going to get harder the older he gets.

dont make him stay in his room- put a movie on let him lay on the couch or on the floor or wherever, you are only going to get quiet if you let him choose it not you.

I am also all for the portable DVD player. In fact, my son is having "rest time" with his right now! It keeps me sane, and keeps him in bed!

I tell my daughter that she can stay quietly on her bed (look at books play with dolls whatever) for 1 hour OR she can take a sleeping rest. If she would come out of her room for anything (except potty, but should go before hand) then she would have to put the toys away and sleep. It worked for us. Now that she is 6, she gets to lay in the playroom and watch cartoons for an hour while brother naps and same applies. If she gets up and "pesters" me for something then she goes to her room for a sleeping rest...

I try and make it so that none of my daycare children can see each other. Even if I have to move furniture around so that one is on a little bed on either side of the couch or just in another room with the door cracked open. I keep to a routine and ignore their protests. I simply don't leave any room for argument. In my house I do allow them to lay down and listen to music and read books. But usually they fall asleep anyway.

Denise, RIGHT ON. Sometimes we use the DVD route. Anything that gives me a little quiet time or time to do some housework in peace.

You deserve a break and your little boy also needs his quiet time whether he knows it or not. The only thing that will work is to keep sending him back in when he comes out. I would suggest getting him a timer for his room and show him how it works. Every time he comes out before it's time, the timer gets reset.

Blessings....

@Denise - I'm bashing your DVD idea - but I respect that you have your own method and at least your not giving him cold medicine =)

My 3 year old just knows that bedtime is bedtime. I give her a heads up on whats going down... "sweetie, we are going to have some dinner, play for a few, then it's bath time and bedtime." The last couple of nights I've told her she's going to bed early because she's been acting grouchy. She doesn't fight it. She knows that I mean business and doesn't try to get out of it. Now if her Dad tries it she knows he will give in. Her cousin (5 months older) is like your son and my BiL asks how we do it and I told him what I just told you and I don't give in. Also, my LO knows that she will be in trouble if she doesn't listen to me and she doesn't like being in trouble... This goes for nap time too.

I used to tell our daughter, you can take a nap or have quiet time in your room, or you can lay down for a nap with me. No talking.. Sometimes, I had HER read to me.. In the beginning she just told the story, but soon after she was able to actually read.

I like the other moms, really tried to keep our daughter on a schedule each day.. This way when we had our "quiet lunch" and nice wipe down.. she knew her room would be darkened with window coverings, her fan blowing and quiet music or a quiet book on tape.. Heck anyone would want to rest in that room.

I totally understand... My little guy is almost 2 and I will DIE when his nap times are phased out....

A friend of mine had the CUTEST little set-up for her little girl. They bought a nice little colorful tent and filled it with pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals.... It was a space just for her (although the parents could climb in too and read stories, etc....) That could be his quiet time to look through books, play with toys...........maybe even put a TV in his room with a video... or a portable DVD player.

Maybe he'd like a 'fort' you can build out of big cushions (big huge pillows or dog beds.........or buy some foam to cover with material... You can get some foam at the Berlin Auction in South Jersey... or maybe someone is giving away an old couch on Craigslist)..........then you can hang a sheet in a few places on the ceiling to make it like a private hide-away....

(Even if it's not 'nap time' for him... it's quiet time for you....) Maybe you could take him shopping for some inexpensive items to 'cozy up' his room.. Ikea has some great prices... etc...

Good luck!

Right now- what works for my little guy....
Is he has all of his favorite toys in the crib.. (a stuffed curious george.......a mailbox toy...........the soothing fisher price sea horse..........he takes a handheld toy (play cell phone) and even though he's almost 2 he still gets a bottle of toddler formula for his nap........... Sometimes it takes him a while to go down, but he's got plenty to keep him busy. Ha ha. ;)

I have 3 kids and like you, I need a break in the day (even if they do not!). In our house we call it rest time. It is usually about 45 mins to an hour. They go in their rooms and read/play etc. For my 3 year old I usually get her a box of books to look at and put a read-along CD on. I also let her know that if she is good during resttime there will be a fun activity afterwards. For example playing a game, doing a puzzle, baking brownies etc. It probably will be hard at first.
We also have a box of marbles and if they don't follow the house rules a marble is removed. If they haven't lost their marbles during the week (being disruptive during resttime would definitely be a marble remover) then they get to enjoy a family outing to Baskin-Robbins on Tuesday dollar night!

Hi, Late:

Do you have a clock in his room?

If you don't get one, if you do,
tell him you need some quiet time and
he needs to stay in his room for
one hour. Make sure you keep your word
whatever time you say.

Be really firm when you tell him that he
needs to stay in his room for that amount
of time.

Be really firm, not mean.

Good luck.
D.

If someone judges you for quiet time, don't listen to them or their advice. Quiet time is paramount!!! Not only did I need quiet time, but I think that at 3, kids still need some time to just lay down and relax/calm down. We used a baby gate in our child's doorway, so that the door remained open and he could theoretically hear me or talk to me if needed, but he also couldn't get out of his room. I think when you close the door, they have this fear that you're leaving them and they're all pinned in there. But with the door open, he could still hear me mulling about the house and call out for me if he needed something. We used the one that has the step pedal thing on it to open it, because my 3 year old didn't weigh enough to open it. And while it may not have been the best parental decision, my 3 year old read or watched one of his favorite shows in his bedroom during quiet time. He loved that he could watch Spongebob or Diego and I was able to get some things done around the house, or not, depending on the day. Good luck!