I don’t know about you, but by the time I’m done lunch, I’m pooped. My ears. My body. My everything just needs some down time. I have four children, two with higher demands as they are both under five, so quiet time is so importat for us. And we take that time every afternoon. We call it “quiet time” in our house. Today on the blog, I’m sharing with you how to have a quiet time routine with kids.

A kid sitting at the table thinking.

Keep things simple

Anytime I try to do anything elaborate, I find I always end up dropping it, so if you are new to quiet the idea of quiet time, start small. Keeping things simple will make quiet time that much more doable long term. Test and try different things over time, too. I read a fantastic book called Simplicity Parenting once that reminded me over and over that oftentimes, simple is best for kids (and adults too!). Here are some tips from the book here. You can also find the book in my book section in my Amazon shops: US shop and Canadian shop.

The key is consistency

If you really desire a quiet time for your family, know that it may get harder before it gets easier. New things are just harder to implement because they are new. But, from ten plus years of quiet time over here, the upfront work was definitely worth it! I really look forward to quiet time every day and the kids do too (most of the time). Here is a blog I found on the scientific long term benefits of having a daily quiet time with kids:

  1. Provides space for your child’s developing creativity.
  2. Increases your child’s autonomy.
  3. Provides a chance to recenter and recharge.

A look at our quiet time right now

My oldest two boys:

  • Tidy their rooms, usually one to two tidy tasks if it’s more of a mess.
  • Put their clean clothes away.
  • Read an assigned school reading.
  • Listen to audiobooks sometimes.
  • Watch two shows…and don’t bug mom. Ha!

My younger two usually play with one another and look at books..and sometimes sneak away to find snacks. ha! After this time, they watch a couple shows usually.

While my kids do quiet time, I’m usually resting, praying, reading, and then working. I’m doing things like answering emails, listening to music with the odd interruption here and there. And don’t take it just from me, here’s a blog that goes over the research of the benefits of quiet time for kids. Fascinating! You can also hear more on my thoughts on quiet time on a podcast interview here.

Other quiet time ideas for kids:

  • audiobooks
  • quiet play
  • tidying up
  • reading
  • listening to music
  • watching a show or two
  • special quiet time box

I also found a blog for more ideas for preschoolers and toddlers here.

Save for future reference:

A boy reading a book on a bed.

FREE QUIET TIME ROUTINE TEMPLATE

I also put together a step by step simple template for quiet time if you’d like that too. You can find that free quiet time routine template HERE. It goes over some questions to get you thinking about what you’d like quiet time to look like in your home. Enjoy!

Other blogs of mine you may enjoy too:

(Blog updated August 2021)

Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a mother of four children - three boys, one toddler girl - and our family lives on the beautiful east coast of Canada. I’m a past elementary teacher, turned stay at home, work at home mom eight years ago after I had my second child. I’ve found that the busier I’ve become and as my children age, that it’s become even more important to figure out what is most important to me and us as a family. Living a simpler lifestyle has helped us in so many ways in our home life - from better routines to faster tidying up times. It has been through my children that I have been inspired to learn how to effectively manage my time and to simplify in all areas of my home and life. I enjoy helping busy moms simplify home life by teaching flexible planning methods and skills. Enjoyed this blog and think it would be helpful to others? I'd love if you shared it. Thank you!