if you do quiet time instead of nap?

Meg&Jesse

How long do you do quiet time?  We are trying this for the first time today.  DS has been struggling at bedtime and we just need to try something new.  I am having him quietly play in his room for an hour.  Crossing fingers this works for a smooth bedtime.  He used to nap about 2 hours on the weekends, so not sure how long to do the quiet time for.  An hours seemed like a good time.

fancynewbeesly

Meg&Jesse:

How long do you do quiet time?  We are trying this for the first time today.  DS has been struggling at bedtime and we just need to try something new.  I am having him quietly play in his room for an hour.  Crossing fingers this works for a smooth bedtime.  He used to nap about 2 hours on the weekends, so not sure how long to do the quiet time for.  An hours seemed like a good time.

My LO is for the most part already down to one nap in the AM, so for my sanity when we are home I do quiet time around 2:30/3 for about 45 minutes. I put her in the crib with books.  Usually she doesn't fall asleep or complain. She loves looking at the books.  

Sawyerplus1

When we first started with DS we did about 1-2 hours. I would try to enforce at least an hour. If it was a struggle to go beyond that, I'd take what I had got. But if DS was content, I'd let him keep playing. 

Now that he's older and DD no longer naps, quiet time is not usually as long (and nowhere near as quiet). Now I take whatever I can get in a day, even some "quiet time" while the LOs play outside for a while.

Stacyc625

90 min

Smores730

somewhere between and hour and 90mins. When we first started it, a lot of the times she'd end up falling asleep anyway. We've been doing it for a few months now and I've also gotten more lax about it. I used to make her stay in her room, but sometimes I allow her to play in the playroom. She knows she's not allowed to come downstairs or bother me. haha that sounds terrible.

Meg&Jesse

Well an update to starting quiet time yesterday.  DS went to bed much better yesterday.  Instead of an hour and half struggle and falling asleep at 9 pm, he fought us for a bit (but I could tell he was super tired) and then fell asleep by 8 pm.  He woke up in a great mood and has been having a great day.  He seemed a bit tired around his regular nap time, but we went to the grocery store first and now he is doing some quiet time.  This is actually an "easier" transition then I thought it might be!

roxy_jj

Smores730:

somewhere between and hour and 90mins. When we first started it, a lot of the times she'd end up falling asleep anyway. We've been doing it for a few months now and I've also gotten more lax about it. I used to make her stay in her room, but sometimes I allow her to play in the playroom. She knows she's not allowed to come downstairs or bother me. haha that sounds terrible.

Ha ha, this sounds like our quiet time too.  On the days when DD is home from school, my kids often end up playing together in one of their rooms.  I don't mind as long as they're quiet and stay upstairs.  

Rink08

DS1 gets "rest time" in the evening. He gets to choose between watching 2 shows or a movie in the playroom and he has to be sitting or laying in there. 8/10 times he still falls asleep so it ends up being longer (like now he is currently asleep on the futon and his movie had been over for a while). If he doesn't fall asleep, it ends up being between an hour- an hour and a half depending on what he chose to watch. It's the only time that he gets to watch tv so we have no problem getting him to sit or lay down for his "rest". 

Princess_Lily

Supernanny suggests for quiet time in their room playing.

For us, we quiet him down with a calming Disney movie, and then have quiet play for 45min-1hour. 

jlw2505

We vary quiet time on the weekends depending on the girls moods - typically it is about an hour but some days they just need longer so I will do an hour and a half.  Older DD never sleeps and she has a 2 hour quiet time at school and she lays nicely on her cot and then gets a book or white board for the second half.  Younger DD (4 yrs), naps around 30-45 mins during the week at preschool and at home will now mostly nap for about an hour but we have days where she skips it and just plays quietly or will play for a bit and then sleep for a bit. 

Meeshe

I usually try to check on her after about an hour and a half.  If she's not sleeping she can get up.  She gets books in bed with her during quiet time.