Quiet time age

[Anonymous]

So PP you’re working 12-14 days with no break? Sorry not buying it.

[Anonymous]

I’m a parent and I think it is totally 100% reasonable to have quiet time in the kids room so the caretaker can get a break. Especially now when the kids are home all day long.

We hadn’t done quiet time in years, but have reinstituted it now that school is out for our 7 year old to give an au pair a break. He has an hour of quiet time in his room every day and he’s perfectly happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solitary play doesn’t necessarily equate to quiet time or electronics.

I encourage kids to play and entertain themselves for at least 30 seconds by 6 months. It’s very important for creativity, independence and emotional growth.

Quiet time replaces naptime for a child who may still be tired, but who won’t nap or whose parents need nap phased out so the child sleeps at night. It lasts until the child no longer needs the quiet period or until a younger sibling is no longer napping.

Electronics aren’t necessary, ever. When I use electronics, kids earn time. There is no set time every day or week, and there’s no time under 2yo.

What’s the difference between solitary play and quiet time?

Not the PP but quiet time to me is when the kid is in their room playing quietly and you get a break for however long it is. Solitary play or independent play is the kid playing by themselves without input from someone else. Like doing a puzzle or building legos, this could be while you are prepping a meal or cleaning up or something.

See, that’s part of what I don’t understand. I never do quiet time in a child’s room with a goal of having a break for myself. Either the child still needs a quiet period or a sibling still naps. Either way, I’m happy to interact with the child.

As PP stated, I save solitary play for times when I need to do something else (although I encourage kids to help me cook and require them to help with clean up). During that time, I’ve watched kids perfect stage voice, practice singing, talk to themselves/imaginary friends, yell and scream like banshees while pretending they’re chased all over the house, making noises for cars/trucks/whistling teapot, etc. As I said, I don’t care about noise, I care that they’re capable of thinking of something to do on their own and then doing it by themself without help or interaction.

Thats great for you. But I worked 11 hours a day. By 1pm after 6.5 hours of being " on" and interacting with 2 children I had some downtime and so did they and we all regrouped for the afternoon. They had an hour in their room. I was with them the other 10. I did not throw screens at them so they could have " calm down" time either, We were busy doing things.

Over the years, I’ve worked with several families of 3+ children. My typical work day varies, but start time is usually between 5 and 6am, end time is usually between 6.30 and 9pm. So yeah, I understand long hours. I just don’t think that it’s necessary to tell kids to go their rooms so that I can take a (paid) hour long break. Ymmv.

. You know your boss’s get lunch breaks right? You are entitled to an hour to yourself especially if your day is that long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solitary play doesn’t necessarily equate to quiet time or electronics.

I encourage kids to play and entertain themselves for at least 30 seconds by 6 months. It’s very important for creativity, independence and emotional growth.

Quiet time replaces naptime for a child who may still be tired, but who won’t nap or whose parents need nap phased out so the child sleeps at night. It lasts until the child no longer needs the quiet period or until a younger sibling is no longer napping.

Electronics aren’t necessary, ever. When I use electronics, kids earn time. There is no set time every day or week, and there’s no time under 2yo.

What’s the difference between solitary play and quiet time?

Not the PP but quiet time to me is when the kid is in their room playing quietly and you get a break for however long it is. Solitary play or independent play is the kid playing by themselves without input from someone else. Like doing a puzzle or building legos, this could be while you are prepping a meal or cleaning up or something.

See, that’s part of what I don’t understand. I never do quiet time in a child’s room with a goal of having a break for myself. Either the child still needs a quiet period or a sibling still naps. Either way, I’m happy to interact with the child.

As PP stated, I save solitary play for times when I need to do something else (although I encourage kids to help me cook and require them to help with clean up). During that time, I’ve watched kids perfect stage voice, practice singing, talk to themselves/imaginary friends, yell and scream like banshees while pretending they’re chased all over the house, making noises for cars/trucks/whistling teapot, etc. As I said, I don’t care about noise, I care that they’re capable of thinking of something to do on their own and then doing it by themself without help or interaction.

Thats great for you. But I worked 11 hours a day. By 1pm after 6.5 hours of being " on" and interacting with 2 children I had some downtime and so did they and we all regrouped for the afternoon. They had an hour in their room. I was with them the other 10. I did not throw screens at them so they could have " calm down" time either, We were busy doing things.

Over the years, I’ve worked with several families of 3+ children. My typical work day varies, but start time is usually between 5 and 6am, end time is usually between 6.30 and 9pm. So yeah, I understand long hours. I just don’t think that it’s necessary to tell kids to go their rooms so that I can take a (paid) hour long break. Ymmv.

.

You know your boss’s get lunch breaks right? You are entitled to an hour to yourself especially if your day is that long.

No, they don’t always get a lunch break.

A neurosurgeon called into surgery doesn’t stop to eat. An attorney frequently has working lunches (zone of my previous bosses didn’t eat lunch unless she took a client to a restaurant). An ER doctor or nurse may take a few minutes here or there, but rarely do they take more than 30 minutes, if that. Many, many teachers get 20-30 minutes. I think 2 of my former employers took a lunch each day, and I know neither took an hour everyday.

I don’t need or want an hour. I eat with my charges, because I model healthy eating, manners and conversation. If they need a nap, I understand and they get it. If not, they can do something with me or by themselves, and if they do solitary play, I have plenty of other things I can do (kids’ laundry, curricula planning, craft prep, meal prep, etc).