Quiet Time That Works
Rest without a nap, and how to make it stick.
Quiet time is what replaces the nap, and most children can learn it — a stretch alone in a room with a few quiet things — provided it is built up rather than imposed on the first afternoon.
What tends to work: the same time each day, a timer they can see, and a small box of things that only come out at quiet time. Start at ten minutes, not an hour, and add time slowly once ten is easy.
This is about the habit, not the activities — for things to actually do, see quiet time under Activities. And nothing here is sleep advice: if sleep is a worry, your health visitor or GP is the right person to ask.
Activities
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Building a Quiet Hour After the Naps Stop
Quiet time is learnable. Start at ten minutes, same time every day, with a small box of things that only appear then.
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Teaching a Child to Play Alone
It is built, not waited for. Stay in the room, say less, and leave for two minutes before you leave for twenty.
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A Quiet Box for the Difficult Hour
One box, five or six calm things, brought out only when everything is falling apart. It works because it is rare.
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Rainbow Rice Sensory Tray
Dye a bag of rice in five colours, tip it into a tray, and hand over some cups and spoons. Ten minutes of setting up buys an hour of quiet scooping.