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    You are here: Home / Parenting / Shhhh.... It's Quiet Time: The Activities Jar

     

    Shhhh.... It's Quiet Time: The Activities Jar

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    We've been using a "quiet time jar" to help my older son stay focused with quiet indoor activities while his baby brother naps.

    Help kids stay quiet during siblings nap time with quiet activities

    I've written before about how Kiddo goes berserk in evening. It's an ongoing problems, and every "solution" we have tried to introduce works for a while, but then wears off.

    The standard parenting advice is to have a consistent bedtime routine. Well, we've had a consistent routine for 3 years! It is really the period between dinner and bedtime that is the hardest for me. Most of the time,my husband is not yet home and before New Kid came along I could always sit down and read books with my son to calm his energy before bed. This isn't working anymore, though.

    The quiet time activities jar:

    My latest tactic to master the pre-bedtime hours is the "Quiet Time Jar".

    I covered a cardboard salt container (I have been hoarding them, because I knew they'd come in handy for something!) with fancy paper and gave it a label. It's a little bumpy and messy, but seriously... if you want pictures of beautiful handmade crafts, this is not the blog for you.

    I wrote down quiet activities on wooden craft sticks and put them inside the jar. (If you need some ideas see the comments below or check out my giant list of Indoor Activities for Kids) Kiddo can add his own ideas as he thinks of them, too. Each evening he chooses an activity out of the container -- either randomly or by design -- to occupy himself.

    So far this strategy has been paying off. I know nothing lasts forever when you have kids, but hopefully this will keep us going for a while.

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    Comments

    1. Steph says

      August 21, 2009 at 8:48 pm

      I'd love to know what all of your quiet time activities are!

      Reply
    2. Bona Fide Mama says

      August 21, 2009 at 10:13 pm

      Girl, I recently had the exact same idea, only my activities were going to be written on paper and put into a sack. I even made a list of the things to include. Only I never got around to actually making it. I like the craft stick ideas. That's fun. Gonna probably have to steal this. Good luck with making it work!

      Reply
    3. Alycia in Va. says

      August 21, 2009 at 11:02 pm

      Hey,do whatever works. I hope you have prolonged success with this strategy.

      Reply
    4. Starr Weems de Graffenried says

      August 21, 2009 at 11:14 pm

      Ah! I've been hoarding salt containers, too. I knew there was a reason for it.
      I have the same problem with the "night insanity" and I have yet to find a solution that sticks.
      If we keep jumping from tactic to tactic, maybe we can outrun it until they grow out of it! 🙂

      Reply
    5. debbie koenig says

      August 22, 2009 at 1:33 am

      Um, my solution is to let jr watch TV during that post-dinner, pre-bedtime hour. Don't tell anyone, but it totally mellows him out.

      Meanwhile, though, I love the sticks idea! But does kiddo read, or does he pick one stick and you read it to him?

      Reply
    6. Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog says

      August 22, 2009 at 2:26 am

      This is genius! You are brilliant!! On behalf of all stay-at-home moms, I thank you!!!

      Reply
    7. Jessica says

      August 21, 2009 at 11:19 pm

      You crack me up--your honesty is a hoot!

      I think everyone has a bit of an issue with that weird post-dinner/before-bedtime period. Not only are parents tired but kid(s) are, too!

      We used to listen to WXPN.org's "Kids Corner" radio show--dance, sing, etc. and then, head up to bed. In the summertime we go out into the backyard but in the winter...it's pretty much "hanging out in Ben's bedroom while he plays with Playmobil guys, etc.."

      If I think of any better ideas ('cause that was a total non-help), I'll let you know. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Mom and Kiddo says

      August 22, 2009 at 11:56 am

      So far these are the quiet time activities:
      Read Books
      Read magazines
      Play with trains
      build with blocks
      make a collage
      draw with oil pastels
      listen to book on cd
      puzzles
      activity pages

      but if Kiddo comes up with others, I'll let him add "approved" activities

      Reply
    9. PJ says

      September 18, 2012 at 10:15 am

      Request you to give us the list of activities you do with your kid that will help us as a guideline!!Very Creative idea:)

      Reply
      • Momand Kiddo says

        September 18, 2012 at 10:21 am

        Read my comment above, I list the activities.

        Reply
    10. Wow and Now says

      January 20, 2020 at 1:32 am

      Great post. Quiet books are highly customizable and can be created for almost any and every learning activity.

      Reply

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