When children are small and have a nap or two a day, that time can be a great time to have a rest yourself or to get on with some jobs which are harder to do with small people around!
So, what do you do when they get older and stop napping? The day can sometimes feel like a marathon from breakfast to tea time in the hopes of having enough energy before getting to bedtime (I often feel like I'm 'crashing' around 4pm most days). The answer is 'Chill Out Time'. We first heard the phrase from our good friends when their daughter stopped napping and we started to use the term with our eldest whilst he was still napping about 6 months ago. It was helpful to do this at that point as it then wasn't a transition from 'nap' to 'no-nap' and allowed the idea of 'down time' to be introduced quite naturally. Now at the age of nearly 3, our eldest doesn't often nap anymore but is very used to the idea of 'Chill Out Time'. We don't do the same thing every day and tend to vary between the following things: - Playing upstairs in his room on his own - Sitting on the sofa reading books - Watching a TV programme on the tablet - Sitting on the sofa listening to music and reading/colouring Often this break in the day is between 30min-1hr long but it can massively vary depending on mood and what activities we're doing that day. If this is something new you'd like to try and you're not sure if you'd last 2 minutes, then start there! Do it for 2 minutes fora few days, then 4/5 mins as they get used to it. Gradually build it up to a good amount of time for everybody and don't feel the pressure for it to go perfectly every time (just aim for 'most of the time'). Now something I would highly recommend getting is wireless-Bluetooth headphones (with volume limiter) for your child to use. Our eldest loves using his and allows for him to be in bit more of a 'bubble' when he's relaxing (and keeps some peace and quiet in the house for everyone else's Chill Out Time). I link the headphones to my mobile and play music through that which is then kept out of reach so he doesn't spend the whole time just playing with my phone! The most important thing about this part of the day is not just so the adults can 'get a break', most importantly it allows your child to have a chance to unwind/calm a bit, as well as learn about spending a little time in their own company and not constantly demanding someone else's. It's also fantastic after everyone's had a little rest to feel fresh and full of energy to have a fun afternoon together. Resources*: - Amazon Music - Spotify - Youtube - Borrowbox (app for downloading Audio Books from your local library) *Please be vigilant about adverts on Internet music providers to ensure they're appropriate for your child to watch/listen to as if you use your account then it may not have age-restricted adverts
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