Too Old for Naps? Still Need a Break?

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Are your little ones too old for naps, but you’re not quite ready to give them up? Your children might not be tired anymore, but you are. Now what?

The trick to maintaining your hour of private time is to never let your children get out of the habit of not being in their beds at their traditional nap time. Once they stop falling asleep, make a plan for other types of in-bed activities they can do.
Put a basket of items you’re willing to let them use during this hour beside their bed. This basket might include:

Books
Crayons and paper
Quiet figures and dolls
A small flannel board with picture packets
Paper dolls
Puzzles in bags

Provide your child with a glass of water, small snack and his rest basket. Make sure he only gets the basket during this special break time, so it isn’t overused, and rotate the items in it periodically. You might want to build four kits and keep each one out for one week. That way, he only sees these toys one week a month.

Put quiet music on in the room, and remind him he must stay here quietly for one hour. Set a timer to help him know when time is up, so he won’t keep asking. Be firm—you are only available for emergencies. If he comes out sooner, take him directly back to his room with no extra treats unless it really was an emergency.
Once your child is older, this can become a family reading time. Everyone goes to his or her own room to read for one hour.

Give this time an important name, such as Family Special Quiet Time, and treat it like a privilege. Then spend that time quietly yourself as well. When it ends, be prepared to spend some quality together-time as a thank you for his willingness to spend an hour alone. This not only gives you a mental break, but it helps your child learn to be alone and entertain himself.