The Benefits of Quiet Time for your Child!
Published on Tuesday, October 12th, 2021
In our ever-connected extroverted world, quiet and alone time can be difficult to come by especially for parents. Most parents would love one hour to themselves every once in a while. Children can also benefit from quiet time, or alone time.
Recent studies show our brains solidify information we have learned during the times when we are awake, but resting. Additionally, the lack of a noisy environment from time-to-time, can be very beneficial for your child’s mental health and helps their brains to better understand the world around them. Exposing your children to various versions of silence can make it easier for them to reflect deeply, make sense of their emotions and rewire their stress response.
Here are some ways to implement silent time for your children at home:
- Model Silent Behaviors. It can be challenging to tell your children to engage in quiet time. You can model silence for your child by reading a book. Most likely, she will emulate your behavior and pick up a book herself. You can also take some time to gaze out of the window and reflect. Your child will begin to pick up on these behaviors.
- Play the Quiet Game. This is a game that most adults and children have played at some point in their life. The goal of the game is for everyone to be silent for a set time. The child who stays quiet the longest wins. This is a fun way to engage in silent time with your children without any negative connotation.
- Spend Some Time in Nature. Spending time in nature is always beneficial for many things, especially when it comes to providing therapy for you and your child’s mental health. For example, taking a walk or a hike, can provide time for your child to reflect on their thoughts and manage their emotions. Visiting the city garden can be a great way to experience silence in nature as well. Your child can also draw maps of their favorite silent spaces.
Silent time is beneficial for children and adults alike. As a parent, you can slowly implement quiet time one, or two days a week even if it is for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. It may be challenging at first, but after a while, you may be surprised by how refreshing and fun quiet time can be.