Summertime Quiet Time

Our summer vacation is now underway as we bid farewell to classmates and teachers on Friday at their last day of school.  I must admit, my house is looking slightly terrible and I'm feeling rather behind the eight-ball on this whole summer thing, but I did have one idea that, so far, is playing out beautifully!

I told the children that we'll be having an hour of quiet time every day and that I prepared baskets for each child with things they can do and use during quiet time.

Each basket is tailored to their needs, interests, and stages of development.  In addition to fun art supplies and academic items, there are "Faith in God" booklets for the older two to work on in their quiet times, journals to both write and draw in, stamped envelopes for writing to cousins, easy Book of Mormon readers, Friend Magazines, and For the Strength of Youth booklets for the older children to start exploring on their own.

I plan on rotating the items in their baskets and including other things like small games that they can play with quietly by themselves or other activities that will allow them some quiet contemplative moments.  

I can't believe how excited they are about "quiet time" (which in my day would have felt like a punishment!!)  They are begging for "more quiet time!"  It's been fun to watch them exploring on their own and making up their own games and just being creative in a quiet introspective way.

In a broadcast last May, Elder Ballard said, “It is important to be still and listen to and follow the Spirit."  I am hoping that this new tradition of daily quiet time will help our children form a life-long habit of taking time to be still enough to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost and to begin to take personal initiative for their spiritual growth.

PS - Our quiet time is tech-free for the most part, but Guy, heading into his second hour of "quiet time" on a Sunday wanted to draw a map of the Island of Kiribati where his cousin will be serving his mission soon...so we needed a device to help with that!