… out of desperation, we began doing something we’d never done before.
We instituted a mandatory quiet time for all people under 10.
Because having 11 kids in the house all day can get a teeny tiny bit crazy.
The idea was that everyone would grab their library books – oh, public library, how I love thee – and snuggle up on their beds to read.
Or, in some cases, pretend to read.
And the main goal was to just manage the craziness this summer.
But it has been so much better than that.
Now the kids actually ask to go lay down to read.
Or I find them doing their ‘reading’ without me even having to ask them, quiet time or not.
So, most days, from 2:30 to 4:30 it’s quiet time.
Ahhhhhhhh. Makes the rest of the day not just more bearable, but actually quite pleasant.
And I’m hopeful it will pay big dividends for the bigger littles when school starts and they’re not struggling to get back into the swing.
Bonus.
I’ve been a mom for almost 23 years, and I’m learning that it’s never too late to learn new things.
If y’all are smiling knowingly, and have already been doing this for years, how come no one ever told me? And what else have you got up your sleeve that I need to know?
C’mon. Spill it.
