We have a no-talking policy in our home after lunch: it’s called Quiet Time. It gives a serene atmosphere, time of recharging, and a peaceful work environment in an extremely busy household of six young children and our homeschool life. We’ve been practicing this in our home for a little over eight years now.

I remember when I was a young new mother. One of my neighbor friends had a couple of young children, and afternoon quiet period was sacred to her. She told me she even unhooked the telephone during that time -- she took it that seriously. Of course, this was during a period when fancy phones and silent modes weren’t available.

With amazement, I watched her as I hadn’t ever seen anyone in my life treasure that hour, at least not that I could remember. I was the oldest of six children and helped take care of many of my younger siblings and cousins. I was only used to the term "nap time," but that was even rarely enforced. For the most part, we were away at school, and our maid took care of the baby so rest was not really that critical for our household.

During quiet time, our young children are supposed to close their eyes. When they ask if they have to sleep, I just tell them to close their eyes -- they almost always go to sleep for two to three hours. I make sure they’re well-fed and are comfortable enough to get some good rest. They also have been taught to obey Mommy and not to whine. For the most part, our children take off for their Quiet Time with smiles.

Our older children work on school work quietly while I usually nurse our youngest and either take a nap or take care of work.

Work for me can be a host of things like work that needs to be done in the kitchen, cooking, writing, website work, client work, reading, placing orders, research, quiet lessons with a child that needs guidance, knitting, sewing, or a host of other things. But mostly, I like to put my phone on silent mode and ignore it so that I can have peaceful rest and have a break from interruptions and loud sounds. It’s a way I turn our home into a peaceful haven that helps set us up for success for the week.

Having this moment of rest every single day has not only helped us to be patient overall but also has given us times to look forward to. This is one aspect of our parenting that keeps us from running ragged. It has been especially helpful for us when we started homeschooling. When I miss my quiet time, it is easier for me to feel overwhelmed and stuck in survival mode. [reminder]Have you tried having a quiet time in your house? If so, what benefits have you experienced? If not, what is keeping you from it?[/reminder]