We all know that naptime is a sacred time for us moms and we are rarely ready to let go of it. But when your child starts showing signs of dropping their nap, you feel as if you don’t have a choice.
The mere thought of losing your alone time is enough to make you panic. When will you bust out chores? Get some quiet? Work on your side hustle? The thought of having your wildings running around all hours of the day can definitely be a little stressful.
But here’s the thing… there is a GOOD solution to a dropped nap. The solution being to learn how to implement quiet time when your toddler stops napping instead. This will be the saving grace for you, I’m sure of it.
Not sure where to start? Not to worry – I’ll be walking you through that exact transition throughout this post. By the end, you’ll feel you can relax just a bit knowing that dropping a nap isn’t as bad as you once thought.
The SECRET to Keeping Your Sanity After Your Toddler Stops Napping
What is Quiet Time?
If you’re reading this wondering what I’m even talking about, don’t worry – I’ll explain.
In simple terms, quiet time is a period during the day in which allows your child to escape stimulation. During quiet time, your child avoids anything with lots of lights, noise, or movement. The purpose of this time is to allow your child’s brain a chance to calm down for a little while.
This is a great time for you to calm your brain down, too. (That’s the major benefit, isn’t it?)
When a child naps, they are giving their little developing brains a chance to settle down. But when a toddler stops napping, they can still do that with quiet time.
Toddler Stops Napping: Signs it’s Time to Transition
If your child hasn’t dropped the nap yet but you’re suspecting it might be time, it’s important to know the signs. The last thing you want is to drop the nap before they’re ready and end up with another set of problems on your hands.
Here are a few signs to look for to know if your toddler is truly ready to drop that last nap.
It’s difficult for them to fall asleep
If naptime has turned into a wrestling match marathon, it might be time to consider the transition. A 3-hour fight just for a 90-minute nap isn’t exactly worth it, is it? LOL. Plus, you’re so exhausted by the end of it, you end up falling asleep yourself when you never wanted to.
You’ve tried everything you can think of to help – a relaxing routine that includes diffusing essential oils, running out their energy all morning, and everything in between.
NOTHING. HELPS.
When you’ve reached that point of tear-worthy frustration, it might be time to consider other options.
Bedtime routine is a nightmare
You had a full wrestling match with your toddler in the afternoon, and then it’s time for a round two complete with dinosaurs around bedtime.
Your child who should be EXHAUSTED from your long day (lord knows you sure are), is nowhere near being tired. He’s running wild, wanting to play, and can’t get enough stories. Those eyes aren’t even heavy! He just rawred at you like a dinosaur before running off to get you to play tag.
You finally wrangle him into the bath to start your “calming” bedtime routine. But nope – you’re now spending the next 2 hours fighting bedtime and end up passed out on the floor next to him from pure exhaustion.
If you can relate to this, that is yet another sign that naps might have reached their expiration date.
Skipped naps have little to no effect on them
It’s that one day that for whatever reason – naps got skipped. You’re stressing out over what tonight will bring. Will it be endless tears and screaming as you approach bedtime? Are we going to get cussed out in baby language for giving them the wrong color cup? You’re not prepared.
But then the time comes… and much to your surprise – they’re fine. They didn’t miss a beat and nobody noticed that naptime got skipped today. They started getting sleepy by bathtime, but no meltdowns occurred (well none out of the ordinary, that is).
Then the same thing happens again. And again. And again.
When skipped naps have little to no effect on your child, that is a PERFECT sign they’re ready to drop them.
Set the Right Expectations
You figured out that your toddler is indeed ready to stop napping and it’s time to start transitioning over to quiet time. So what do you do next?
The first step is to start setting the right expectations so they know it’s coming and what exactly they should expect. Make them part of the process to help them handle it a bit better.
Last thing you want is to transfer the stress of napping to the stress of your child’s overwhelmed reaction when they notice change happening.
Take it slow and embrace the transition
First and foremost – take it slow and embrace the transition as much as you can. You don’t need to transition to this overnight (in fact you shouldn’t). Instead, start taking a few steps to lead up to it.
Change the name of naps to “quiet time”. This can help your child to transition a little easier. They’re used to the word quiet time and now you just ease into it looking a little different.
Encourage independent play time. If your toddler has never played by themselves before, they might struggle with quiet time. They won’t want to sit by themselves and you’ll be playing tag around the house the entire time. To make it easier, start encouraging independent play.
You can encourage independent play by:
Setting up a “yes space” where everything in reach is available to them
Offer appropriate toys that aren’t too easy to figure out, but aren’t too hard either
Give them plenty of time with you leading up to independent play
Limit over-stimulation as it makes kids less willing to play alone
Make it a family effort. Set the expectation that “quiet time” will be for everyone, not just for them. Everyone needs space and that’s what quiet time will allow. They will transition easier if they know you also are getting your quiet time. Be sure to start this conversation before it actually happens.
Explain it’s time to rest
Many kids respond better when they understand why certain changes are happening. If your child is one of them, they may really benefit from this conversation.
Explain to them that because they no longer need naps, you need to create a time for their brains to rest. Their body doesn’t need it anymore, but that doesn’t mean their brains don’t!
Younger toddlers may gloss over at this, but it certainly can help in some cases!
Set 3-5 boundaries for quiet time
Quiet time will not go well if no boundaries are set – trust me. These will differ from family to family, but come up with 3-5 boundaries that are exclusive to quiet time.
It will take them a while to understand, but they will eventually catch on and come to expect them. Be gentle but firm when you are enforcing them as this is a process. Stay consistent and it will get easier over time.
Keep it simple by only having a few. Too many will overwhelm your child and they won’t catch on to anything.
Some possible boundaries to consider are:
Stay in your room until mom comes to get you
If you need something, come get mom (no yelling for her)
Set aside your pretty drawing to show mom after quiet time is over
Bathroom breaks are limited to only once during quiet time
No loud toys or activities during quiet time
Create a “Quiet Time” Environment
Once you’ve set the right expectations, you need the right environment to encourage quiet time. If the environment is too stimulating, it will be really hard to be quiet during this time.
Setup a dedicated area
The best place to start is with the area you choose to utilize for quiet time. You likely won’t want to use an entire playroom for quiet time, but instead a very intentionally setup bedroom.
You might consider having a small table, few select toys, lots of books, stuffed animals, and other items that would encourage quiet time. Avoid having stimulating toys or activities present in the room during quiet time.
Provide exclusive activities
To help with the transition, you might consider having exclusive activities during quiet time. This can mean a wide range of things, so approach it as you see fit.
Things to consider are:
Age-appropriate puzzle
Books for them to read
Magnet activities
Various open play crafts
The important part is that these things are exclusive to quiet time to get them excited for when that time rolls around. You might even consider setting up a few different quiet time boxes so that they get a different set of activities each day.
Give them something to look forward to
At first, it may help to offer some sort of reward or activity once quiet time is over. Giving them something to look forward to might encourage them to stay put. If they’re old enough, ONLY offer this reward if they successfully follow the boundaries that have been set. If not, you can offer it as something they know is coming each day.
Some ideas to implement include:
Special 1-on-1 time with mom
Going to a park or playing outside
Watching their favorite movie
Conclusion
Implementing quiet time when your toddler stops napping doesn’t have to be rocket science. Set the expectation ahead of time and create an encouraging environment and the rest will fall into place.
Now over to you – are you going to start implementing quiet time for your toddler? Or if you already have, how is it going for you?
It is not really a strong relationship if you do not know your partner well. It takes time. But sometimes even when it has been long enough, there would be plenty of things you would not know about your partner. It is a given that you have to be a Mr-know-it-all. From their cute little habits to their worst regret, you should know everything!
But how can you do that? Well, you can begin by asking them these fifty questions.
50 questions to ask your partner to know them better today
What is the most embarrassing thing you did ever?
What is your worst regret?
Have you ever hurt somebody? If you did, do you regret it?
What’s this one secret you have not told anybody?
Money or happiness? What matters the most?
What makes you feel alive?
What is that one thing you said to somebody that you wished you never said?
What has been your greatest blessing in disguise?
If you could go back in time, and undo one thing. What would it be?
What do you consider worth not forgiving?
Do you listen to your heart or head while making decisions?
What was your first impression when you met me?
Have you been completely honest with me?
What is that one thing that you have never done?
Where do you see yourselves in five years?
What kind of life do you desire?
What do you do when you encounter a failure? What is your response mechanism?
What are your financial priorities?
What is that one thing you consider special about yourself?
Do you think you have some perceptions that are not righteous, to begin with?
How do you respond to the mistakes you made?
What is your favorite memory?
What is your least favorite memory?
Who is the person you trust the most with your life?
Do you have any habits you would like to change?
Do you feel learning has an end?
What were your major turning points in life?
What is the story of your life?
When have you been your most vulnerable self?
How have you changed in the past five years?
Who are the people you regret acquainting yourself with?
What is that one book or one quote that changed your life?
What is that one thing you cannot ever forget?
What is the most challenging setback you ever encountered?
What would you do if you would be the last person left in the world?
How do you feel about me?
Who do you idealize in history?
What is the great lesson you learned in your past relationships?
If you had the chance to talk to your future self, what advice would you give them?
What is that one piece of advice you give others but do not follow yourself? (Knowing that you must)
What is that one thing you want to forget?
How do you find yourself changed? And what changed you?
What’s your opinion about friendship?
Are you someone who likes space, or likes to be held on no matter what you say to the other person?
What is that one thing you wish you could do like others?
When was the last time you cried? And why did you cry?
What is the one thing you are most proud of yourself?
Do you ever regret not standing up for yourself or others when you had a chance?
What has high school been for you, a nightmare or a daydream?
What are you most insecure about?
Lastly,
I hope these questions help you know your partner better. But always remember, knowing someone is always a journey that can never end. Every day you cover distances, and every day is a baby step towards uncovering all the layers of them. So be patient, make communication your priority and that would be enough.
Hey, do you think you know your partner better? Feel free to share your opinions and stories in the comment section.
Most people use ads as the only revenue-generating stream on their blog. And yes, there are many blogs that end up making hundreds of thousands of dollars from ad revenues.
However, it would be foolish to think that ads are the only way to monetize a blog. Most blogs generate very meager revenue from ads, and it stops these bloggers from making their passion their full-time profession.
There are many ways to earn a real income from your blog and go full-time, that too without ads!
Wondering how it works? Read on!
How to Monetize your Blog Without Ads
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can be used to earn real money from your blog without ads. To explain more, affiliate marketing involves promoting a product or service to your readers through an affiliate tracking link.
Every time a reader clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you get paid a set amount of commission. It’s as easy as that!
Some bloggers are clueless as to what affiliate programs they can join, or which products they can promote.
Writing sponsored content is when you are paid by a merchant to write a sponsored review of their product on your blog.
The amount of money you charge for sponsored content is not recurring, but the post you publish is evergreen and keeps benefitting the merchant as long as it’s live. Thus, you should set a fixed rate for sponsored content, and ask to be paid the full amount before your content goes live.
3. Blog Flipping
Blog Flipping is yet another way of earning from your blog without ads. In blog flipping, you build a blog and then sell it for a huge profit.
It is a decent source of income if you are invested in building blogs from scratch and then selling them.
4. Online Courses and Webinars
If you are an expert on something, then selling online courses and webinars on your blog can be a sure-fire way of earning income without ads.
You can use platforms like Teachable or Udemy to create online courses with multiple lessons, as well as supplementary study materials such as checklists, downloads, and printables.
5. Selling E-books
If you are running a blog, you have to be good at writing. Along with that, there must be some special skills you are trained in. It could be fashion or wedding makeup or freelance writing.
You can utilize these skills and write ebooks that you can then sell on your blog. You will need to hire an editor and a cover designer to give your e-book the perfect makeover, and then you can sell the book directly on your blog and/or on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
6. Adding Membership Feature
A paid membership feature on a blog is a great way to make money.
You can create private or exclusive forums in your blog where only paid members can have access to the content. They also have exclusive access to talk to you directly in your field of expertise.
This method works well for bloggers who have already established themselves as experts in their field through digital courses and e-books.
7. Selling Services
When you learn the art of blogging, you gain a variety of skills in social media marketing, blogging, freelance writing, content marketing, and creation, etc.
Why not use these skills and sell them as services on your blog?
Freelancing is an excellent way of monetizing your blog and building your career. You can offer the following services on your blog and get clients through your blog site –
a)Coaching
b)Freelance writing
c)Consultations
d)Virtual Assistant
Now you know that there are multitudes of ways to earn a healthy income from your blog without even going near the Google Adsense process; go on and adopt one that intrigues you.
Beginners can start monetization through affiliate marketing and sponsored products and work their way up to e-books, courses and finally selling services and adding paid membership features. There are even more ways to make money from blogging, through podcasts and paid guest posting and whatnot.
Bookmark this article and go through it to find out which of the revenue streams are a good fit for your blog. Going full-time as a blogger is no longer a distant dream, but a possible reality.
How do you earn from your blog? Drop your answers in the comments below.
In a time when screens are more important and easier to entertain than creativity, it’s more important to teach kids how to be creative on their own. For me, I’ve always believed letting my girls play on their own without my influence would allow for more creativity in the future.
Sometimes, the internet or batteries aren’t available (meaning the iPad or phone is not charged) so entertaining themselves with other things is very important. My husband and I are both entrepreneurs, and sometimes we can’t always play with them or get something they need right away, so being able to get creative themselves has been important.
The earlier you can teach your kid to be creative, the more their little minds start working and growing. This can be done in various ways, and I will detail a few ways we did it with our girls. And I should note, no two kids are alike, so what works for one may not work exactly the same for the next.
How To Raise Creative Kids
Everyone has access to creativity. As a parent, it’s in your hands to help your child tap their creative specialty. You can support them as they navigate their way to the creative arts, help them hone their senses and mind to cultivate their creativity. So, what can you do to raise creative kids?
Fuel Their Passion
Encourage their enthusiasm for what they’re interested in, be it music, robotics, sports, or gardening. Be their biggest motivator. Expose them to pursuits available in your area and guide them as they find where their heart is.
Offer Choices
Encourage them to think independently by offering selections, such as movies, music, food, bedsheets, pet names, or clothes.
Celebrate Their Efforts
Rewards can be a good motivator but focus on their effort, on how they’re able to achieve things instead of the achievement itself. Being objective in how you commend them will help them focus on the process, which fosters independent thinking.
Be Messy
Whether you like it or not, messes are important in raising a child. It is with the mess of paints, clothes, art materials that their creativity will develop. It might be an inconvenience, but it’s temporary, and the creative benefits will outweigh the overwhelming mess.
Let them Be Unique
Develop their individuality by allowing them to be different. Be their haven against the pressure of the society to follow the norms. Help them be comfortable in their oddity and let them have a different perspective of the world.
Be Open to Unstructured Time
Kids get bored, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of filling their idle time with structured entertainment or activities, brainstorm what they want to do. Help them figure out what lits their signal fire because this could be how their creativity starts.
Let Them Play With Open-Ended Toys
Since open-ended toys can be played in various ways, these foster creativity, children can play with these toys based on their interests and imagination.
Open-Ended Toys That Encourage Creativity
Now, here’s a list of open-ended toys that encourage creativity:
Wooden Blocks
Blocks encourage children to design, build and imagine.
Colored Pebbles
Kids can play with colored pebbles by transferring and filling or use this for sorting too. It’s is a good practice on their motor skill development.
Animal Figurines
For role-play and pretend play, this would be the best choice. Your child can practice recognition and identification in playing with animal figurines. It’s is also suitable for sensory play, and they can practice storytelling too. Real pets work really well for this as well, and it helps the pet become used to the kids.
Play Silks
From playing peek-a-boo using play silks or scarves to building forts, this is good for sensory play, especially for babies and toddlers.
Easel
For children who love to doodle, this is an excellent addition to the play area. You can also use this to teach a new language or learning to read.
Wood Peg Dolls
You can get your kids a multi-colored set for peg dolls or those in neutral colors. This toy encourages storytelling and role-playing, focusing on literacy and language.
Communication is a two-way street. However, if you happen to have a partner who does not communicate often, and does not share their feelings, it can be quite disappointing and annoying for you. But you cannot blame them either, because it’s all about comfort and one’s choices. At the same time, you cannot neglect communication because it’s healthy for your relationship and your partner’s wellbeing, especially if they keep their vulnerabilities to themselves and eventually it makes them crack up.
So, what do you do in this scenario? Well, first you can try to get your partner to open up. Here’s how you can do that –
5 ways to get your partner open up
1. Be honest with them and make them feel comfortable
First and foremost, be honest with them. If you witness a changed behavior, then simply ask, “How are you?” “What has been bothering you?” “Did something happen?”
Let them know that they need to be honest with you. Let them know how their silence is killing you. While you are at it, always maintain your calm. Do not be furious, it is no way to get them to open up to you. Remember, you have to make them comfortable, not afraid and infuriated.
2. Share your vulnerabilities
Sometimes your partner will feel uncomfortable being vulnerable in front of you, especially if you are in a new relationship. This is when you have to take the first step, and share your own stories, your own vulnerabilities.
Let them know about the time you were crumbling, falling on your knees. While you are at it, let them know it’s okay. Everyone feels this way, and it’s natural because it is a part of being a human. And they should not be afraid to do the same in front of you. You would not judge them, instead, you will do all you can to lift them. You are their safe haven.
3. Be a good listener
When you want people to uncover their life in front of you, you have to be a good listener. Let them know that you are there to listen. Let them know it’s important to let out because it does feel better in the end. Once they start, listen to them quietly, and then respond. But just so you know, you don’t always have to respond. You can just hold their hand, hug them, and let them know that you are with them every step of the way.
4. Be more understanding
Understanding is the essence of any relationship. However, if you do not make efforts to understand your partner, yell at them, pour all your mood swings and whims at the time when they are struggling, then they would never open up with you.
The key here is to be a bit more understanding. To do that, it’s best to place yourself in their shoes and imagine how they must be feeling. In that case, how would you want people to treat you? You might not feel their pain but you can certainly understand it.
5. Set a time for talking
By this, we do not mean that you have to create a schedule, wherein you would talk at every fixed hour of the day. No, what we mean is, decide a time to talk because your timing matters a lot. If you are talking to them when they are exhausted or occupied with their work, it’s of no use. Instead, do it whenever you both aren’t preoccupied.
Ps, A friendly reminder, your talks must not lead to fights, it will give them another reason not to open up with you.
Lastly,
All you can do is try. Even if all these things do not work, don’t give up, maybe all they need is a little space. Forcing conversations when they are going through something, or when they need space, would do more harm than good. So let them be, allow them some time, and wait once they feel okay again.
Hey, how do you get your partner to open up? Do you have some ideas and opinions you can share? We are all ears, drop them in the comments below.
You have finally taken the jump and started your blog in 2021. Congratulations! You are one step ahead of the other aspiring bloggers. However, the hard work isn’t over yet. In fact, it has only just begun.
Now that you have a blog, you have to crank out fresh, engaging blog posts regularly to build your audience. However, as a new blogger, you probably don’t have a clue as to what to write. That is absolutely fine.
To help all the newbies figure out how to create brilliant content that will drive traffic to your blog, I have written this article on the most popular types of blog posts every new blogger should write to increase traffic to their site. So, sit back, read, and take some notes.
Types of Blog Post Every Blogger Needs to Write
5 types of blog posts that you must write
1. LISTICLES
A listicle or list post is actually what its name suggests – a list of items, habits, tips, etc.
Listicles always appeal to the readers because of their valuable content, and these types of posts do extremely well when shared on Social media like Pinterest and Facebook. Some examples of listicles can be – 20 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Her, 7 ways to fight writer’s block, etc.
2. ROUND UP POSTS
A round-up post is a post where you round up OR list a group of similar content in one post.
You can go several ways about this. You can create a round-up of your favorite resources, a round-up of your own best posts, or you can interview a number of bloggers in your niche on a specific topic and bunch their answers together.
Round-up posts are great for creating valuable content for your blog when you don’t feel very creative or inspired and are out of ideas about what you should write.
3. TIPS AND TRICKS POST
Sharing tips and tricks, or hacks with your readers can be a great way of putting out valuable content that will be immensely popular.
The special feature of these hacks is that they provide quick solutions to your readers’ problems and yield immediate results.
Some examples of such posts: 5 simple tips for leading a healthier life, 10 ways to become mentally strong, etc.
4. FOUNDATIONAL POSTS
A foundational post, also known as cornerstone content, is a detailed, in-depth article on the main topic of your blog.
Foundational posts should be customized according to your blog niche. For example, for a blog that’s completely about mom bloggers, the foundational post can be something like “How to be a Mom Blogger” – a step-by-step guide to becoming a successful mom blogger.
Keep your foundational posts relevant and helpful and try to backlink your foundational posts often.
5. HOW-TO POST
These types of posts are really popular because how-to tutorials help readers solve a basic problem and learn something new.
You can create a great how-to post that solves a problem for your audience and helps them achieve the desired result.
Some examples of how-to posts are: How to Promote a Blog, How to write a novel, etc.
Final thoughts
These are the five most popular types of blog post that every blogger can write to drive traffic to their newly launched website. These kinds of posts are guaranteed to do well because they are like evergreen trends, never going out of fashion.
Try to follow these formats while writing a blog post for your site, and watch as your audience grow steadily.
That’s all from my side. What are your thoughts on the same? Do you have some other type of posts that you find working out for you? Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions in the comments below.
you want is to drop the nap before they’re ready and end up with another set of problems on your hands.
really benefit from this conversation.
your readers through an affiliate tracking link.
access to talk to you directly in your field of expertise.
motivator. Expose them to pursuits available in your area and guide them as they find where their heart is.
norms. Help them be comfortable in their oddity and let them have a different perspective of the world.
in playing with animal figurines. It’s is also suitable for sensory play, and they can practice storytelling too. Real pets work really well for this as well, and it 
day. No, what we mean is, decide a time to talk because your timing matters a lot. If you are talking to them when they are exhausted or occupied with their work, it’s of no use. Instead, do it whenever you both aren’t preoccupied.
this article on the most popular types of blog posts every new blogger should write to increase traffic to their site. So, sit back, read, and take some notes.
blog.
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