We all need some alone time to process and integrate the pieces of our lives.

Many of us have a space in our homes where we enjoy uninterrupted quiet time. For some people, it’s the bathtub. For others, a cozy chair. Some find it helpful to be outdoors in nature. There are many options we can utilize when we need some time for personal reflection.

Wherever it is, the space gives us an opportunity to become friends with our intuition. For when we heed the promptings of our own ‘still small voice’, the answers come. It may not broadcast in our ear, but we ‘hear it’ in the silence.

Children can also make use of this valuable resource and enjoy this inner sense of ‘knowing’. 

This image looked so appealing. I had to consider how rarely we allow our children to be outdoors unattended. An alternative may be a tree house or a tent in the yard. Yet, not all of us have that luxury either.

At the least, we can help to create a ‘safe space’ for them. We can suggest they might enjoy some quiet time. Offer it as a delightful option. Make it enjoyable and cozy. Get their input. Ask them what they would like to include. (Is it cushions, blankets, paper and crayons, music?) 

Help them create their own special area to use when they want or need to. Then, here’s the rub; try to allow them to use it – even if it’s during a time when you prefer their presence. Try to honor their choice.

When a person tells us “I need a little time out”, we give it to them. Let’s give that same courtesy to our children. Allow them the time to be quiet. Time to integrate all that is happening. Time to hear their own ‘still small voice’.