I know. Children and quiet time seem incompatible, but they don’t have to be. Like you, I want to share God with my boys on a regular basis. I want to build this habit into their lives early on. But, I have three active boys and have wondered where on earth do I begin?

What I’ve learned in the last five  and a half years is quiet time (and quiet is relative) has to be built into the fabric of my days in order for it to happen. These four time are ones that work well for our family and help quiet time to become a habit and not lost in the hussel. I hope you’ll find them helpful for your family, too.

 

1. Breakfast

The best time I’ve found to have quiet time with my boys is to read Bible stories to them at breakfast. It’s the one time of day I know they will have their bottoms in the chairs and be a captive audience. I just choose my favorite children’s Bible storybooks (some of those are listed on our Resources page) or the Bible (the New Living Translation is my favorite for kids) and read a story to them.

As they are getting older, I do some discussion about the stories and how my sons can apply what they are learning. We might talk about how the little boy shared his lunch with Jesus (John 6:1-15), and I’ll ask them how we can share with others. Yes, having quiet time during breakfast means I almost always eat cold food, but I figure in the long run it’s worth it.

 

2. Car rides

This is one of my favorite times to do quiet time with my boys. Every day I take them to school and pick them up. On the way to school, we like to pray together. I’ll ask them for one thing they’d like to thank God for and what they would like pray about that day. Right now their answers are food, friends, family, but I suspect as they grow older those will begin to change.

We also like to sing to our favorite Christian songs in the car. Now that they are getting bigger they might ask me what a song means, and we’ll talk about it. But usually we just turn up the volume and rock out to our favorites.

 

3. Play time

Yes, you heard me. Quiet and Play don’t always go together, but if you have active kids this is a great way to incorporate quiet time. I’ve had my boys act out stories like David and Goliath, Noah, and others. You can do this through play acting, Legos, dolls, Little People, just about any toy can play a part in a Bible story. We might talk about the story some, but for now since they’re young, the main point is to teach them about God’s love, power, and provision in the past. As they grow, we’ll begin applying those ideas to their future.

 

4. Bedtime

An all time favorite for many families is bedtime. During your bedtime reading grab a Bible storybook, too. We’ve found this is also a great time to practice having the boys say their prayers. Since they are still young it’s often family, friends, toys…but sometimes they surprise us and show what’s really on their hearts. Just this week, my #1 son prayed for a friend at school who was having trouble obeying the teacher. Hearing his concern for a friend showed me the ideas we’ve been teaching him the last five years are finally beginning to take root. Yeah!

Yes, I know you’re exhausted at bedtime and sometimes it’s all you can do to hold out to eight o’clock. But the extra few minutes spent in quiet time with your kids will be worth it in the end. I promise!

I have found incorporating quiet time with my boys in these ways really helps time with God to not get lost in the busyness of our days. Instead, it becomes a habitual part of them, which lays the foundation for the relationship I hope they will continue to build on as they grow older.

Looking at a list can be overwhelming but I challenge you to choose just one of these times and begin to make it a habit for your family. Which one will you choose today? If you’re already practicing quiet time with your kids, what are some other ways you’ve found work well? I’d love to hear them!