Thoughts on Rest by Belinda Kenwood

Thoughts on Rest
By Miss Belinda

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Dear Families ~

I’d like to start off by sharing some wise words from Margaret Wise Brown, an American writer of children’s books that include classics such as Good Night Moon (published in 1947), Big Red Barn (published in 1956), and the Runaway Bunny (published in 1942), among many others.  *(Personal Note: If you do not yet have these three books at home, I encourage you to either purchase them or borrow them from friends, relatives or the library.  They make for wonderful bedtime stories as they are simple, calming, include lovely illustrations and can be read over and over again.)

 

“In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked.  Yet a child’s need for quietness is the same today as it has always been ~ it may be even greater ~ for quietness is an essential part of all awareness.  In quiet times and in sleepy times, a child can dwell in thoughts of his (her) own, and in songs and stories of his (her) own.”

After discovering Margaret’s quote, I found that she has articulated beautifully the reason why I love nap/rest time at LifeWays.  It is the one time in our day where both child and caregiver can experience the essential need and beauty of quietness.  After lunch (and after all of our morning indoor and outdoor activities), as we start settling into our beds (cots) and prepare for a story, a hush falls over the room.  As I begin reading or telling the story, the children finish settling their bodies, lying on their backs, heads on pillows, tuning in to the story.  As I continue to read, I observe some of the younger children drifting off to sleep while several of the older children continue listening to the story.  

When the story is finished, I begin quietly singing a lullaby or two as I turn off the lamp light, and the quietness envelops the room.  Some children begin singing quietly to themselves, while others simply gaze out the window through the small spaces the curtain does not cover.  Some lie quietly in the darkness for a while before drifting off to sleep.  And for two precious hours, the children and I experience the peace and tranquility of quietness, a time where we “can dwell in thoughts of our own, and in songs and stories of our own” ~ restorative for body, mind and soul…and in that quiet space, where the body is relaxed and the mind can now wander because it does not have to focus on the task at hand, is where creativity lies.