We came home from vacation to warmer weather and sunshine peaking through the clouds. After this long and dreary winter it was so nice to be welcomed back with bright blue skies and sunlight beaming down on us. As the days are growing longer and the weather is warming up I am reevaluating our daily and weekly rhythms.
Finding our rhythm at home has been so beneficial since I started staying home. The idea is that by having rhythm throughout the day, week, month, season, year you are providing your child with a sense of security, anchor points. They know what to expect and have things to look forward to, making transitions easier and overall your life more enjoyable.
In the beginning I was floundering a bit being a full time stay at home mother. I missed adult interaction and the since of accomplishment. Without having tasks and responsibilities outside the house there was this feeling that the days and weeks were all blurring together and it was a little haphazard. There was a noticeable difference in London’s mood and behavior once we figured out a rhythm for our days and weeks, but it also gave me something to plan for and added a flow to our days.
So here’s our Weekly Spring Rhythm
Monday- Parent/Toddler Class & Garden
Tuesday- Art
Wednesday- Field Trip/Market Days
Thursday- Nature
Friday- Baking
Saturday- Family Day
Sunday- Rest
To me the word ‘rhythm’ is so much more forgiving than having a ‘schedule’ . In a perfect world these are how our days flow during the week. That’s not always the case. For instance, I didn’t get my act together last week after getting back from vacation and we were literally just surviving. It felt messy and chaotic. London was restless/bored and I was anxious, then my insecurities start popping up. Nobody has time for that!
Having this rhythm allows me to easily fill in activities and make a shopping list over the weekend to be ready for the week. We are doing things that I always wanted to do with London, but was never prepared for. Most importantly, there is much less friction when we move through the week because London knows what to expect… And there is a noticeable difference when we get off course.
So what do our days usually look like??
So what do our days look like?? Daily Rhythm
6am- Wake up
7am- Eat breakfast
8am- Clean up and get ready for the day
9am- Activity of the Day (refer to weekly rhythm)
11am- Eat lunch
12-2pm- Nap/Quiet Time
2-4pm- Unstructured Play Outside
4pm- Start Making Dinner/London & Daddy Time
5pm- Eat Dinner
6pm- Get Ready for Bed
7pm- London is in Bed.
7-9pm- Clean up and get ready for the next day. Me time.
9pm- Get ready for bed and reflect.
10pm- Lights out
The times listed are less important than doing things in this order. I am rarely watching the clock, having this rhythm/outline allows the day to naturally proceed this way without much effort.
Every household’s day is going to look different. When I first tried to create a rhythm for us I kept trying to mimic other Waldorf families and it always seemed so forced. If you are interested in working a rhythm into your household, I suggest observing the way your day already progresses and starting small. That could be as simple as a bedtime or morning routine. If both parents work you could make a weekend routine. Pick a night of the week that you have family dinner. Get creative. Chances are you already have some sort of rhythm because it’s kind of just human nature. The challenge is getting it down on paper and being more cognizant of the pattern.
I would truly love to hear what you think about family rhythms and if you have anything similar in your home. Life seems to always be moving too fast, in a million directions and I have seen so many benefits by laying out a rhythm to our days and weeks. My hope is that something similar to this can help all of you in your homes, regardless of whether you stay at home, work, single parent, step-parent, etc.
El
