Friday, November 14, 2014
A Slow Week
This past week we took a slow week. I was feeling under the weather and took the time to relax, regroup, and reflect. We got out of our rhythm and it felt wasteful. We also got a fair amount of snow, so between sickness and change in the weather we were rocked. After a week of keeping it slow and trying to rest, I added our walk back in, we normally don't do a lot of academics on Fridays, so most of the remainder of the day was normal. It felt so good, nurturing to the soul to get back into the missing rhythm and to set us up for a strong week next week. I hope to continue to refine our rhythm so that even if something is off there is still a clear path to follow.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Rhythm
One of the best things I have done for our homeschool is to work to develop a daily and weekly rhythm. What is rhythm you may ask? Rhythm is having a pattern or an ebb and flow to your routine. It is the opposite of chaos. Rhythm can work for all types of people from unschoolers, to families with infants, to executives. We all live with some kind of rhythm in our lives, but the trick is using it to make our lives better and easier. Rhythm can be daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Most of us follow a very similar yearly pattern that corresponds to the calendar or the seasons. We celebrate holidays, do Spring cleaning, etc. Everyday, you may wake up, exercise, shower, eat breakfast, etc.
Our current daily rhythm looks like this:
Wake up
Eat breakfast
Tidy up (boys make beds, get dressed, brush teeth)
Family walk
Circle Time
School Work
Lunch
Daily chores
Free time, errands, or activities
Prepare dinner
Eat
Clean up
Family Walk
Bedtime routine
I began with the rhythm written down and posted so I can refer to it often, but we are going on our 7th week and I don't really need to look at it much. I really like making lists and checking them off, so having it all written out works great for me. If you are not type A or this just seems too daunting for you, just choose 3 things and do them everyday in the same order and once you have them down, choose the next 3 things, until you have your rhythm down. The rhythm helps everyone know what is coming next and really helps my children be calm about the day and do things (like school work or tooth brushing) without giving attitude or defiance. The only downside I can say is that whenever we have to abandon our rhythm for any reason (special events, guests, holidays, etc.) we get more of the old undesirable behavior (craziness, bouncing off walls, tantrums, meltdowns). Since these behaviors happen so much less now it is much easier to respond gently and with understanding. When we fall off track for whatever reason, getting back into our rhythm feels so good. It's like going on vacation: coming back to our rhythm feels like home. It is good to be home.
How I brought a clear rhythm into our lives: Start small! Most people wake and eat around the same time most days, use this as a starting point. This was something I have always had, but had to be a little more strict with myself since having kids (no skipping breakfast or snacking through lunch). Most parents have probably heard the benefits of a good bedtime routine. We have had a regular bedtime routine since our oldest was about 2.5 years old (I recommend starting earlier!). This was the first component to our family rhythm and has been adjusted many times as we added two more children. The next thing we added in was family walks with a brief tidying up of the house before hand. We added one in the morning to get ourselves going for the day and to expend some of the kids energy before having them sit for circle and school. Simultaneously we added one in at night after dinner to get the last of the wiggles out before the bedtime routine. We practiced the walks and tidying up for two weeks before we even started school. Finally, we added in our circle time followed by school work.
Sometimes we don't get out the door for our morning walk until just before lunch! Other times we just go so late that we miss our night time walk. I try to focus on the parts that are the most important (eating and school) and just take things one step at a time. This routine is what we always come back to and it works for us!
A final note on developing rhythm: There is a component to Steiner's work that talks about 'breathing in' and 'breathing out' activities. I am not very well versed on it, but the basics of this is focus should alternate between being inward (sitting type activities) and outward (movement or outside activities). I try to take that into consideration for our rhythm and during our circle time I try to alternate between the two as well.
Our current daily rhythm looks like this:
Wake up
Eat breakfast
Tidy up (boys make beds, get dressed, brush teeth)
Family walk
Circle Time
School Work
Lunch
Daily chores
Free time, errands, or activities
Prepare dinner
Eat
Clean up
Family Walk
Bedtime routine
I began with the rhythm written down and posted so I can refer to it often, but we are going on our 7th week and I don't really need to look at it much. I really like making lists and checking them off, so having it all written out works great for me. If you are not type A or this just seems too daunting for you, just choose 3 things and do them everyday in the same order and once you have them down, choose the next 3 things, until you have your rhythm down. The rhythm helps everyone know what is coming next and really helps my children be calm about the day and do things (like school work or tooth brushing) without giving attitude or defiance. The only downside I can say is that whenever we have to abandon our rhythm for any reason (special events, guests, holidays, etc.) we get more of the old undesirable behavior (craziness, bouncing off walls, tantrums, meltdowns). Since these behaviors happen so much less now it is much easier to respond gently and with understanding. When we fall off track for whatever reason, getting back into our rhythm feels so good. It's like going on vacation: coming back to our rhythm feels like home. It is good to be home.
How I brought a clear rhythm into our lives: Start small! Most people wake and eat around the same time most days, use this as a starting point. This was something I have always had, but had to be a little more strict with myself since having kids (no skipping breakfast or snacking through lunch). Most parents have probably heard the benefits of a good bedtime routine. We have had a regular bedtime routine since our oldest was about 2.5 years old (I recommend starting earlier!). This was the first component to our family rhythm and has been adjusted many times as we added two more children. The next thing we added in was family walks with a brief tidying up of the house before hand. We added one in the morning to get ourselves going for the day and to expend some of the kids energy before having them sit for circle and school. Simultaneously we added one in at night after dinner to get the last of the wiggles out before the bedtime routine. We practiced the walks and tidying up for two weeks before we even started school. Finally, we added in our circle time followed by school work.
Sometimes we don't get out the door for our morning walk until just before lunch! Other times we just go so late that we miss our night time walk. I try to focus on the parts that are the most important (eating and school) and just take things one step at a time. This routine is what we always come back to and it works for us!
A final note on developing rhythm: There is a component to Steiner's work that talks about 'breathing in' and 'breathing out' activities. I am not very well versed on it, but the basics of this is focus should alternate between being inward (sitting type activities) and outward (movement or outside activities). I try to take that into consideration for our rhythm and during our circle time I try to alternate between the two as well.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Week 4-Reflections on Waldorf
I’d like to write a little about what I love about Waldorf
and what I would like to bring into our homeschool program. Right now I am loving how much I am learning
about things I hadn’t given much thought to before. I have long been a fan of simple living and
minimalism. I dislike clutter and
hoarding things, but there is some aspect of Waldorf education that is very
simple in nature. Limiting toys, media
exposure, and even books is encouraged. I
didn’t understand why one would ever limit books, but am discovering that too
much information is just as detrimental as too many toys. As an adult I can definitely relate to
information overload and how it contributes to my overall sense of well-being. What I would like to take from this is not
that I have to have all things waldorf in my home, but to really look at how
the things we have in our home affect us.
I have had a ‘teaching wall’ up in our house since H was
about 3 years old. It started out with
pictures he drew and then I added a calendar and map and it eventually
progressed into a full-fledged school room bulletin board complete with fun
seasonal boarder. He is almost 7 now and
I know all the kids are rather fond of the posters of the human body and other
charts that I have up, but I think it is time for these things to go. One of the things I am learning more about as
I explore Waldorf is the child taking the learning into their being. That is the best way I can describe it right
now. It is not just learning the
alphabet and math facts and that these letters make these sounds, but actually
forming a relationship on a deeper level with learning concepts. For example, each letter of the alphabet is
taught with a story and beautiful illustration of the letter and words that
start with that letter. So that when they see the letter M, they are not just
seeing that letter, but it has become part of them through the story. I’ll admit that I am just beginning to
understand this concept and am far from
truly knowledgeable, but I can really see the value in this kind of
learning. So piece by piece I am
removing the ‘meaningless’ letters and numbers and charts from our walls to
make space for a deeper learning to take place.
Another thing that I am loving about Waldorf education is
the concept of rhythm. I have developed
a family rhythm and we have been practicing for about 5 weeks now and it is
wonderful. Somehow all on their own the
children have almost entirely given up on television since the rhythm doesn’t
really have any space for it. That is not
to say that they do not have free time, but they have chosen to use their free
time for play rather than passive television watching. Though with Halloween and Christmas right
around the corner (plus cold weather), I am interested to see how this plays
out through the winter. We do love to
snuggle up and watch our holiday movies (on repeat). The concept of rhythm is so great (both vast
and wonderful) that I will definitely explore it in more detail in the future,
but suffice to say it has been life altering and quite meaningful for us.
The biggest struggle I am having with family life right now
is struggling with living up to the Waldorf lifestyle. It is so easy to get caught up in the thought
that my homeschool needs this or that to be complete, especially when the few
little things I have done have produced such great results. It is important for me to remember baby steps
and that there is not ONE way to do things.
Also important is to realize that Steiner developed his ideas nearly 100
years ago and while many of the aspects of Waldorf education are still valid
and valuable, some things may not be as important or applicable as others.
Not Back to School 2014
Well hello there, long time no see. We have (finally) started our homeschool year after a September that started off with a ton of appointments and other 'life stuff'. I feel so blessed that we were able to delay our beginning to a time that worked best for us.
To recap: Last year was our first 'official' homeschool year since H was in Kindergarten, though I did purchase a preschool curriculum (that sat unused) for him the year before. We used Math U See Primer, a workbook that I bought at Sam's Club, and BOB books. I tried to do an unschool approach with lots of social activities, playdates, parkdays, etc., but unschooling just doesn't vibe with my teacher-y personality (part of my inner work, I suppose). It was a great year and busy, but H often complained of the 'doing school' part when I had him sit down for BOB, workbook, and Math. We eased up on the reading because it was becoming a battle and the last thing I wanted was for him to dislike reading. I told him we would try something different this year. However, Aaron and I agree that math is very important to us to do in a sequential manner and that we should not bounce around on math curriculum, so we have chosen Math U See for the long haul.
This year I was really looking at using the Oak Meadow curriculum which is very gentle and uses a lot of drawing, crafting, nature, and story-telling, at least that is my understanding of it. I just couldn't get myself onboard with the price tag though, so I was on ebay trying to score a used copy and losing bid after bid. It just wasn't meant to be I guess and to make a long story short, I got a slammin' deal on Waldorf Essentials lifetime membership and decided to go with that. I also found a few wonderfully supportive facebook groups that have been an amazing source of inspiration and information on how to make the Waldorf experience at home. I think this program is EXACTLY what we need as a family. It comes with a parent curriculum too and I feel so positive about working on myself in regard to mothering and teaching. So, I have H using Waldorf Essentials first grade and Math U See and A is using Sonlight P4/5 (the aforementioned preschool curriculum I purchased for H and never used). So let me tell you how it went!
One of the most valuable things I have seen in Waldorf is the concept of rhythm. I actually started working on our family rhythm 2 weeks before school, trying to establish a routine that included regular clean-up times and walks and very little outside of the household routine. This involved LOTS of planning and lists which I loved, but I suppose other personalities could do this without the lists/planning. I could see already that this is going to be a very good thing for AJ who struggles with transitions and going out.
So by the time we were finally ready to begin on Sept. 15 I would like to say our rhythm was pretty solid, but really the idea of how it should be was solid, we are still working on keeping our rhythm (at least the expectation is there). We began our journey with a Rose Ceremony which I will describe in another post. Then dove right into the programs. By Wednesday H was asking to go back to our old program, but mostly I think he was struggling to adjust to the change in what 'school' looks like. AJ is doing very well with his program and doing a great job with his drawings. Though his week was not without struggles including walking away from circle time and complete disinterest in certain stories.
I am still working on developing our circle time. One thing I read by the creator of Waldorf Essentials was that crafting the life we are striving for takes time and is a bit like painting where new ideas are continually painted, layer by layer, onto the canvas of family life. This really resonated with me and so I am working on adding new elements a little at a time. Overall I am very happy with our first week. It was a struggle, but at the end of the week, we took lots of family walks, drew some beautiful pictures, and spent lots of time together. Next week brings the fall equinox and we will be including some dragon activities in preparation for Michaelmas. It is sure to be a fun-filled week!
To recap: Last year was our first 'official' homeschool year since H was in Kindergarten, though I did purchase a preschool curriculum (that sat unused) for him the year before. We used Math U See Primer, a workbook that I bought at Sam's Club, and BOB books. I tried to do an unschool approach with lots of social activities, playdates, parkdays, etc., but unschooling just doesn't vibe with my teacher-y personality (part of my inner work, I suppose). It was a great year and busy, but H often complained of the 'doing school' part when I had him sit down for BOB, workbook, and Math. We eased up on the reading because it was becoming a battle and the last thing I wanted was for him to dislike reading. I told him we would try something different this year. However, Aaron and I agree that math is very important to us to do in a sequential manner and that we should not bounce around on math curriculum, so we have chosen Math U See for the long haul.
This year I was really looking at using the Oak Meadow curriculum which is very gentle and uses a lot of drawing, crafting, nature, and story-telling, at least that is my understanding of it. I just couldn't get myself onboard with the price tag though, so I was on ebay trying to score a used copy and losing bid after bid. It just wasn't meant to be I guess and to make a long story short, I got a slammin' deal on Waldorf Essentials lifetime membership and decided to go with that. I also found a few wonderfully supportive facebook groups that have been an amazing source of inspiration and information on how to make the Waldorf experience at home. I think this program is EXACTLY what we need as a family. It comes with a parent curriculum too and I feel so positive about working on myself in regard to mothering and teaching. So, I have H using Waldorf Essentials first grade and Math U See and A is using Sonlight P4/5 (the aforementioned preschool curriculum I purchased for H and never used). So let me tell you how it went!
One of the most valuable things I have seen in Waldorf is the concept of rhythm. I actually started working on our family rhythm 2 weeks before school, trying to establish a routine that included regular clean-up times and walks and very little outside of the household routine. This involved LOTS of planning and lists which I loved, but I suppose other personalities could do this without the lists/planning. I could see already that this is going to be a very good thing for AJ who struggles with transitions and going out.
So by the time we were finally ready to begin on Sept. 15 I would like to say our rhythm was pretty solid, but really the idea of how it should be was solid, we are still working on keeping our rhythm (at least the expectation is there). We began our journey with a Rose Ceremony which I will describe in another post. Then dove right into the programs. By Wednesday H was asking to go back to our old program, but mostly I think he was struggling to adjust to the change in what 'school' looks like. AJ is doing very well with his program and doing a great job with his drawings. Though his week was not without struggles including walking away from circle time and complete disinterest in certain stories.
I am still working on developing our circle time. One thing I read by the creator of Waldorf Essentials was that crafting the life we are striving for takes time and is a bit like painting where new ideas are continually painted, layer by layer, onto the canvas of family life. This really resonated with me and so I am working on adding new elements a little at a time. Overall I am very happy with our first week. It was a struggle, but at the end of the week, we took lots of family walks, drew some beautiful pictures, and spent lots of time together. Next week brings the fall equinox and we will be including some dragon activities in preparation for Michaelmas. It is sure to be a fun-filled week!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Leprechauns and Spring, Part 2
We didn't get around to making the shamrock craft, but I saw a similar one with rainbows that could be done anytime. We had some new older friends over and made play dough. I was trying for this, but it didn't smell good at all. I think I could have added more zest. As always, it was a hit, I let them add glitter, which they loved. We also tried this tissue bleeding, the only color that worked was purple and the boys weren't too interested in it, upon further review (actually reading the instructions instead of just looking at the pictures), apparently I was supposed to try this with fabric, not paper, LOL. I had 2 kids doing the tissue bleeding and the other two doing marble painting, which I thought was awesome, but the kids quickly lost interest in. We played Monopoly and Sorry, made some progress on our hole to the other side of the world, and found 2 garter snakes in the yard (half dead, unfortunately). Fisher started sucking his thumb, Hudson can count by 10s and 5s, AJ can count to 10. Read this http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/03/lets-bring-holidays-down-notch.html?spref=fb and was reminded to chill out.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Leprechauns and Spring
This week at our house we will finish celebrating St. Patrick's Day and jump into Spring full force. Our caterpillars have also arrived, so I have a few ideas to learn about them.
Leprechaun traps, leprechaun rocks, and Shamrocks
We were a little late to make our leprechaun trap (we did that Sunday night). H was super interested, but dad kind of diverted it into making a squirrel trap. So we ended up with 2 traps, both half effort. But at least they were excited and doing something together. Then they went to bed and the leprechaun left a note saying they would have to be more clever than that to catch him. That naughty leprechaun also left green pee in the toilet and a pile of leprechaun rocks. The boys spent the morning 'washing' their leprechaun rocks. Later we plan to make these:
http://www.housingaforest.com/shamrock-crystals/
Caterpillars and butterflies
We checked out a bunch of books at the library. I want to do this life cycle craft this week.
Playdate
Our home school friends are coming over this week to help us get our garden going. We are going to be putting in some sunflowers along our fence and reading the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
Its a busy week here and I am watching a couple extra kids for Spring Break...all boys!!! Wish me luck!
I'll try to post an update at the end of the week and let you know how it all went, with pictures of course!
Leprechaun traps, leprechaun rocks, and Shamrocks
We were a little late to make our leprechaun trap (we did that Sunday night). H was super interested, but dad kind of diverted it into making a squirrel trap. So we ended up with 2 traps, both half effort. But at least they were excited and doing something together. Then they went to bed and the leprechaun left a note saying they would have to be more clever than that to catch him. That naughty leprechaun also left green pee in the toilet and a pile of leprechaun rocks. The boys spent the morning 'washing' their leprechaun rocks. Later we plan to make these:
http://www.housingaforest.com/shamrock-crystals/
Caterpillars and butterflies
Playdate
Our home school friends are coming over this week to help us get our garden going. We are going to be putting in some sunflowers along our fence and reading the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
Its a busy week here and I am watching a couple extra kids for Spring Break...all boys!!! Wish me luck!
I'll try to post an update at the end of the week and let you know how it all went, with pictures of course!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
We're Baaaack!
Follow me on Pinterest Leah
Oh, it's been so long. I had almost given up on this whole blog thing...
But I like to write, I like to document all the fun stuff we do, I miss it. So...to catch everyone up the past few months we: had a baby, celebrated Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, King's Day, Candlemas, Valentine's, Suess Day, and took a trip to the aquarium (2 hours away...what was I thinking?!). I am sure there was a bunch of other stuff in there too, we are busy people. We also switched to gluten-free and are working on giving up sugar. So while I would love to share all that catch up stuff, let me just post a few pics of the baby and jump in fresh from here, mmmkay.
Baby J
Birth story summary: Born December 7 at home (2VBAC), 13 days late, 1.5 hour labor. Midwife arrived when his head was already out...LOL, she almost missed it. 9lbs 8oz.
Oh, it's been so long. I had almost given up on this whole blog thing...
Baby J
Birth story summary: Born December 7 at home (2VBAC), 13 days late, 1.5 hour labor. Midwife arrived when his head was already out...LOL, she almost missed it. 9lbs 8oz.
Birth
Birth
Birth
1 Week
1 Month
2 months
3 months
I am not sure if he is the sweetest baby yet or I just Love him so much because I am more experienced with how fast they grow. I'm just really enjoying him and being home with all my kids and daycare kiddos too! I feel quite blessed lately to have so many wonderful friends, family, and kiddos in my life.
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