A Daily Rhythm

A common concept amongst home educators is the idea of a daily rhythm rather than a schedule or timetable. This was something that I've seen across several platforms that I am using to further my knowledge surrounding home education, a couple including Shelley on Instagram (@that.which.is.lovely) who has a post on their current daily rhythm and often does Day in the Life of stories to show what they get up to. I also follow Lyndsey on Instagram (@treehouse_schoolhouse) and like to read her blog from time to time, where she has a recent post about their family daily rhythm amongst so many other things. It was also mentioned in The Call of the Wild + Free by Ainsley Arment, the first book I read on my journey into home education.

It continues to pop up across regularly and I love to see what different rhythms look like for different families at different stages of their home educating journeys. As for what this will mean for us, I am basically using it to highlight what a perfect day for us would look like - I have absolutely no expectations for any of our days to actually look like this, what with Bear only being three, and having The Cub around at barely a year old when we plan to begin in September. However, there are several things that I would like to make a part of our daily rhythm, and others that I would like to see develop into habits for us too.

My ideal days would involve;

~ Morning Time - this is where I plan to introduce Bear's phonics learning. I plan to put together a Morning Basket (more on that in another post) which will include several small activities to do at the breakfast table while I am making breakfast, while we're eating and while I clean up. I also plan to include something for The Cub in here to involve him in this time even though he won't be joining Bear on his educational journey yet.

(This is something that I sort of implemented a while ago as a 'table basket' which was intended to stop the build up of toys being brought to the table every meal time. It was just a basket with some books, a couple of toys and a whiteboard and pen for him to mark-make. Obviously this time around it will be much more thought out.)

~ Activities away from the home - many of the activities that we take part in, Forest Tots as an example, take place in the morning, so we would pack up and head out for the morning and usually over lunch time... picnic included! This is also my preferred time for getting out on an adventure, so whether an activity or just a morning out, this time suits us best.

~ Read aloud - I will be reading some well known children's fiction stories aloud to them in the afternoons while they play, alongside the many picture books that usually get devoured on a daily basis.

~ Getting outside - I have made this a priority this year and at half way through June, we have been outside every single day this year! I am so proud of myself for keeping this up even on naffy weather days and days where I could happily just hibernate. I intend on keeping this a priority, whether it be an adventure that takes us out for hours, or a simple walk to the shop for some fresh air. I've found the benefits immeasurable.

On days where we are out of the house in the afternoons, for example Little Farmers that we attend at Boston Park Farm, we will simply rearrange this rhythm and do the other things during the morning and after we return.

Some other things that I'd like to keep as a weekly rhythm of sorts include 

~ Our (almost) weekly trips to the library, usually to take part in Rhyme Time, other times to check out their Stay & Play, or just to do a book run!

~ Exercise - Whether this is outdoor based when we have been out for a walk somewhere, or home based on days where we don't go as far, I want to introduce Bear to the idea of keeping fit, using Cosmic Kids Yoga and other exercises for toddlers.

~Nature Journaling - We have used a nature journal in the past as something to do when we were out and about. I had a book that Bear and I used to stick things in, draw in, and I'd often write notes about our adventures. 

This is something that I plan to build on with him, but I am going to take a slightly different approach to it than I did last time around. I want to use it as a way of documenting his interests and making notes on his adventures, but with his input! (Post to come on my intentions.)

~ Quiet Time - Another idea that pops up regularly within the home educating community as a way of having everyone, Mama included, get some much needed space and alone time during the day. I have already started building this idea into Bear's day since his baby brother arrived, as he often spends a little time in his bedroom while I get the Cub down for a nap. Sometimes this includes him laying in bed for a while, other times he sits and plays. I plan to build the time frame up on this so that I get some time for me, and he has some quiet time away from his brother.

I will probably do a post on each of these in the future, going into more detail on my plans and what I am going to use etc, so keep your eyes peeled for those :) but for now, this is a general idea of what I'd like our days/weeks to look like!

Momma Bear