Educating your child/ren at home gives you the freedom to create your own flavour and expression of learning. This is such a wonderful opportunity….but can also be overwhelming with so many options!! I would encourage you all to find your own groove and expression of life learning, rather than trying to recreate another’s.
Rhythm : routine : schedule : flow :
There are many ways to talk about your day, week or term: schedule, timetable, routine, rhythm, flow….. What do these actually mean? What’s the difference?
Routines, schedules and timetables refer to clearly arranged outline of a day with times to follow for certain subjects or activities.
Rhythm and flow describe a more fluid approach to the day where they may be an order or a list of experiences in a day and the timing will be flexible.
I have found that I needed different things in different seasons of my life. There have been times where I needed an almost minute-by-minute guide to my day to keep me on track, otherwise I would be up to midnight folding laundry most nights! And other times where I needed my time to be fluid, otherwise I would feel too overwhelmed with fitting so much into my days.
Each family has natural family rhythms within your own groove. Choose what suits your family in this season of life right now, and make it work for you. Although we are always free to adapt to the natural progressions of life, (that’s the beauty of homeschooling, right?), be mindful that too much chopping and changing can becomes overwhelming! And that’s just what we want to avoid. A rhythm/flow/routine is there to serve you, not master you. Whatever you choose for now, take your time to gently ease your family into it.
Anchor Points
Even with a routine, or flow, the days can easily get out of hand. You can have the day well mapped out with a variety of learning activities or opportunities, when the washing machine breaks (again!) or the baby becomes sick and your older child is in tears over the math lesson. In these moments, it’s so easy to give up. But take heart, dear parent, these are the situations for growth and life learning. You will get through this!
In these situations, I have found anchor points to be so helpful! What are these, you ask? Anchor points are activities in the day that I know help me to calm down, breathe and reset my family (but mostly me!!). Anchor points can save my day from the snow-ball effect of disaster. Anchor points give me the structure and time to redirect the day.
For me, anchor points may be:
Snuggling up on the couch with a story – either a favourite picture book or reading the next chapter of our thrilling novel helps to change our course.
Taking the next meal or snack outside for a picnic on the grass
Putting on some music and dancing around the house
Packing the nature notebooks and pencils/paints and going for a nature walk
What are some anchor points that you can have up your sleeve when your day doesn’t quite go to plan? What brings you and your child/ren peace in times of challenge? Why not factor in a few anchor points for the coming week and see how it gives you space and time to regroup and enjoy your day with your children.
blessings,
Penny
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