So when we structure time not content, take our littles lead, play LOTS, Read LOTS what does it all look like. Well here is the first two weeks in Jan for you as a picture. The theme was little Misses choice I just Googled, Pintreset ( here is a sneak peek at the second half of Jan) and 1+1+1=1 activities or as we call them " crafts". We also utilized the Jan material from Earth schooling. Simply because we had to purchase the materials for Earth Schooling I won't post the oral stories, poems and songs we used.Our Day
Little Miss gets up at just about 7:30am and Wee One is up shortly after that round 8am. After cuddles we head into the playroom, open the curtains, feed our fish, feed the cats get Mama Coffee and then sing our Morning song.
Our Morning song
given to us by a Waldorf teacher on Whidbey Island
Good morning to you and sweet they day.
May Angels surround you
and under their watch keep you.
Good day, good day,
Good morning, Good day.
Some point between making breakfast and getting dressed Little Miss looks at our "Today is" pouch and says "That's not what today is!" We use quarter sheets of watercolor paper painted to progress through the rainbow from red to purple with each day written in the upper left hand corner and the planet the day is named after in the lower right. One of us switches out the day and I ask if she knows what day it is and what planet the day is named for. Then I ask if she wants to find that planet or read about it in a book we got from the library. A few mornings we built the solar system on our felt board. This all took any where from two minutes to fifteen. the information and I are available to share. She is not required, but she like many kids at this age Little Miss is a sponge!
I then ask Little Miss to either help me make breakfast or play with Wee One. My real life friend at True Confessions of a Real Mommy has a great post about Littles in the kitchen.
As we make breakfast I don't say " Hey little Miss come help." I instead ask her to pick a specific task. " Can you help me mix the eggs?" or "Will you help sister build a tower?" I specify because she does notice the difference. She has said to me " Mama when you say 'Little Miss do this' it hurts my feelings. It's not kind." Yeah that is hard to hear but it's spot on. I try think how do you want to be lead or spoken to? How do effective leaders speak to the people around them to inspire them to do their best?
It's Breakfast time and getting ready for the day. Depending on the nights sleep this may include a story or two scattered here or there for some positive reconnecting time. Part of getting ready for the day in our home is getting the house ready for our day. This includes vacuuming, sweeping, picking up the toy or books that are about. We do this in little chunks. Little Miss is what ever character she wants that day, it's either a train or Ira "Her Pony" which lives at her Grannies house. Then I have her "scoop hay" or " shunt freight" aka pick up X.
All this gets done by 10ish. You see if food is not in our bodies by 10am and Wee One is not cuddled, we get what I call the 10am melt down. Then based on energy levels, weather and schedule it's outside/ indoor physical play. We will walk around our neighborhood or run the Kentucky derby in our home. Followed by crafts, stories, building, playing singing together. If she wants to craft I offer suggestions, materials or ask what she is thinking.
Then we lunch, rest which takes us to 3ish and back to more crafting, stories, etc. Some days we make dinner together others I set her up with a craft or just let the littles play.
At this phase in TJEd, the littles are in Core phase. It's not about reading or letters or school. It's about good vs bad, right vs wrong. It's about learning to be a good strong, loving, person who is rooted in the family. So is my focus during the day getting through any of the stuff I looked up on line? NO! That is just icing on cake to keep her from bouncing off the walls with boredom. To challenge her mind and have fun.
