Homeschooling rhythm.
This is SUCH an important part of a Waldorf-style home school, and one that, in theory, my organized self delights in.
However, it's been slow in coming to us on this first auditioning year of school. We're six weeks into our year and I'm learning the difference between my ideal and reality.
I have a "plan" which I won't bore you with at this point (unless you really want to know?), but suffice it so say that it involves a 6:15 wake-up time for Mama, and all the good parts of Waldorf Homeschool, including Circle time, painting time, outdoor time, quiet time, and lots of reading and normal daily chores.
However, major road blocks to this smooth path of rhythm include:
- Sickness. We are all currently suffering from various stages of a brutal cold, making it hard to stick to routine when all we want to do is blow our noses and nap.
- Daddy's conference. Between Thanksgiving and our trip to Edmonton to be with Daddy, last week was a complete write-off in terms of homeschool routine proper
- Too many activities. Between Small Girl's various programs and my various endeavours, there have been several weeks that I look back on and wonder if we are simply too busy to do school.
- My work. When I'm working my maximum number of hours in a week, it's a challenge to keep everything organized so there's hot meals on the table when I leave and have all the chores completed AND do schoolwork.
- Weather. We have had the most beautiful amazing fall, and these sunny calm days call my name to be outside, rather than keeping house or maintaining any semblance of rhythm.
- Sibling playtime. Small Girl and Little Brother are experiencing challenging times in terms of sibling playing. There are small windows of time when they play cooperatively and it is a lovely thing. But most of the time the power dynamic goes one way or the other and fighting, screaming and hitting results. When things are good, I hate to end them to start another activity. When things are bad, it's hard to sort things out and carry on with our intended plan.
I know all the standard answers for these dilemmas. Be flexible. Work with the season. Don't be too busy. But implementing them during the day-to-day, when I don't have the benefit of hindsight, this is the challenge.
