Intentional and holistic rhythms, routines + systems to support your children, your home and yourself.

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Weekly Rhythm Free Printable Cards

"Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday,Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest ...

Seasonal Mealtime Planning

The theme last week on my Instagram page was “Nourishing Little Minds and Bodies” and as a part ...

Seasonal Mealtime Blessings

Over the years we have sung and said many blessings at our table. Saying or singing a blessing ...

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Remember who you are, where you came from or perhaps where you’re going: tell a story this weekend.

💫

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We sort our picture books into seasonal boxes that come out for 3 months at a time and are then returned to storage in the basement until the season arrives again 9 months later. 🌀

This rotation allows old things to become magically new again each year, keeps choices limited and allows us to dive deeply into the titles we do have each season.

Some of our seasonal choices are obvious- books set during the Winter for example may be about snow, sledding, Christmas, Diwali and Hanukkah. ❄️

But I also categorize the books more metaphorically, identifying what I think the archetypal theme or message is and the associated season.

The book pictured here is a family favourite. It’s called “John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat” by Jenny Wagner. The reasons I chose it to stay in our Winter box are because: it is set mostly at night; it explores big feelings like loneliness, loss, friendship and jealousy and many of the beautiful drawings feature warm slippers, cosy blankets, a lit candle or a fireplace.

Even my oldest child, now 13, rejoices when it’s time to change the books for the season. This is one of our most cherished family traditions and I share it in case you think it might serve your family too.

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The following nine titles are gentle enough for bedtime while also being rich with imagery, vocabulary, deep meaning and life lessons. They each contain themes of night, darkness, lullabies and/or bedtime.

🌙 Moonlight by Jan Ormerod
🌙 Time for Bed by Mem Fox
🌙 The Night is Yours by Abdul-Razak Zachariah
🌙 Can’t you Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell
🌙 The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
🌙 Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
🌙 Love you Forever by Robert Munsch
🌙 Jame’s Herriot’s Treasury for Children
🌙 Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Sweet Dreams!

#bedtimestories #bedtimerhythm #bedtimeroutine #bedtimereading #bedtimebooks

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You can find a much more detailed article in the Journal on this topic and even more inspiration and wisdom from Susan Perrow’s book “Healing Stories for Challening Behaviour”. (Go to my stories and Swipe Up)

But storytelling doesn’t have to saved for challenging times, it can become a part of your weekly rhythm. My husband often tells our younger daughters stories and once in a while a certain storyline will stick and become a family favourite. Currently, there are daily requests for his “Mouse Stories” about a family of mice who live in an old grandfather clock. Daddy Mouse was so proud of himself for finding such a spacious, warm and safe home.... until it struck midnight and they realized it was so gosh darn loud in there! They’ve learned to live with it though. 🐭🧀

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This week I’ll share some posts about storytelling for early childhood- both the oral and written word.

It’s a big topic so we’ll only touch the surface, but you always need to start somewhere 📚

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Our children are always watching us and taking cues.

What is your attitude towards the daily work that needs to be done in the home?
How do you want your children to feel when they perform these chores when they’re in junior school, high school and when they have their own home to tend to?

My own mothering and homemaking affirmation is “Slow down and take care”.

Wishing you a blessed weekend filled with intention and purposeful work. 💫

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There are so many ways children can help around the home.

🧹 Ages 2-7 can help at certain times a day as a part of the daily rhythm. They will need adults to model for them how to do the work repeatedly and will be most motivated doing the work alongside adults and siblings
🧼 Ages 8-14 can start to work on daily chores which their parents model for them and which over time they can do independently
🧽 Ages 15 and older can be expected to do their own chores independently as equal contributors to the family home

Whether you pay your children or not starting at a certain age is totally up to you and your family. Our family uses a system similar to “The Family Economy” which you can learn more about on Ralphie’s website @simplyonpurpose

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🚿 🔪 🥕 🥗 and/or ◻️ which chores do your toddlers love?

Young children experience so much joy in helping. It is so heart-warming to witness the pride with which they do these tasks with such goodwill and focus.

#meaningfulwork #waldorfinspired #waldorfeducation #waldorfearlychildhoodeducation #joyfultoddler #toddlerlife #toddlersofinstagram

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Meaningful and engaging work builds will, resilience and helps to develop fine and gross motor skills. It fosters a sense of belonging and purpose in the family and broader community and can also act as a kind of “time-in” for children who need some one-on-one attention and a focused, adult led in-breath.

MEANINGFUL WORK FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD:

In the Yard~
🌞 Raking the leaves
🌞 Planting seeds
🌞 Picking vegetables
🌞 Picking flowers for the house
🌞 Watering the garden
🌞 Weeding
🌞 Feeding animals or compost worms
🌞 Collecting eggs (if you’re lucky enough to have quails or chickens)
🌞 Putting scraps in the compost
🌞 Shovelling snow
🌞 Bringing in the firewood (pictured)

In the Home~
🌝 Play ironing
🌝 Folding doll clothes, facecloths, cloth napkins and towels
🌝 Sweeping and mopping
🌝 Using the dustpan
🌝 Putting garbage in the bin
🌝 Hanging clothes on a clothes horse
🌝 Taking turns with the vacuum
🌝 Watering indoor plants
🌝 Sprinkling baking soda in the bathtub or sinks and giving them a scrub
🌝 Rubbing wooden furniture and toys with beeswax polish
🌝 Spraying and wiping windows and mirrors (white vinegar and water spray bottle)
🌝 Setting the table
🌝 Washing the dishes
🌝 Scrubbing potatoes
🌝 Cutting soft vegetables and fruits with a dull knife
🌝 Spinning salad
🌝 Making muffins
🌝 Kneading dough
🌝 Rolling out pizza dough
🌝 Putting pizza toppings on the dough
🌝 Grating cheese
🌝 Husking corn
🌝 Shelling peas
🌝 Peeling and/or grating carrots
🌝 Peeling potatoes

In the Community~
⭐️ Picking up trash
⭐️ Delivering food items to food drives or community members
⭐️ Walking neighbour’s pets or caring for them while they’re on vacation
⭐️ Cleaning up a community space like the books at the library
⭐️ Working in a community garden
⭐️ Attending a march or protest with parents or carers

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This week I’m going to share about why “meaningful” or “purposeful” work is so important for young children and many, many examples of how meaningful work might look in your home.

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Trick question!!

(almost) all play is healthy play!!

the biggest exception to the rule being:
play that threatens (intentionally & unintentionally) to physically or emotionally hurt anyone or that is nonconsensual in anyway.

Healthy INDEPENDENT INDOOR PLAY can look like (but is not limited to):
🦹🏽‍♀️ wearing silks & costumes & pretending to be fantasy/fairytale characters
🦮 pretending to be an animal and it’s owner/master
🤱🏻 playing Moms/Dads/babies/family and exploring different positions in a family constellation
🥼 playing chef, baker, airline host, police officer, vet, doctor, herbalist, singer, dancer, farmer and countless other meaningful professions
🎓 playing student and teacher
🧚🏻‍♀️ playing with fairies, small animals, dolls & dollhouses
🚒 playing with trucks, cars, tracks and trains
🧱stacking blocks, building towers, building lego
💁🏻‍♀️ telling stories/narrations with props & toys
⚽️rolling balls
⛺️ making forts/cubbies
👏 playing clapping games
🛁bathing dolls, babies and any other toy they can find
🎨 drawing, painting, crafting, modelling and inventing in all their manifestations

Healthy INDEPENDENT INDOOR PLAY also often looks
💫 very messy!
💫 transient: changing from one play to the next
💫 engaged, fun & active
💫 cooperative in every sense of the word: involving many negotiations along the way
💫 imitative: often playing out something from the child’s recent life experience
💫 surprising!! you just never know what these amazing, curious and intelligent little beings will come up with next!

Healthy INDEPENDENT INDOOR PLAY should ideally
💫 be followed by a good “in breath” activity (like a quiet*ish meal, reading, an adult-led craft, resting or listening to a story)

#healthyplaylookslike #letthechildrenplay

What does healthy independent play in your home look like? Do you find certain activities or habits are a deterrent to healthy play? What turns healthy play into unhealthy play in your home? 👇🏼SHARING BELOW👇🏼

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One of the best toys there is.

Jumping rope or skipping is an age-old outdoor activity that requires very little cost with a huge amount of benefit.

My favourite skipping song as a child was “Strawberry Shortcake, cream on top, tell me when your birthday stops! January, February, March, April...”

Share some of your favourite skipping rhymes below!

[the particular rope in this image can be found at @bellalunatoys ]

#skippingrope #ropeskipping #kidsoutside #movementislearning #waldorfhome #waldorfinspiredhome

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Tag someone who needs permission to CLEAR and PURGE the toys in their home!

An open-ended toy is one that can be used in a multitude of ways. Open-ended toys do not have a fixed form or purpose. Each day when a child goes to play the open-ended toy becomes something new. I recommend at least 75% of your child(ren)’s toys are open-ended. The good news is that children are less likely to age-out of their open-ended toys and that your playspaces become easier to care for, clean and organize when they are simplified.

Open-Ended Toys
(Examples of how they can be used are limited to my adult imagination- your children will come up with many more examples than me!)

🐛 Silks, Muslins, Sheepskin Rugs, Cotton Sheets, Blankets and Pillows can become capes, tails, bonnets, sky, water, ropes etc.
🪵 Blocks, Branches and Tree Stumps of all shapes and sizes can be used to build towers and castles, for hopping, as fairy tables etc.
🌰 🐚 Pinecones, Chestnuts, Acorns, Gumnuts, Shells, Smooth Stones and any other foraged piece can be used as play food, hidden treasure, money etc…
[❗️be sure these are introduced when children have lost the urge to mouth toys]
🏄 Balance Boards & Rockers can be used as boats, cars and horses but can also be flipped around to make forts, cubbies, beds, nests, caves or a stage for a puppet show etc… (we recommend @wiwiurka_toys #ad)
🧺 Baskets, Cardboard boxes, Nesting and Stacking blocks and Wooden Rainbows can all be used in an infinite number of ways
🪑 Chairs, Playstands, Wood Playframes and Tables can be used with sheets to make little reading nooks or cubbies
🌀Playdough or homemade saltdough, Plastercine, Beeswax Modelling Clay, Kinetic Sand and even mud can be made into all sorts of props to help facilitate a child’s play
🧶 Yarn and String can be used for reins, tails, leashes, hair, spaghetti etc. [❗️be sure to supervise this kind of play, make sure children are old enough not to turn the yarn into a choking hazard and teach safe ways to use it eg. yarn around a child’s wrist, never the neck!]

I am sure I’m forgetting lots of open-ended toys- what are some of your favourites to have on hand with young children?

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One of my wise parenting and teaching mentors, Ebba Bodame once said,

“A child must foster a deep connection with a toy in order to be inspired to play with it, to use it creatively and to use it often. The fewer toys a child has the more they are able to connect on a real and whole-hearted level. Choose wisely. Observe your child and trust your intuition as their parent. Do not feel guilty because you have kept things minimal and simple because – less is more.”

A reminder that you can spend less, make less and do less and all that simplicity will serve you and your children. It’s OK to say no to the latest on-trend toy or gadget, it’s OK to give your child ONE special birthday gift, it’s OK to let go of toys that are no longer used by your children for a multitude of reasons.

Young children learn by imitating what they experience in their environment and home not by pressing buttons on remote controls, screens and flashy toys.

Less is more.

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This week we’ll be getting back to basics and discussing

🌟 how to simplify playspaces
🌟 how to choose developmentally appropriate toys for your children
🌟 the importance of open-ended toys
🌟 what healthy indoor play can look like

and much more…

If you don’t want to miss a post be sure to add me to your ‘favourites’ ⭐️ and please remember to like and comment whenever you have the time and space to.

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Signing off early for the weekend to head outside and plant that garden.

Wishing you some time to ground too. 🌱

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🌱 Planting from seed is much simpler than you might imagine

🌱 The bigger the seed the easier it is to “sprout” but the larger container you’ll need (or earthen area if planting directly into the ground)

🌱 Always follow the directions on the package - the length of time it takes a plant to come to fruit will give you an indication of whether you need to start it indoors or not especially if you live in a colder climate

🌱Web search your gardening “zone” (we are 5b 🥶)

Generalized advice for northern hemisphere gardeners in colder climates:

🌱 Easy seeds you can plant directly into the ground early spring are: beetroot + chard + peas

🌱 Easy seeds you can sow directly into the ground late spring are pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, corn

🌱 Seeds that are a bit tricker to sow but that can go diretly into the ground and that you’ll need to “thin out” are: radish, carrot, lettuce and kale

🌱 More tricky seeds to plant that need to be sewn indoors and then transplanted are tomato, herbs, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli

🌱 You can find more info in my highlight “GARDEN” above 👆🏼

Have you ever planted from seed? What do you find challenging? What do you find easy to grow?

🌱 @fruition_seeds has a FREE seed starting course that is really informative!!

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There are so many ways children can help in the garden!

🥕 A common question that has come up: how do I keep little well-meaning feet from treading on the actual bed?

Try putting up short stakes in the corner of each bed (about 1 foot high) and wrapping red yarn around the perimeter as a visual cue. Explain to your child that we don’t put our feet inside of the red square/rectangle. And of course above all else- be sure to model the same careful behaviour yourself! 😉

🐌 Typo on graphic: What child doesn’t love....

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No matter where you live- a small apartment, a house in the city or the country there is always a place to grow a small family garden.

When my oldest was a baby we lived in a small split unit with a tiny wooden porch in the back. There we grew our very first container garden including zucchini, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and lettuce.

Gardening with Children:
🌱 teaches patience & delayed gratification
🌱 provides a sense of purpose, responsibility and empowerment
🌱 offers hands-on and experiential botany
🌱 boosts their mood and reduces anxiety
🌱 provides a source of physical movement and gets them outside
🌱 encourages picky eaters to try new homegrown fruits & veggies
🌱 teaches them about where their food comes from
🌱 helps children develop a strong immune system via working with the soil

Do you garden with your kids? What’s their favourite part of the process? What’s the most challenging part?