Simplicity Parenting - Part Two

I wrote about the book that I have been reading here. I still think it is excellent and worth having close by to remind me regularly how I want to bring my children up! There is a chapter on rhythm. Different to scheduling, it isn't about doing the same thing exactly at the same time, rather having a flow to days and weeks that the children can use as an anchor. Eve in particular thrives on predictability and I have always believed in the importance of a regular bed time routine to help them settle to sleep.

 

Recently things have gone a bit haywire - new baby brother, new work timetable for Daddy, the idea of moving house, the usual seasonal shift from outdoors to indoors - and I have had to work really hard to keep things peaceful and harmonious around here! One thing we tried was to sit down around the table and have a family meeting, I was unsure whether the children were a bit little for this but it worked really well and I think gave them a sense of ownership over the process. I said that when canoeing was finished for the winter on Wednesdays, that I wanted to use the day to go out as a family with a picnic and do some days out. Then I asked the children what they would like to do more of. They had some very definite and simple ideas about what they wanted to do more of - baking, swimming, going to the park and doing crafts! We then wrote a really simple weekly plan then and there that fitted around current commitments and that we thought would work. Dewi and I committed to following it for 2 months and seeing how it went. I like how it is up on our kitchen door and holds us accountable to following it. We have already been doing it for three weeks now and it is good - the Autumn lanterns were part of Sunday crafting!