Chores for Tots

Nicholas, brushing snack crumbs from the table as Daniel watches.

When my oldest, Michael, was just two-years-old, we were blessed with the opportunity to take join a parent-child class at the Susquehanna Waldorf School. While many of the other children busied themselves caring for baby dolls or jumping from stump to stump, Michael would cozy up to Miss Jackie and help with whatever yummy snack was being baked that day. I remember being concerned because he would spend playtime stirring and stirring and stirring the batter rather than playing. I remember also the teacher's wise words, that it was more than OK, it was soothing to his soul to be engaged in this peaceful and meaningful work.

Those of us with older children know the struggle of assigning chores. My two oldest help with laundry, trash, compost, recycling, and dishes and are also responsible for keeping their own rooms tidy. While they might grumble, I know how important it is for all members of a family to have a hand in keeping the household running. We do children no favor when we give them unlimited leisure time with no responsibilities.

The littlest members of your household can help as well. Small, predictable tasks with child-friendly tools stored in an easy-to-access manner help your little one become more independent and reliable. Many of these jobs-- the swishing of a broom, the stirring of the batter, the polishing of a spoon or a banister-- have a rhythmic quality to them that is very soothing to a child's soul.

We like to sing and hum while we work, silly little songs to the tunes of folk songs or made up from our own hearts. We make our own cleaning supplies when possible, polishing wood with beeswax and lemon and using water and essential oils to make an all-purpose cleaning spray. By watching their older siblings and their parents work cheerfully, the younger children are not only invited into the experience, they welcome it, wanting to imitate the actions of those they love and respect. For this reason, we try to be cheerful and diligent in our work, not complaining but completing a job from start to finish with a cheerful spirit. The little ones join in at their own comfort level, moving in and out of the moment. It makes me smile to see them, one foot in the adult world of work and function, the other in their child's world of play and frivolity. It makes me even happier to see those work themes carried over into their play.

So, what can your little ones do?

They can wipe down tables...

...stir the soup (cape optional)...

...polish wood...

...stir batter...

... sort silverware...

...feed pets...

...and water plants.

Remember, even when it might make your job take a little longer, it's worth it to let your little ones join in.

A Day in the Life

Happy Tuesday and Happy Candlemas!

As usual, our Tuesday started with oatmeal. Following some laundry, we began our school day with the story of the Presentation. After, we worked together on a cooperative junk sculpture to go with our art this week, Louise Nevelson's Sky Cathedral.

Michael and Katie Grace started on their independent work while Daniel, Nicholas, and I had circle. It was groundhog time!
We pretended to eat like groundhogs.
And use our claws like groundhogs.
We went back to the table and made a groundhog puppet.
And later we even made a groundhog cave! Not much hibernating happened though.

Nicholas worked through his boxes and Daniel puttered around while Katie Grace had her main lesson (Astronomy) and Michael had his (North American Geography and Mapmaking). In between, I started the potato bacon chowder for lunch and began a craft project-- beanbags representing the different moon phases.
These go great with our Winter Lights circle from Seasons of Joy!
Nicholas helped out with lunch (wearing a cape instead of an apron, of course!). We're still cooking our way through John McCutcheon's song "Soup" and are up to "potato soup".

After lunch we did our usual tidy and then had read aloud: The Sister's Grimm. The Katie Grace was off to orchestra and I finished up my beanbags and also whipped up this little gnomie finger puppet for Nicholas.
We had one more project to fit in before dinner-- under the bed storage for Nicholas.
Daniel helped when he wasn't dancing on the bubble wrap.
Now you see it!
Now you don't!
Ignore the yucky bunk bed top. Usually I have a piece of fabric up there covering the slats, but Mr. Deconstructionist decided to liberate it for some project or other.

Daddy took Katie Grace to ballet and we made dinner-- corn fritterish pancakes shaped like a big round sun for Candlemas!

Hope you had a wonderful day as well. I would love to hear about it! I'm thinking of doing a "Day in the Life" round up where people could document their days and post a link. Please let me know if you would be interested.

A Day in the Life

Happy Tuesday!

It occurs to me that one day I will have to do one of these not on a Tuesday. Always, on Tuesday I post about oatmeal because Tuesday in Oatmeal Day.

Shockingly enough, our day started with oatmeal. Oatmeal, as usual, was followed by room cleaning and laundry. We find predictability helps our days go well.

After Daddy went off to work, we started our school day with devotions. Because the month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, we're doing a Bible study based on the names of Jesus. Today we talked about Immanuel, God with Us. We looked up the meanings of our own name, which was great fun.

We read a little more in our American Revolution for Kids book. Today was the Battle of Bunker Hill. We learned about the Minute Men and had a little friendly competition to see who could get dressed up and ready for "battle" in a minute or less.

This is where we part ways. Michael and Katie Grace go off into the dining room to begin their independent work, and Nicholas, Daniel, and I have circle time. This week we're doing the Winter Movement Journey circle from Winter Seasons of Joy.
Here's the strong sun melting the tall, tall snowman. And the ending of our winter circles is one of my favorite.
My heart swells in joyfulness.
My spirit dwells in peace.
My body rests in quietness.
Our circle time has ended. Goodbye!

Daniel went off to have a tea party with Danny Boy and Hibbit.
And Nicholas began his time with me. We're reading the fairy tale Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle this week and learning to recognize the letter N. When we got out the form drawing book to make straight lines and slants, Daniel joined us again.
Snack was cheese and crackers.
And then it was time for Katie Grace's main lesson-- the life of Jesus and the parable of the good Samaritan, with a side order of learning about volume.
Michael's main lesson followed-- botany and a little lesson on circumference.
Daniel and Nicholas, meantime, were having an awesome time with the marble run.
Lunch was sandwiches, and Katie Grace helped by making chocolate milk.

After lunch, we all helped tidy the downstairs from the morning's festivities. This was followed by read-aloud. We've finished The Boxcar Children and moved on to The Sisters Grimm.

Daddy showed up about now to take Katie Grace to orchestra, and this is where we broke with our usual routine. The children received Lego Rock Band for Wii for Christmas, but we didn't have a guitar. We ordered one on Ebay, and it finally arrived today. Generally we have a "Wii is for the Wii-kend" rule (get it? Heh.) but because they've been waiting sooooo very patiently, they each had a go on the new Wii game. 4 songs each. They were very happy campers. I, on the other hand, had to listen to "We Are the Champions" 12 times. Ah, a mothers sacrifice!

We tidied up the winter nature table, adding a new snowflake garland Katie Grace made. While they were playing, I also caught up on some computer stuff, worked on cleaning out the giant basket o' stuff you can see in some of the pictures, and had a little Bible study time.

By now it was 4 o' clock, and time to clean today's zone: the steps, the hall, and the kids' rooms. Then Katie Grace was off to ballet and the rest of us had dinner.

Another day in Paradise!

A Day in the Life

We're back in the saddle again...

After waking up, a breakfast of oatmeal, and some laundry folding, we got started on our day. We've changed up our routine a bit, and are now doing our "together" stuff (Story of the World and any art/music/etc) first thing. This has made an amazing difference-- we're now pretty much finished by lunch except for read-aloud and orchestra, and if there is anything left, it's stuff they can do independently. Cool beans.

We started out with devotions. We're learning about the names of Jesus. Today we read in the Bible that He is a "wonderful counselor". We had an interesting discussion about what that means.

Next, we read a little in the first chapter of The American Revolution for Kids. My little hippie babies totally dug the idea of protests and boycotts, and went on to make their own protest signs.

Meanwhile, Daniel, Nicholas, and I had our winter woods circle time from Winter Seasons of Joy. Lots of fun, especially the part where we took turns hiding Mr. Squirrel's seed and finding it so he would have food in the winter.

Nicholas's main lesson started with the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker. He helped tell it and sing the songs this time. We built a letter L from blocks and placed his church shoes on it.

We also made a little brown mouse from beeswax. For inexplicable reasons, Nicholas decided the mice needed to hitch a ride on the Wise Men's camels' backs on the nature table.

Daniel, meanwhile, worked his way through his "wonder baskets" (with many, many thanks to Kara over at Rockin' Granola for that name!). He played with his train his Grandma and Grandpa bought him,

placed juice lids "coin" in a coffee can "bank,"

and kicked around his football.

Katie Grace and Michael, meanwhile, were working through their workboxes and doing their independent work. When Nicholas was finished having his time with me, he did his workboxes as well.
Katie Grace reading Pilgrim's Progress.

Katie Grace helping Nicholas use ribbon strips to make rectangles and squares.

Nicholas and his mousie mask.

Nicholas and Daniel playing shoemaker in front of the tent they built.

Michael didn't want his picture taken.

Katie Grace's main lesson was a review of the Annunciation. She made a gorgeous angel snowflake
and an Annunciation window transparency. Mary looks a but like a rocket ship about to blast off, LOL!

Michael's working on a botany main lesson, and did a beautiful painting of a sunflower. Unfortunately, the colors ran a bit.
By lunch, everyone was finished and had even practiced their instruments (violin for Katie Grace and cello and drums for Michael. Michael starts piano this week and I'm hoping to start Katie Grace as well, and we'll probably wait to start Nicholas on recorder.)

After lunch we read The Silver Chair and packed up the Christmas stuff. Then we made Epiphany stars.
Obviously, it was a very busy day!