Daily Rhythm

I've been doing a lot of research and reading about creating a balance in our routine and in our home. Not just for James because children need and thrive in an environment that's regular and familiar, but for our family as a whole. I have an insatiable need to feel an order to my days, but I get anxious when they're too regimented. I suspect James feels the same way. I really wanted to find a way to bring a flow to our days. A way to keep things easy and peaceful.

I read the book, You are Your Child's First Teacher, and after reading the chapter on rhythm I felt an immediate calm. There it was. That's what my family and I needed - a rhythm.

Rhythm is all around us!

The waves ebbing and flowing at our favorite beach, Chaplin Bay.

A view of the sun setting from our backyard.

I took some time to think about our days based on the book's suggestions and I was pleasantly surprised to find we are already very much in a rhythm of our own. I suppose I just had to step back for a moment to realize it. Still, I felt there were a few areas that needed "fine-tuning", particularly our mornings and mid-afternoons. They were sort of a hodgepodge of whatever we felt like doing or could fit in at the time. This type of "freedom" may sound ok in theory, but it always left me feeling scattered, unfulfilled and very unproductive.

Then, after seeing this beautiful post I was inspired to create a daily rhythm chart for our family. I chose certain recurring times throughout the week for the things we've always done - our Montessori lessons, outdoor play, prayer, field trips, and quiet time. Also each day of our week now has its own "theme" (e.g. Monday is Baking Day).

Now, I know it sounds like my chart is akin to a regimented routine, but it's not! Call it a change in perspective or semantics, but I'm not looking at this chart as a hard and fast schedule we need to follow, but more as a helpful guide detailing the rhythm of our days. The fact that each day has an overall "theme" is what really makes this feel peaceful and calming to me - it ties the day together. And as soon as I created the chart and posted it on our fridge I felt relief. It all makes sense and most importantly, it feels right.

Even though we've just started with our daily rhythm, I can already feel the difference. I'm getting things done, I don't feel rushed or stressed and I'm feeling really positive. This, I know, makes my family and my home happier as a result. James knows what to expect, he looks forward to our adventures and seems more secure. And my husband? He's so supportive of this concept and I think in general he feels as long as mama and kiddo are happy, he's happy. :)
I'd love to hear from any of you who've created a daily rhythm in your home and if you have any recommendations for books on the subject.

And, in case you're interested in finding out more about rhythm yourself, take a look at the posts that inspired me:

::The Magic Onions hosts a wonderful weekly series called Discovering Waldorf and that's where I found this insightful post written by the author of one of my favorite blogs, Frontier Dreams.
::Rhythm of the Home - this is an online magazine that is full of posts that are good for the mind, body and soul.
::There's just a snippet about Rhythm in this post, but I urge you to read the entire post because it offers some lovely insights into Montessori and parenting as well. Plus, it's written by another of my favorite bloggers, Meg, of Sew Liberated.