what works for us

... in our little homeschool and our home life, in general, are the following:  

• a daily rhythm, rather than a rigid schedule to follow;
  
• no more than two hours in the morning of formal or structured lesson time;
  
• plenty of free play time, preferably outdoors;
  
• opportunities for artistic and creative pursuits - drawing, music, painting, handwork;
  
• following the Liturgical and natural seasonal rhythms of the year;
  
• including Miss Girl and making her feel a part of lesson time;

I can now see and understand the wisdom of Montessori and Waldorf schools in grouping three to six-year-olds in Kindergarten together.

• setting the bar high when choosing quality children's literature;

I do believe that our days of phonics readers and phonics instruction were (thankfully!) short lived due to frequent reading/cuddling time on the couch and exposure to good books beginning at an early age.

• healthy food and nutritious meals;

Last summer, I became a Feingold member in an effort to eliminate specific preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and highly processed foods from Little Man's (and our) diet hoping to help him with a few health issues.  Cooking from scratch with healthy and fresh ingredients is always a good thing for anyone to do, but the biggest challenge has been trying to stay away from offending foods outside of our home, especially at events where highly processed candy, cookies, and cakes are abundantly available.

• and last, but not least, adequate rest and sleep for all;

If any of us are sleep deprived, we become cranky and have unhappy days.  Late afternoon naps or quiet time are especially helpful in transitioning toward peaceful evenings.

What works for you?

Comments

[KateinNJ]

Oh...sleep!
I need sleep.

[michelle waters]

Hey, nice to hear from you!

Glad to hear things are going well for you all...

[shanin]

Just saw this interview with "Blossom" made me think of you (homeschool, attachment parenting, EC, etc) and I pulled up this blog of yours. Its been a while and I'm glad I stopped by. Check it the Blossom interview...
http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/goddess/spotlight-to-nightlight-mayim-bialik-from-teen-icon-to-unconventional-mom/270

Cheers, you are doing so wonderful, truly and inspiration...I hope to make it over your way soon...