Our Winter Daily Rhythm

The sounds of faint music in the background with a warm blanket, an afternoon coffee, and a book I can easily get lost in is my very idea of a winter afternoon. I look forward to this moment every day, especially after a busy but nourished homeschool morning with my children. I can accomplish this because of our winter daily rhythm.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I receive a small amount of compensation if you choose to purchase from my links. I only link to products I love.

What is a daily rhythm?

According to Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education, a daily rhythm is a pattern of activities that mimics the natural body rhythm, like breathing. This rhythm gives the soul an inhale and an exhale throughout the day. It gives structure and predictability to one’s day. It’s a flexible schedule which I prefer because not every day looks or is the same. This gives me flexibility in our homeschool.

A glimpse in our winter daily rhythm

I have found that our daily rhythm doesn’t change too much each season. Of course, in winter we are inside more than in summer. We read and do more crafts in the winter and there is no homeschool in summer. So we adjust as needed throughout the seasons.

In the mornings we start slow with play as I make our breakfasts, someone is always willing to help. As we eat we normally listen to our Yoto Player. We clean up our breakfast mess (everyone is responsible for cleaning up their dishes), and then as I enjoy my morning coffee and a book my children play and/or join me with their books.

Once I have finished my coffee we all get ourselves ready for the new day. I feel more productive when I get myself ready for the day. We then get the house ready for the day with our morning chores. We all work together with some music or sing our clean-up song. This is the time when we pick up toys from play earlier, sweep floors, unload, and reload the dishwasher.

Now that our chores are done we take an exhale and bundle up (we live in the midwest of the U.S.) and go outside for at least a half hour. This is a great way to greet the morning before we start our homeschool.

Beginning our homeschool day

For our next inhale we begin our homeschool once we come inside. With the house being tidy, it is a nice invitation for us to learn. We start our homeschool with a story from The Book of Belonging and a short game (this one is our favorite at the moment; it’s many games in one). I then get my older children their daily work (you can read about this here from Hannah at Pepper and Pine) and then begin circle time with my kindergartener and toddler. Once circle time is finished we do my kindergartener’s weekly activity from her weekly rhythm. My older children’s weekly activities then begin. They don’t need as much help from me now as my younger ones but I still like to be there for them if help is needed.

By this time it is near lunch so we break and have a yummy, nourishing lunch, which is usually leftovers. After lunch, the younger children play while I clean up and begin my weekly chores that need to be done. My older boys will finish up their homeschool at this time too.

Now it is time for screens for my older three kids and quiet time for my toddler and this is the time of day that I dedicate to myself. It’s so important for us stay-at-home mothers to take time for ourselves, to somehow have a break. This is when I normally read, knit, or write for my blog. These are all things I enjoy and I aim to do this for an hour each day, but most days it’s about 30 minutes. Because I gave myself this break I can give more later for my children to finish our day peacefully.

End of our day

The end of our day consists of cuddles from their Papa, delicious dinner, warm baths, and plenty of bedtime stories. This part of our winter daily rhythm I have found to be the most sacred because it leads to a good night’s sleep and happier children in the early morning.

Thank you for joining me in our winter daily rhythm and I hope it helps you establish your own successfully.
-Micah