How to Create a Daily Rhythm in the Home

The most important component of adding more Waldorf/Steiner-inspired practices in the home begins with the daily rhythm.

The rhythm of the day is so important for both the child and the adult. A daily rhythm gives children a sense of control and comfort. It is easy for children to feel overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of life, and a daily rhythm gives children a sense of control over what comes next. The difference between a rhythm and a routine is that a routine is rigid and follows the clock strictly. A daily rhythm, however, allows for flexibility and spontaneity while still following a timeline of events.

When my son, Reef, first came into the world, he had a strict morning and bedtime routine (which we still follow). I was very consistent with this routine as I wanted to help kick start his circadian rhythm, with the intention of getting him to sleep through the night as soon as possible (for everyone’s sanity). However, it took a while to get into a daily rhythm as you can’t really predict the newborn's sleep cycle.

As children develop, their daily rhythms are constantly being tweaked to align with nap time, their needs, and their family’s lifestyle.

To create your perfect daily rhythm, it is important to consider the needs of your child and your own personal needs:

For example:

What are the needs of your child: Reef is 19 months, and these are his interests/ needs

Create:

-       Paint

-       Bake

-       Draw (and eat the textas)  

Read:

-       Read stories together

-       Point out different objects in the book to help with his vocabulary

Move:

-       Outside play

-       Park

-       Climbing (he is obsessed with climbing the stairs and actually sneaks off to do it while I’m not watching. This is quite dangerous, so I have allocated a window in the afternoon where he can climb the stairs).

-       He is a little afraid of water, so we aim to have some sort of water play daily.

Domestic duties:

-       Vacuum (keep in mind, this looks like him chasing me around with a stick while I vacuum)

-       Help pack up (follow my lead and pack the toys away once I start singing, ‘Tick Tock goes the clock.’) (still nailing this one)

Quiet time:

-       Free play in his room and around the house

-       Afternoon walks

Personal needs:

-       Mealtimes

-       Naps

-       Bath time

Daily verses:

-       Morning verse ‘Good morning to the sun’

-       Clean up verse ‘Tick tock goes the clock’

-       More of these will be added in

What are your needs: Write down a list of your needs and the things you need to get done

What are the most chaotic times:

Mornings used to be chaotic because I was trying to do everything. That is when I created the rotating roster of who would get Reef out of bed. I also delegated a rotating roster of the dishwasher, and Drew now has the vacuuming job.  This has changed so much about our mornings and our relationship because the tasks have been delegated, and everyone is clear on their duties. It is also really important for children to see everyone in the family partaking in domestic duties. 

If there is a chaotic part of your day, the beauty of a rhythm is that you can tweak it to make it less chaotic. An afternoon walk also works well for us because I am usually hanging on by half a thread at this point, and getting out of the house and killing an hour in a healthy way is beneficial for both of us.

There is only so long you can be stuck inside with a toddler.

Here is an example of our Daily Rhythm:

A typical morning:

·      Reef wakes

·      Drew and I rotate who gets him out of bed.

·      Reef has breaky while one of us unpacks the dishwasher

·      I put the washing on, fold the washing and clean the house up.

·      Drew takes Reef for a walk and I do some exercise, have breaky and get dressed

·      Drew goes to work and Reef and I set off on a morning adventure (playgroup, the beach, the park, basically anything outside)

A typical afternoon:

·      Reef naps at 12 pm

·      When he wakes, he has afternoon tea (then the joyful task of cleaning the high chair)

·      We go for a walk and play in the park or he has free play at home

·      Bath

·      Free play at home

·      Dinner

·      Bottle

·      Bed

I want to set him up with a garden and outside play area, as he is at the age where this would be really beneficial for his development. I also dream of setting him up with a cubby house with a little play kitchen inside (stay tuned).

Weekly rhythms include :

Monday – I work from home

Tuesday is nature morning and the park in the afternoon

Wednesday is playgroup morning and painting in the afternoon

Thursday – I work from home

Friday is a beach day

Saturday is the morning markets

Sunday is family day, groceries and cleaning day

As Reef develops, we will add more Waldorf-inspired activities to our day. These will include bread making, beeswax modelling, storytelling, verses, knitting and gardening.

What I love most about a home life rhythm is it is unique to each family. No family is the same; therefore, no rhythm will be either.

Have fun creating your daily rhythm, and reflect on what is working and what isn't. Your energy throughout the day affects your child in so many influential ways, so it is important to make the best changes for both of you.