Our Simple Days at Home

I think our days tend to be fairly simple, and that is what I want for my little one to grow up knowing. And as someone who has always had too many things on the go at once, and I still do, it's challenging to keep things simple and minimal at times. But I appreciate it so much too, as it's such a soothing, comforting way to live.

The anchors of our days are meal times and sleep times. Other things find their place around these two important elements. Preparing good food and ensuring quality sleep takes time, and giving the time needed for these areas leaves less time for extra 'stuff' in the days. And that is ok with us.

A load of washing goes on first thing, and the focus then is the breakfast. The little brass bells are rung signalling time to wash hands. Breakfast, clean up, brush teeth. It is a slow process, the eating is not rushed and the clean up can be substantial.

The mid-morning is characterised by jobs around the house and garden - washing on the line, preparing lunch early if need be, or baking. If we start doing jobs in the garden we tend to stay a while, and the morning zips by as rocks are moved here and there, watering cans are examined and dirt is shifted with hands. And I do some work too.

I try to be back in the kitchen preparing lunch by 11.30am. An early lunch then a sleep after lunch with a full tummy. It doesn't always work, sometimes the sleep has to happen first and we have a later lunch. Sometimes lunch happens later than I'd like and I have a tired and cranky little one on my hands as we change nappy in preparation for a sleep. But we get there.

The afternoon is for quiet time around the house, reading books in the spot we affectionally call the library. A little green rug for a boy to sit on and read his favourite books. I move in and out, reading aloud this book and that, then letting him do his own reading. The movement then is to a selection of toys that invariably get placed in a bucket. Buckets are such fun things, when you are little.

Tea time is at 3:30pm and the brass bells are run again. A cup of tea for me, a selection of little foods to eat. Some cut up apple, or pear, or banana. Some prunes or raisins. Maybe some cheese and crackers. Or a rice cake with peanut butter. Or our baking, if we have baked that day. A simple platter that comes together in about five minutes and is easy to clean up. And nothing that sticks to the wall...

Afternoons usually see us in the garden again. Take the chook bucket out and watch the chooks while they eat. Collect the eggs, harvest anything needed for dinner from the vegie garden. Potter while we're out there - the distractions are endless in the garden. Bring the washing in again. Fold away dry clothes, and hang anything still wet to dry on the clothes horse. Then a little tidy up around the house, putting things away in their place.

5pm is time to be in the kitchen again, and signals the start of the evening routine. Make dinner, eat slowly, always some yoghurt for dessert. Bath time, brush teeth, a story and off to bed. There is comfort  in the repetitiveness of the daily rituals. Finally the end of the day, and tidying the house ready to start all over again tomorrow. A cup of tea and feet up, usually for too long. I always fall short of going to bed at a reasonable hour myself.

Not every day looks like this, a couple of mornings there are activities out of the house - the library for Rhyme Time or grocery shopping or taking the dogs out for a walk. The backbone is always the same though. It provides our structure, and in so doing, it provides comfort and reassurance. Our world is predictable and stable. We have room for being spontaneous, and enjoyment in just being at home. This is what I want to bring to my child, and I'm so grateful to be able to do just that. 

How does your daily structure look? Does it work for you?