amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

mamabear · 03-02-2004, 02:38 AM

Since I managed to kill the other Enki thread (sorry!), thought I'd start a new one. (Plus it is nearly 2 am and I'm up with awful insomnia.)

We got our materials (K Resource Book) a few weeks ago now, but with finals for school and every virus from chicken pox to stomach flu making the rounds, I am on page 85 of the introductory materials. I love a lot of the philosophy, disagree with some of her approach and the "schoolish" nature of parts of it, but it's a small enough piece to just put aside. (Not sure I can comment more coherently on that right now, though.) I do agree with the overall developmental approach and it's been helpful to hear her flesh this out for me, as it's something I've been working with intuitively based on my child psychology studies.

I have also read through a lot of the songs and circle activities and listened to some of the tape, and read some of the crafts. We gathered some supplies, like watercolors and materials for painting boards, and woodcarving tools (dd wants to carve stumps for fairy homes anyway). I have the stuff to make the suggested craft boards, just have to get dh to cut the wood and screw the clipboard top to it.

My goal for this week was to put together a circle time, even a simple, rudimentary one, and do two crafts. But with being ill, I think I will just focus on creating the circle time by the end of the week. Dd is happy with self-directed crafts right now.

We're also doing a Waldorf-inspired co-op on Fridays for 6 weeks (last week was our first). Katie is in the Native American group, so we'll be reading stories and folktales from that culture and I will focus our circle time on that.

What's everyone else up to? How are you incorporating Enki into your lives, and if you haven't yet, what do you think??

(And an advance apology to Kimberly, who is trying to order hers, still, I think!)

Shannon · 03-05-2004, 09:49 PM

Oh, I can't wait to order ours. I won't have time to read anything until I finish school though.

mamabear · 03-06-2004, 11:45 PM

Are you almost finished? My aunt was full-time, started in Sept, and just graduated last Friday.

I hardly have time, either. Luckily I am on break for 3 weeks so more is getting done, but I have sewing to do as well.

jo · 03-09-2004, 05:18 PM

well, I've been doing a lot of reading and even more digesting. I too found more schoolish things than I would ever use, but I think that because the books are geared towards both teacher and homeschooler training. I am loving the sections on storytelling, I feel much more comfortable telling a simple story now, or in sharing a story in a new way.

We too have started up with a small co-op group that is waldorf inspired and we are incorporating the emki materials and philosophy. I think this will be key to our long term sucess, circle is so much more effective with a bigger group.
I've also been focussing on a weekly rhythym, which i taking some time to come together, but Sage just loves it. we are starting with Bread on monday
co-op day tuesday
watercolor wednesday
wool and beeswax on thursday
handwork on friday

so far we are hitting about three out of five. we'll keep at it though!!

I'd love to hear about other families weekly rhythyms!

oh, and we are planning a simple mayday celebration, our first group holiday effort!!

Shannon · 03-09-2004, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mamabear
Are you almost finished? My aunt was full-time, started in Sept, and just graduated last Friday.

I hardly have time, either. Luckily I am on break for 3 weeks so more is getting done, but I have sewing to do as well.

Almost, I graduate May 20. We finished spa today and we start deep tissue tomorrow. I'm also playing catch up so I'm going to school at my regular day class and then I'm going to 2-3 night classes a week and now we have to go to weekend classes. There are some weeks we will have school 14 days with no break.

I am so ready to finish. lol

I'm really having concerns about hsing, but I'm going to start a new thread.

mamabear · 03-10-2004, 01:06 PM

Wow, Shannon -- your schedule sounds intense! I am going to have school 4 nights a week instead of 3 once we get back from break, the week of the 22nd. My 4th night will be clinic - 3 50-minute massages in a row (10 minutes to get one client dressed and off, change sheets, and get the next client on). That goes for 10 weeks. Should be a good learning experience.

I'll share our weekly rhythm, daily too:

Monday-Baking
Tuesday-Painting
Wednesday-Nature Walk
Thursday-Craft/beeswax/playdough/handwork
Friday-Co-op day

Our daily rhythm, which is still coming together:

6 am: Me up early before kids, do writing, e-mail, one household chore
7:30 am: Jacob typically gets up, has some free play time, if I'm still busy he may watch a video
9 am: Katie gets up
9-10 am: Breakfast/dressed/meds/bath
Free play in between
10 am: Circle time
10:45 am: Long outdoor time and/or creative play inside
12 noon: Lunch
12:30: More outdoor time, might garden, free play time inside
2 pm: Baking/painting/nature walk, whatever the day's work is
2:30/3 pm: Rest time for at least 1/2 hr

Then we just kind of slide into more free play, dinner, clean up dinner, get ready for bed, read stories, go to bed.

It's a rough estimate, not nearly as scheduled as it looks -- but it's coming together. What seemed to be key was having circle time right after breakfast. It really sets the mood of the day for us and we all feel like we've "accomplished" something.

mamabear · 03-10-2004, 01:07 PM

Jolene, congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must've missed an announcement!!!!

jo · 03-10-2004, 02:26 PM

Thanks Lauren, we are so happy to be having our third!! Of course, the ages get farther apart and I keep wondering how many times I'll be repeating the materials over the years... what a trip!!

arasmama · 03-12-2004, 02:01 PM

There was a mess up at the printers, so I am still waiting on my book. Suppose to be here next week. I'm really looking forward to getting us in a rythmn. That was really the reason I bought it, Ara needs some sort of schedule to follow. Not strict, but something.

mamabear · 03-12-2004, 04:44 PM

It's helped us so much with that, Allison. I can't even begin to tell you what a change I've seen this week, just from following a loose rhythm.

Allison, did you go with K or 1st? If you did K, are you thinking about getting 1st in the fall or waiting one whole year, or not getting 1st at all? I have not yet decided amongst those choices, myself.

arasmama · 03-13-2004, 12:23 AM

I decided on K. I'll probably do the K for awhile, past fall. We are supplementing with some math (working with adding using quisenaire rods right now) and whatever reading she is interested in. I'm just following her lead at this point.

After reading through the K and 1st, it seemed like the handcrafts and such were more at the level Ara is now. I don't really see a reason to follow the school system and move on to a new level in the fall just because that is when the schools do it. Ara would actually go to K in September since she is a fall birthday.