Do you have any daily rituals?

[Sarasvati]

Well do you? :lol I'm trying to think... I know I would like to incorporate more ritual, not in a wanky forced sense, but just to create a bit more connection and meaning into our lives.

[Ceres]

Not really, no. All the things I thought I would do with DS like eating together or doing yoga together have just not eventuated. I guess bedtime stories are probably our most ongoing and meaningful ritual.

[Sarasvati]

Ah yep we have that.

[Anaed]

No but I want to!
Keeing an eye on this thread :)

[Beatrice]

Dinner together.

DH has evolved a bedtime ritual with K of a story (told, not read aloud) and three songs. Recently that has morphed into me reading her a chapter from our current read-aloud each night, but we still have the three songs :)

Other than that, no. I'd like to do more, but I'm too disorganised :lol

[Kris]

"telling our day" has become firmly established. We always eat dinner together as a family, when we are not living in hot land which melts our candles and requires a fan over the table to keep us cool we light a candle in the middle of the table.

That one little act is often enough to bring a sense of ritual to each thing we do. I've been missing it up here. We used to light a candle before stories, before meals and before craft. Here my candles melt sideways and the fan blows them out. Just noticed little lanterns in the ikea catalogue, might have to buy one of them.

A candle snuffer is also a must for the end of the activitiy.

There is also an ebb and flow for rituals in our family. A long time ago our dd1 had to go sleep with a prescribed series of songs and a rainbow bridge meditation. Now with four kdis this happens sporadically. Some weeks we sing a blessing song over our meals every single time and then later it is more scattered.

I too had hoped for daily yoga sessions with my kids but it's rarely happened.

This house provides the perfect sunset watching panorama and we've taken to sitting on the steps watching it all unfold quite regularly. Much cooler outside than in too.

[Anarcostar]

Watching with interest :)

Actually tonight, I started something at dinner where we say things we have been happy/ thankful/ grateful/ proud about during the day - a little reflection. I would light a candle, but both my little ones would (and have done) climb on the table to blow it out! :lol:blueroll

I was/ am going to (this week even - or maybe next :lol) start a Gratitude/ Our day journal/ book where we can each write/ draw or glue a picture or photograph of something that we felt happy/ grateful/ proud/ thankful of, or just a little affirmation or hope or blessing - whatever! - very free form.
Also want include chatting about any additions/ changes to the seasonal/ nature table (once I get the thing fixed - well more like relocated :))
Just to mark each day.:)




A candle snuffer is also a must for the end of the activitiy.
We have two of those - they're called Tyler and Jasper!:rofl
Actually, I've decided to roll with their desire to blow out candles and will be doing little daily ritual involving this.

Before dinner, everyone will light their own special candle on our little alter table. Then before bed, as part of the going to bed ritual (story, nappy, goodnight kiss and cuddle...) each person can blow out their own candle.

Haven't tried it yet .... we'll see how it goes -not sure how many candles we'll get through!! :)


This house provides the perfect sunset watching panorama and we've taken to sitting on the steps watching it all unfold quite regularly. Much cooler outside than in too.

We do this too. Though not really to watch the sunset, usually just to feel and enjoy the breeze (usually involves both boys running round in circles like loons!), though someone will always spot and point out the moon if she's visible, then we all call out to the moon :lol

[battlecrumpet]

That journal / book idea sounds lovely! We don't do anything except meals together and bedtime stories.

[Janet]

Our essential ritual is mummy's morning coffee without which nothing else happens. ;)

[zenifa]

Ummmm.......let me see.
How are we defining ritual?

We have songs, and stories at bedtime, plus "the story of my day" where the girls tell us the story of their day, its a lovely way to see the richness and blessings of each day!!

We have started a journal/scrapbook for this year for each girl, where they can draw, stick pictures and record some of the special things they have done, eg going to see a play/show or a birthday party they attended. As they are only 2 and 4 mummy is helping but they are enjoying it a lot. They also send thank you pictures to people that give them a xmas or birthday gift and they love to make cards, so they always want to know who has a birthday/baby/anniversary etc coming up so they can make a card.

At breakfast and dinner, we sit together for our meal (no tv, just music) and talk about plans for the day, or what happened in our day, sharing news etc.

We do some pilates/yoga exercises, as the girls love to join in or we do some daily dancing - a new ritual the girls have started is doing a before dinner show for mummy and daddy, usually involves some singing, dancing an a bit of drama, its very funny and completely initiated by them!! It certainly cheers us up at the end of a day, and gets rid of some energy before the dinner and bath/bed routine.

[Blossomtime]

We eat at the table together most mornings and every evening with a candle and we discuss the day.

DD1 has asked that we re-introduce some more ritual into our days at home so at morning tea time we set the table with a special embroidered place mat we found second hand (that says morning tea!), a tiny vase of flowers, a candle, fruit and something baked. We drink tea from the tea pot and have a chat. We sing a couple of verses and a blessing which DD2 has taken to with gusto :D It brings a lovely moment of calm to our day.

We also have a bedtime ritual which changes as the girls change. DD1 needs a candle and some nurturing and would like me to do a meditation with her so we're working on that.

Our saturday morning ritual usually involves garage sales and op shops :lol Usually on sundays we sit around and draw in "the big book" together. Just an A3 sketch book that we can all draw freely in together.

[Sarasvati]

We're started asking what each person's best thing and worst thing was about the day. There have been some really interesting answers! I wanted to do a candle thing but they fought over who got to blow it out (even when they had "turns").

[Belinda]

Our essential ritual is mummy's morning coffee without which nothing else happens. ;)

:lol Us too. It keeps me sane. We eat tea together and I've been meaning to add the candle because without it it can be hard to remember to slow down!

Sometimes I think I have a tendency to make these things more elaborate (and thus more work) than they need to be. Reading this has reminded me it's more about the attitude with which you approach it than it is what you actually do. Thanks:D

[Himalia]

Not sure if it's a ritual as such but every morning we get up and go straight outside rain, hail or shine to see the day. Still in PJ's we visit the dog, chooks and fish (pond) to say good morning.

[cgull]

How lovely everyone's rituals are.

Not exactly a meaningful ritual, but every morning over breakfast we turn the week-wheel around to today, move the sticker on the calendar Little Bear got for Christmas and choose a picture to match the weather. I try to have something 'special' for breakfast on the weekends, like pancakes or pikelets or crumpets or fruit bread.
We eat tea together and pray for missionaries on weeknights. On Saturdays we go around the table asking 'how can we pray for you?' and praying for each person, on Sundays we try to have a bit of discussion around one of the 'key learning areas' in my sig.
Current bedtime ritual involves DH 'reading' to Little Bear in the dark until he falls asleep. I'm working on something similar for Miss Muffett who has a hard time winding down.

[Kris]

I've been thinking about this topic and realised that when we have daily rituals it means that I am more focussed on family, on my children and life flows more smoothly for us. When we're dashing in and out and chaos reigns then there is less time taken to think and to reflect and bring ourselves into calm.

Thank you for bumping this thread.

[Sarasvati]

Kira and I read stories before she goes to sleep, sometimes I read to her, sometimes she reads parts of the book that I am reading, sometimes she reads to me. Last night I misread two words and (while of course she didn't know) both were words that have um, connotations :lol. So when I read hoofer as hooter and then not long after mender as member I lost the plot and we had a giggling fit. After that Kira declared she had a new category "most fun part of the day". Awwww! :lol

[Janet]

I have three candles here I light for my children, Sarasvati. Maybe having one each would help them with the demarcation issues?

I have a new ritual - feeding the chickens. :) It doesn't happen the same way every day but I love going out there to say hi to the girls in the morning and admore their growth, how their combs and wattles are growing and darkening, how their voices are changing, it's lovely. I pick up poo (dog, cat, chicken) and wander about in the garden a bit. Often dd comes out and feeds them too. She loves to handfeed them. I took a pic the other day which I'll upload. It's gorgeous!

[Kris]

Bok bok bok is so incredibly peaceful isn't it. I love hosing the garden in the evenings when it's been hot. Very mellow.

[Sarasvati]

Janet you're a legend! I'm going to get them to each pick out a special candle. Woohoo! Ta! (Why couldn't I think of that myself?) :lol

[Janet]

You were being safety conscious and didn't want a bushfire on the table? :lol

[Beatrice]

I've been thinking about this topic and realised that when we have daily rituals it means that I am more focussed on family, on my children and life flows more smoothly for us. When we're dashing in and out and chaos reigns then there is less time taken to think and to reflect and bring ourselves into calm.

I could do with some more of this focus, that's for sure. We still eat together and do the bedtime ritual, but I really need to reconnect with the kids on a daily basis as I'm finding myself leaving most of the parenting to DH now he's home fulltime.

Of course, now our daily ritual starts with getting up and schlepping out to the cow every morning :lol We now sit down to a cooked breakfast together every morning after milking, and I have a set rotation of meals each week so we don't have to think about what to cook which makes that much simpler.

[zenifa]

Having breakfast and dinner together as a family of four is a daily ritual for us and is pretty rare when it doesn't happen.
Our bedtime ritual hasn't changed in the past few years and seems to be working well for us all.
I am definately thinking about what new daily rituals we can introduce into the rhythm of our day.