Beauty in the Learning Atmosphere
What if the atmosphere shapes the student? What if the space in which our students learn actually plays an important role in the formation of his affections?
We homeschooling mamas are fortunate, because we have the tremendous advantage of teaching our children in our homes (rather than in classrooms lit by fluorescent lights, with white walls, ugly posters, and rows of desks).
If our schools were really beautiful and refreshing, if the outdoors and indoors were kind of mixed, with a rhythm of focused work and play, perhaps our students wouldn’t be always yearning to get out of school. School should be an attractive place where contemplation, reflection, poetic knowledge, as well as the hard work that’s present to master anything, are nurtured.”
— Dr. Christopher Perrin, On Finishing the Year Strong
Interior design is not my strength. I struggle with creating a vision for a physical space, with coordinating colors and choosing decor that looks pleasant and doesn’t cost too much.
But fortunately, we don’t need to go out and buy a bucket of paint or spend a bunch of money to make our homes pleasant learning spaces.
I’m interested in simple things we can do today to make our homes beautiful places in which to contemplate, engage, and learn.
A few ideas to get us started:
- Play classical music to set the tone, first thing. Have beautiful music playing when children arrive in the kitchen for breakfast.
- Light a candle. Or a few. (Put it up high if you have little ones running amok).
- Open all the blinds to let in lots of natural light. (Choose window light over artificial light whenever it makes sense to do so).
- Create a fueling station on a kitchen counter. Set out some mugs, a thermos of hot water, and a few packets of hot cocoa, cider, and tea. When it’s time to begin the school day, let the kids stop here first before hitting the books.
Thank you so much everyone.
I was researching the history of music last year for teaching in our co-op, and the time I spent listening to the chant leading into Praetorius and Allegri literally left me feeling as though I had just had a full body massage, a glass of wine, and prayer time all in one. It was physical and mental and spirtual feeling of relief and being lightened. I have found that my kids tend to complain when I want to turn it on, (4 boys and 2 girls), but I think I will try it again.
Yo-yo Maa’s Bach Cello Suites have a similar effect on me. I can’t wait to look up all the other music suggested here.
We used to do tea time also. Years ago. I couldn’t believe how my boys loved it, and helped with the table and looked forward to it. They still ask to do it sometimes. Love the addition of Poetry. I just feel overwhelmed by the additional dishes sometimes.
Flowers, Flowers flowers. :) I love growing cut flowers more than growing vegetables. We have mostly Zinnias at the moment, but they wonderful, beautifying both yard and home, and they attract butterflies too. :)
I also love creating beautiful outdoor seating areas. We ave a couple of loved spots inour yard. One under the Pine trees, where you can hear them whispering, and see the ladybugs climbing all over them. One under the Crape Myrtles, which create a beautiful umbrella of green shade. And one is a table for friends to share between a grouping of three trees. And we just live in a regular suburban home.
I am trying to appreciate what I have more instead of dreaming constantly of moving out to the country where the children would supposedly be more connected with nature. So far, it doesn’t seem to be God’s will for us right now, so we must find the beautiful right where we are, and be content.
Well, I don’t have anything to add yet, I’m just getting to reading the other comments and, honestly, it’ll probably take me longer to read through them during free minutes here and there than the discussion will actually continue to flow, so I thought I’d comment now! (Instead of meaning to and meaning to and meaning to and never getting around to it..) Anyway, just wanted to say that I appreciate this topic and am excited to read through the various ideas.. I just got through the first couple and have to add that fresh flowers sounds great as well! We got a couple of the cheaper climbing plants, ivy-like, but I’m not sure what they actually are, and I discovered that if you clip off a piece and stick it in a jar of water, it’ll grow roots! Keep doing this and you’ll soon have green all over the house, which is much appreciated, at least in that stretch where it seems winter’ll never end!
Also, the drink station sounds like a great idea, gonna have to come up with a hack or two that’ll let me keep it easily stocked.. I know our oldest will love it! :]
Maria :]
This space right here is simply lovely! I feel the beauty growing in my own heart just from soaking in fellowship with you all! Thank you.
One way we enjoy bringing nature’s beauty within the wall of our home is with a bird feeder. We picked out an inexpensive copper feeder to hang outside one of the windows where we most often gather for learning. We also have a bird book at hand so that when an unfamiliar feathered friend pops by, we can learn a bit more about him.
I also love to have a plant or two in every room. I found a few coordinating ivory-colored planters that seem to tie the rooms of our home together. Simple beauty!
Thank you again for all the ideas!
A little late to this conversation but just wanted to share, as I listen to John Williams (composer) Radio.I am loving the articles and comments, they are helping to revive my weary, weary soul. I can sometimes feel so overwhelmed by the weight of my responsibilities. So many different areas to focus on, and wanting to do it all well. The more I read and learn, the more I become aware of the inadequacy of my own education. Right now our house reminds my husband of our first apartment, and not in a warm and fuzzy nostalgic sort of way. We moved 9 months ago, and up until 2 weeks ago I did not have a vision for our new space. Today I am happy to report that my sewing machine has been dusted off, and I have a little notebook of ideas on how to weave our hodge podge of random belongings into a pretty picture, a plan to make our house more like a home. One of our favorite mood setters is ‘Christmas snow’, an idea born out of longing. For the past several years at the start of Advent we zigzag white lights across our dining room ceiling and then hang sparkling foam snowflakes from them. Breakfast and dinner by snowlight, hot cocoa by snowlight, tea by snowlight, everything is just better when done by snowlight. I guess the apartment feel that hubby referenced was affecting everyone, because my children pleaded with me to leave the lights up after we packed away the snowflakes this year. So, now that the seasons have changed, we refer to our lights as ‘the fireflies’.Dinner by the glow of 400 fireflies, sweet, it creates an atmosphere without the danger of flames. I think we might need to find some nature soundtracks to take things even deeper. When it is snowing in our dining room we have more silence, that is something hubby and I miss from our youth, the silence of snow. I am looking forward to more encouragement and ideas from you ladies.
These are all such beautiful thoughts to ponder as I rest on this beautiful Lord’s Day.
My thought as I read all of this is that taking the time to cultivate beauty in my home would be a morning daily discipline that would slow me down and would nurture me into the way of peace instead of anxiety.
If my first thoughts are my to-do list, then I tend to run in the way of anxiety which looks like barking and demanding of myself and others.
If I my first thoughts are “how can I walk in beauty and offer that to my family?”, then I think I would walk in the way of peace and invitation and warmth.
It’s a reorienting of the “most important things”…my default setting is Productivity instead of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
This is so true, Aimee. I’m so glad you mentioned it. We moms are the heart of our home. No pictures or flowers or pretty notebooks can surpass a mother’s “atmosphere”. We are the most important subject of goodness and beauty and peace in our homes. We must set the tone. Thank you for the reminder.
First, I want to join the chorus and thank you so much for this blog and community. I appreciate it greatly. And I have no idea how you all manage to put such coherent thoughts together in actual writing. Glory be.
Anyway, I also wanted to praise my mom a bit, because she never spent any money AT ALL on our home when I was a kid. We lived on a ranch in very straitened circumstances. And yet everyone always wanted to be at our (very small) house. When I recently saw the inside of that house after ten years, I was shocked. It was not a nice house, to put it mildly. But I remember it as beautiful and pleasant, so I began to try to figure out why. I know that she tore up the carpet and refinished the floors herself. She painted what she could. She kept the small spaces neat and tidy. There were curtains on clean windows (always open), a few plants, a piano, blankets neatly folded, a bookshelf of orderly books, a few pictures on the walls and on the piano. That was it. But it was enough to provide a welcoming atmosphere.
As I work on making our own home pleasant and welcoming on a very tight budget, I also think a lot about my sister-in-law’s advice. She is an interior decorator, but she does not advise people to walk into a room and think about decorating it. She tells them to sit down in various areas of the home where living happens, and think about what would make one comfortable right there. Things like places to comfortably set your drink and your book from wherever you are sitting. Something pleasant to look at, or a window open to the outside. Chairs grouped for intimate talking. A blanket. Colors that make you happy. It is a very person-centered way of decorating, and often simply involves shopping your own home and rearranging things you already own.
Looking forward to next week’s conversation! Thanks for all the good ideas and wisdom already!
“She tells them to sit down in various areas of the home where living happens, and think about what would make one comfortable right there.”
Wow, what incredibly good advice. I struggle with my lack of vision in how I order and lay out my home, and this single piece of advice is going to take me a long way. Thank you for sharing it!
I love this comment on the realization that what you had at the time was enough. It was more than enough, it was beauty to you!
My house is very small and with four children and one on the way space is valued. We purge often and try to be more thoughtful of what we bring in and where it is placed.
Bringing in beauty by adding flowers and candles with light background music…so lovely…my house is a home. The children have noticed these subtle changes so I know that it is good for them and me.
I look forward to being a part of this discussion and more to come.
I love this topic! I used to focus more on beauty when my olders were younger. With the activity and bustle of teenagers, I’ve slowly set beauty aside. One thing that I’ve enjoyed is buying an April Cornell tablecloth at Home Goods every month or so. I try to tie it to the season in some way. I also light candles for dinner most nights.
I used to have a daily afternoon tea time that I think I need to resurrect. I might do it in the morning. I have bought each of the kids their own special tea cup to use. Before being gluten free, I used to buy (or make when I could) seasonal cookies, like the maple leafed cookies for fall. I do love YoYoMa playing in the background. I do try to gift the children with a beautifully illustrates book each Christmas. Last year one of them received a beautifully illustrated Hobbit book.
I am a little sad that we don’t have a fire place in our new house. The fire place really draws people around it and brings people together. The dinner table does that too, but I SOO miss having some sort of fire place.
In thinking about this topic, I realize that bringing more beauty into my home takes some thought and preparation. I need to set time aside to make some tea time treats, or even to prepare a tea station. It requires me to develop some virtue, I guess, which is a goal, right? Thanks for this inspiration!
Years ago before we had a fireplace of our own, my husband built a rustic mantle that we placed in a corner and filled with several candles set at different levels. It was lovely! And it filled the place in my heart that longed for warm and cozy firelight around which to gather.
I love all these ideas! I’ve recently discovered a good source for art work – a teenager at church has a gift for drawing and has gifted our daughters some portraits. And it occurred to me that “commissioning” art from her could benefit us both. :)
Just popping into this discussion and can’t wait to read all the wonderful suggestions! This has been something that has been on my mind a lot lately, so perfect timing. Thanks, Sarah!
As I read these comments, I am reminded of a quote in one of my decorating books. A woman, who was going to India to be missionaries with her husband during WWII, attended classes on living simply. They were taught that no matter how primitive their homes would be, that no room could be more beautiful than one that was flooded with light, and filled with good books and flowers.
Another option to playing music for peace and beauty (I have the same problem with getting overwhelmed with noise) is to play tracks of nature sounds. I just did a Youtube search and bookmarked several that have birdsong, crickets, water, etc.
For cold seasons, you just cannot beat a fire of some sort! Another thing we enjoy bringing out for winter is our sheepskins. I lay them on the floor in front of the bookshelves and they are great for sprawling.
Other things that enrich the atmosphere: a nature table, making sure everyone is dressed with hair fixed, and chairs that fit the kiddos. Someone mentioned the Tripp Trapp; we have something similar.
I think it’s important for me to demonstrate an appreciation for beauty in the midst of chaos. This is very difficult for me as I find it hard to feel peaceful in a messy home. But I am trying to learn to enjoy the little things and not stress out over the clutter that seems continually in existence when you have children. :)
What an inspiring topic! I’m a very visual person so I need order and beauty like I need air to breathe. I almost can’t function without it. But of course, life is messy, isn’t it? So this topic is very near to my heart.
We have been blessed for many years to have a space which we could make beautiful: a room, a learning room. Of course, we read books and enjoyed learning on the couch, at the kitchen table, out of doors – we weren’t confined to or restricted by this space – but it was a great blessing to have a space for lovely things, tidily arranged, inviting and available. To have our dear books about us. And though this space was lovely, this was not atmosphere. Certainly, it was a conduit to beauty, but true beauty tends to transcend walls and won’t be confined in spaces.
As we recently dis-assembled our entire learning room, packing some things up to put away (temporarily) and re-locating books & things (we’re preparing to remodel) I began to wonder how our learning atmosphere would be this year. Would beauty be apparent in our day when we are now quite limited – fewer things, fewer books, smaller spaces?
Aristotle said that wisdom begins in wonder, and I believe beauty is known more fully through this childlike, innocent desire to know as well. Wonder can be invited, and that’s where I come in. That’s how I set the learning atmosphere – through hospitality. The simple invitation to come alongside and wonder.
So, that’s it. That’s my nod to beauty these days. I’m guarding a couple of pieces of beautiful art that lift the heart and mind to God, remnants of my pretty pens, and I’m embracing the necessarily sparse spaces here, and this year I’m focused on cultivating an atmosphere of hospitality: inviting wonder which opens out onto beauty.
Cultivating an atmosphere of hospitality- what a lovely way of putting it. This means it doesn’t matter if our present circumstances are less than ideal- in the midst of a giant mess during a remodel, or if we’re tiptoeing over spilled cheerios and shuffling aside piles of laundry piled on the couch during a new baby year- the beauty is in the invitation.
Love this discussion! So many great ideas. I’m so going to incorporate a drink/snack buffet in our learning space. My son can’t seem to think unless he’s chewing on something and I get so frustrated when he dashes to the kitchen for a snack even though he says he’ll “be right back.”
I wanted to add that it does not have to cost much to create beauty. Many have mentioned bringing the natural world indoors. Also, a little creativity and a little time at the thrift store and/or dollar store can go a long way.
One of my favorite features of my home is the collection of silhouettes I made of my children and hung over our fireplace. They are cut from white craft paper, mounted on colored craft paper, and framed in frames I got either at the thrift store or on super sale at Hobby Lobby. The whole thing cost me less than $10 and it makes me happy everytime I see it.
I’ve also made use of my kids art to decorate – but only the pieces I truly enjoy looking at.
I’ve learned (the hard way) over the years to choose things that make me feel happy – even if they aren’t “in style.” And I’ve always prided myself on doing it as cheaply as possible. I found a couch that I LOVE for $30 at Goodwill. I call my personal style “homeschool thriftster.” :)
Our family altar is a beautiful anchor in our home. The vigil lamp is a constant reminder of God’s presence. I have also seen nature tables that bring the seasons to life in the home. I am going to let our altar double as the natire table. It is amazing how much of the Bible, especially the Psalms are full of nature. There is something very cathartic in participating in the cyclical nature of a year.
We, too, have a home altar which is truly at the center and heart of our home. It displays images, candles, flowers, decorations for feast days and liturgical seasons. It definitely goes a long way for a peaceful, beautiful, Christ-centered atmosphere that radiates throughout the home. So much of the beauty you mentioned speaks to me and my children both: the flowers, the scents, the radiant outdoor light, the cleanliness, the orderliness, the simplicity, calming colors, etc. And since all beauty has its origin in God, what better thing could we add to this wonderful list than images of our Christian faith, of our God, of the cross, of the saints, Bible story images, scripture verses, favorite prayers, etc.
I bought a set of art cards from Memoria Press and a couple frames from a yard sale. Each week my preschool daughter picks two new pictures to display.
This is a great idea!
I have always felt insecure in the realm of decor, and this insecurity, combined with budget restraints has made me ignore it for the most part. I have a clean house, but not a particularly beautiful one. Recently, several things I’ve read have served as a gentle kick in the pants for me, and I’ve made a effort. The other day I picked one spot, gathered things from around the house and arranged them there in an attractive way. I was surprised I didn’t hate it, and didn’t spend a dime. The biggest revelation for me though was how much my sons LOVED it. They kept commenting on how pretty it was. I walked away realizing how much beauty resonates with them (even though you couldn’t tell from their room!!!). This experience, combined with this wonderful discussion have given me a new resolve all over again!!! THANK YOU.
Oh, this discussion is speaking my language! We are at the beginning of our journey of home education. We’ve done two years of very basic home preschool, and our firstborn will be officially kindergarten age this fall, with a preschooler and a baby in the mix. We have been blessed to move into a new home this year, where there is a room set aside to be our playroom/learning room, just off the kitchen. It will be the first room to get our full decorating and furnishing attention, because this room is SO important to me!
I think we often (and rightly) focus on the children when planning our home learning and home environments. I do believe the learning room (or whatever space you learn in, even if learning takes place on your one sofa or your one table – you can pay attention to your children’s experience no matter what space you have available!) should be welcoming and hospitable to the children. Beautiful things hung at their level, a table at their height or chairs that make the regular table comfortable for them (we love Stokke chairs for this). But remember that a huge part of home education is the MOM. You are spending many years of your life, day in and day out, educating your children. Home education needs to be inspiring to us moms too. It is a joint family venture, and everyone’s needs, preferences, and personalities should be considered.
So I’ve been thinking so much lately about what makes the learning environment inspiring, comfortable, and nurturing to each member of the home learning community. For us, it means stocking up on wood so we can have fires in the morning in our learning room. It means either church music (for us that is Orthodox Byzantine chant) or calm classical music in the mornings (I also often feel overstimulated when adding music to the chaos in the morning. Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach cello suites and Capella Romana are perfect). It means plenty of engrossing playthings for the little two while my kindergartener and I work on some short lessons. It means sometimes having tea with our read alouds. It means finding room for a super-comfy couch in our learning room. It means quality art supplies and a table that fits small bodies.
I was home educated for a few years myself. My mom did so many things right. She was a teacher herself and read Charlotte Mason 35 years ago. I read good books and planted gardens, did epic history projects and took great field trips. But I did my “table work” alone at a desk in my baby brother’s room, that was hot and smelled like wet diapers. I was bored and lonely. It’s one of the things I first think of when remembering my home education 25 years later. I want my children to remember their home education as a warm, nurturing, loving experience and hope I can manage to give them that.
Thank you, Sarah. Your writing and your link to Christopher Perrin’s talk have served as great inspiration to me as I’ve been planning and creating the kind of home learning environment I wish I had had.
I love Capella Romana, but the kids complain when I put them on. Sometimes I insist though and they accept it. I feel like having the hymns of the Church embedded in their memories is such an important part of making the life of the Church their own.
You know what? I am so glad you wrote this. I think that when I consider beauty in the home, I often overlook my children’s own rooms because I feel like we get maximum benefit by focusing on the common areas. But that vision of you alone in a hot, smelly room? That really made me consider if there are some small things I could do to enhance my children’s private spaces. Thank you!
This whole post and all the comments. It is giving me chills. I will be starting to homeschool my first in a month and am so nervous. But poetry tea time? That sounds beautiful. I already knew I needed to be surrounded by beauty to be at peace to do this. But it has to be easy, simple beauty, because the oldest is followed by several younglings who will want to touch everything. Touchable, poetry tea time.
Thank all you ladies SO MUCH!
I’m sitting here with a notebook jotting down all of these fabulous ideas!!!
Things we do to bring an atmosphere of beauty into our home:
1) I display illustrated classic children’s books in our school area for art and to inspire the kids to grab one off the shelf.
2) Every week during our nature walk the kids take pictures with iPods and smart phones of things they find inspiring or beautiful, then I print out each of their favorites and we display them in our nature area for the week.
3) I have “stations” at different areas in our house for music, art, writing, reading, and nature. Things are put at my children’s level to encourage creating and participating in beautiful things.
4) Probably the most transforming thing I did to bring beauty into our home was to turn off electronics for entertainment until after suppertime every day. It’s hard to experience beauty when the sounds of beeping, TV, etc. are on.
Those are all great ways to keep the kids involved in the home atmosphere and beauty, Chelli!
I wasn’t sure what to say, so I asked my kids what they liked best about our home. :) The answers that the older four gave were: All the books, the knick knacks (odds and ends from friends from around the world and our own travels), the pictures (mostly art that was given as gifts or photos that we had enlarged), and (believe it or not, they really did say this) “because this is where our family is!” I think kids find beauty more easily in simple things than adults do.
I would’ve answered fresh flowers and afternoon tea (or however much tea we need to make it through some days . . .). Also following the liturgical calendar seems to be something they enjoy, especially feast days! :) They mostly like it when I experiment with different dishes from other countries; it depends on the outcome.
There’s also something to be said about the beauty of mom too! I find it to be a much more productive, beautiful day when I first spend time in prayer(my inner beauty) and then shower and make sure I’m presentable (my outer beauty) to not only unplanned visitors but for my children! I agree( wish I could always implement, though!)an uncluttered home with music, flowers, candles and pretty notebooks would be ideal.
I’ve been trying to be more conscious about my outer as well as inner appearance. I think it does make a difference in both me and the interactions I have with the kids. And being prepared for people showing up at the door is nice. :)
Me, too, Mystie! I have noticed lately that when I take the time to put on jewelry, my girls are thrilled…so I’m trying to do that more often. And I hear you on the people at the door. ;)
How inspiring. I have 3 sons and 1 daughter. I had given up the idea of beautifully decorated rooms due to cost and the roughness of boys…but I get this. I need to surround my family and home with beauty! Thank you for sharing!
I love these ideas. I love the idea of a drink station. In the hot summer it would be nice to have a flavored water station or something.
My friend is sending her kids to waldorf school this next year. She sent me some links about waldorf education and I’m just in love with the beauty of the classrooms. I would love to incorporate some of the ideas into my own home. (Actually I’d love to rip out the ugly tile in my home and put some beautiful hardwood :)
A simple, clean, loving home is what appeals to me most. I don’t like a lot of decorations, but just some nice artwork.
Oh, and I like the idea about a child in charge of a table centerpiece. We don’t really have a centerpiece on our table, but I have an entry table that could be decorated. I’ve always liked the ideas people share about having a “seasons” table.
What a wonderful discussion! With little ones running around, it’s hard to keep fresh flowers on the kitchen table here. But I thought of making one shelf in the family room (that is up high enough away from little hands) a place for fresh flowers and a pretty frame for rotating through art prints and another frame for our Bible memory verse. I do keep a ‘drink station’ in the kitchen with a pretty glass jar filled with popsicle sticks. The kids write the names of people or situations we are praying for on the sticks. The idea is to say a prayer for someone while you enjoy your cup of tea/hot chocolate.
We keep a binder (that can be turned into a display easel) called our Family Book of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. Anytime we come across something that promotes a Truth, Beauty or Goodness we put it the binder so we can revisit it. It has prayers, verses, maxims, pictures, icons, and things the kids have made. It has been a great way to incorporate a focal point or thought at prayer time. And to keep track of all those great tidbits we see and read but tend to forget once they are “out of sight, out of mind.”
This sounds like a family commonplace book. I love this idea!
I love to make buntings and garlands for an added touch of color and beauty. Simple ones usually made of paper or felt. Working on one for our school area that says “Truth, Beauty, Goodness” :) having the words front and center to help me focus on them in our school!
I want to see a picture when you’re done!
Yes, I’d love to see a picture too!
I just came home from the CiRCE Conference where this was the topic of at least two sessions. It was quite inspiring. The speakers brought to our attention the transcendent nature of beauty, and how God has opinions about it. I am not sure if I had ever thought about it in that way until this conference. After thinking about what the speakers said my impression is that participating with beauty is a way to bring heaven to earth. In light of that I think that anything that aligns with that is a way of making our homes/learning environments more beautiful. I like to think about the temple, and the great care that was given to its construction and creation.
In the realm of the particulars, some of the things we do are: finding old windows and distress them and put pictures of creation in them and write Scripture in them. We also have some favorite classical stations we listen to. Candles are a great ambiance and also smells, like incense and essential oils. We burn a frankincense and myrrh incense. Frankincense has the ability to pass the blood/brain barrier and can actually lift the outlook of the mind and cultivate calm. Beautiful art and plants have proven to be great addition as well.
Most importantly, if i could only do one thing, it would be to make sure I have a prayer/Bible study time in the morning by my self before the children wake up, to get my heart right. I am becoming more convinced of the supernatural ability us moms have to set the tone and feel for our homes. It is just amazing.
I like what you said about the most important thing being to take time in the morning to get your heart right. I remember a priest friend of mine talking about his grandmother who had a beautiful glass front china cabinet that was always covered with holy cards and little prayers written out on paper. She would always give him one when he came to visit. He said the cabinet was not aesthetically pleasing but his grandmother’s heart was in the right place. A good reminder that it really doesn’t matter if your decorating abilities are ‘magazine-worthy’. What really matters is the heart. A God-centered mother with a peaceful heart will make any home beautiful just by her very presence. In fact, the more I think of it, the more convinced I am that the best way to make our homes lovely is to make our own hearts lovely to God and then to be fully PRESENT in that home. Even if the table is messy, and the papers are piling up, and the dirty socks are in the middle of the kitchen, and the drink station is trashed after 5 kids had hot chocolate with marshmallows. Thanks for your insight.
Wow, I love what you said, Cheryl! And what many have posted. I am also not a decorating guru, we have very little to put towards decorating and we live overseas as missionaries, so we don’t have access to all the beauty that we might in the US….this thread has been encouraging! I often feel so discouraged by my inability to beautify our home and the constant dust, mis matched dumpster furniture etc but what many of you wrote is true! A godly heart and good attitude go far to make a home beautiful. Thank you for this great discussion and encouragement.
I know this may be odd, but this discussion has me thinking of the movie, “The Crucible” with Daniel Day Lewis. I’m thinking of the scene where he tells his wife a few fresh flowers on the table would be nice. Maybe our husbands need the beauty too? But I think the point of that scene was that what he really wanted was for her beauty to shine through the home no matter how plain (dusty, mismatched furniture) the surroundings. I recently went through a sort of difficult time personally and the kids noticed that I wasn’t smiling as much and they told me so. The inner beauty of the mother shining forth in the home is SO important. I cannot forget that when I am tempted to give in to the anxiety that motherhood naturally produces. The kids and my husband NEED my smile and peaceful attitude to make them feel that all is right in the world. They need it so much more than a beautifully kept home (which is important but not in the way that I tend to think – as in tastefully decorated, no stains on the furniture, etc.) I suppose to the kids and my husband a beautifully kept home means a smile on my face, light in the rooms, and maybe some flowers on the table…
Jennifer, I used to be a nighttime Bible student, and so it has taken me YEARS to learn to make Bible a morning priority. Now that I’m doing it, though, I completely agree. It really does help me start off on the right foot. There is nothing more un-beautiful than a grouchy, ungrateful Mommy. :(
My mom always decorated our home beautifully for holidays, so now I have a taste for a home decorated for Christmas but without acceptance of the work that goes into it. I always wish there were 18 months between Decembers instead of 12. Didn’t I just get the decor packed up?!
This post really helps me see the benefit to my kids that my mom also clearly understood. It doesn’t have to be magazine-worthy, but it should express that God Is With Us.
I would like to be more consistent about doing a centerpiece, but we also use our table for school and the activities of 5 little ones makes me uncomfortable having water on the table. :) I’ve started putting the centerpiece on a decorative plate or tray, and then when we’re busy at the table, it can be quickly moved to the piano (if there’s no water) or the side board.
Love this idea!! Our table gets so much use but this could work.
That’s a great idea to put centerpieces on a tray! :)
When we moved to our house the cost of replacing our propane heater was not in our means so we put in a wood burning stove that we use exclusively to heat our house . A side benefit we did not expect from this is the way it makes everyone gather around it in the living room. Our kitchen/dining room/living room are all one room and when it is cold the hearth truly is the heart of our home. School is done around the couch under comfy soft blankets with the smell of pine wood burning. Sometimes I will have a pot of soup and/or bread baking in a Dutch oven on the wood stove too. It’s crazy how setting the mood that way really does set the tone for the whole day. In warmer weather I love having fresh air with windows and screen doors as long as we can handle it. I love the idea of a drink station I think my kids would really love that. I need to remember to bring things from outside in. In the summer we garden so much I tend to neglect the feel of the atmosphere inside. Anyone have other ideas of things to shape the environment in warmer months? During advent, Easter, lent I have a buffet that seperates the living room and dinning room that I decorate according to the liturgical season. My kids love to help and I think those little things help set a rhythm and tone for school too .
I love the ambiance of a wood stove! We live in Alaska where it’s winter 7 months a year, and I really really wish we had a wood-burning stove. But we do enjoy starting our wintery mornings with the gas fire… not quite the same, but it does set a nice mood to the day. I read to the kids or we do our morning time memory work while they sip cocoa or tea by the fire and we wait for it to get light outside.
Thank you, Heather, for this. My husband and I are putting in a wood stove this fall (hopefully!) and we are in the throes of cutting, hauling, stacking, etc. To keep myself positive, I try to envision to coziness of a real fire in our living room on school days. Your words here are so very timely and helpful to me! Thank you for taking the time to write them!
I love the idea of a little drink station for the kids! I think I’ll even get out my nice pitcher and make some lemonade for them today.
We eat dinner together at the table every night, but the kids love it when we do a little extra with a nice tablecloth and centerpiece. I think I’ll start doing that more often.
And to echo the other posters, a nice, clean, orderly environment is a must for me. I’m almost a minimalist when it comes to decorating.
I love your practical tips, and I have one too. I have small children (6 and under), and our lessons always begin with poetry teatime. We always set the table with a pretty tablecloth and a nice tea set for that. The boys also do a quick cleanup, so it is neat and orderly before we begin.
Poetry and tea do seem to go hand in hand, don’t they? And what a great way to start the day. Excellent idea, Nelleke!
we have done tea time for years, though recently fallen out of practice – ours in the past was in the afternoon, in that lull of the day – just a time to come together, enjoy a snack and listen to poetry and a read aloud. My kids always miss this when we get out of the habit
Thank you for this inspiring post, Sarah. Like some of the other commenters, I like to keep our school area clutter free most of the time. My youngest daughter will often pick flowers from our garden and put them in a pretty vase. It never ceases to amaze me how flowers in the kitchen bring happiness. I like to hang pretty pictures on my walls, and I have soothing sage green on the bottom half of our living room walls that inspire peace and tranquility. Some thoughts I have for the coming school year are to write a quote or Bible verse for the day (or week) on our chalk board in the kitchen, serve hot chocolate and croissants or bagels during morning time, do read aloud time on our comfy couch with a fire going, purchase pretty notebooks for math work , and I like the music idea that others have mentioned here. Thank you, ladies, for the inspiration.
I like the idea of pretty notebooks as well. The seem to take better care of things when they are special. Almost as a way of calling them to a higher level of living. Maybe that is what this beauty thing is all about.
Jennifer, I decide to purchase pretty notebooks for my girls to help instill the idea that there is beauty in math. I have always had a strong dislike for math and I don’t want to pass that along to my daughters. Recently, I heard a talk given by Andrew Kern, and he said no one hates math, they only hate not knowing. Also, I think it was Christopher Perrin who said that if you hate math, your teacher failed to show you the beauty in it. Hmmm. Paradigm shift. I know I need to first start with changing my attitude towards math and strive to see the beauty. I thought that pretty notebooks would be one small step in creating the right atmosphere for that subject. Any other ideas specific to math and atmosphere would be appreciated.
A few math pretties, off the top of my head:
tangrams cut from beautiful scrapbook paper
suncatchers made with tissue paper squares in patterns from pascal’s triangle
(use a different color for each number, or use a different color for evens/odds, or a different color for divisible by three, leaves a remainder of one when divided by three, leaves a remainder of two when divided by three)
Platonic solids made from toothpicks and beans (very delicate!) or cut from pretty paper and hung from the ceiling
compass-drawn stained glass rose windows colored in with pencils
a jar of pretty homemade dice (could have numbers or chores or ballet steps or books and book features)
a wood bowl with pattern blocks set out for play
Sherry and Heather! Brilliant! I am so excited to implement some of these ideas.
Heather, Thank you for the wonderful ideas. You are definitely creative!
Wow, wow, wow. Celebrating the beauty in math. I KNEW you ladies would have brilliant ideas, but I didn’t expect this. So utterly fabulous. I’m definitely getting my kids some nice notebooks for math work.
I love this idea of bringing out the beauty in math. Has anyone found additional resources on this?
Heather –
I see a book coming out of this idea alone: Math Pretties.
This first discussion post is getting me so excited. I love to see smart women brainstorming like this.
I think we all agree. Sarah, you rock. And all of you Schole Sisters rock, too.
Beautiful music playing…that’s something I’ve done for many years. We usually listen to Classic FM, a UK station. Feels more “cultured” somehow with those British accents :)
Having a centerpiece on the table sounds nice, but we usually use ALL the table for papers, books, binders, pencils and more so I would be constantly moving it back and forth. I do like the idea of a drink station, maybe adding a few crackers and cookies (or biscuits as the Brits would say) with hot water and drink packets in a tray on the counter would be a nice addition.
I would like to point out that the fact that we endeavor to do even one thing to make our homes beautiful is more important that what it actually is. Being intentional is most of the battle. I “shop” my home periodically and see what might work in a different place for a different purpose. It’s amazing what you can find tucked away in a closet that can be given a new life in another room.
Amen, I completely agree.
“Being intentional is most of the battle.” I most definitely agree!
Each child in our house is given a week to provide the table centerpiece… something from creation. They choose a beautiful vase, bowl, tray, piece of wood, etc. from the cabinet and they use it to create their display of beauty: A minnow, a pinecone, flowers, birds nest, fresh berries, floating flower petals, etc. It helps bring creation inside in an orderly and beautiful way. The children take great pride creating their centerpieces. They have grown artistically through this exercise and they are much better observers of the world around them when they are outside. Since all of creation reveals God to us I feel like we get a little more of him at each meal! Oh, and I do let them keep just about anything living for 24 hours, so sometimes we do end up with a beautiful spider, a lizard, or a frog…. FUN!!!
What a great idea!
Wonderful idea! Thank you!
That is such a nice idea! Thanks for sharing.
I love this idea, too. Thank you for sharing!
Ohh, love this!
I love this idea!
Fantastic idea. My kids would totally dig this.
Yes! Awesome idea!!
This is BRILLIANT!
I love this idea. I am going to try it when we move to a different home in a few days. I’m also in love with this paint color Snowfall sw6000 from Sherwin Williams. My amazing husband and father-in-law just painted the kids’ rooms walls this lovely color – after eight years of them living, sleeping and dreaming in the plain off-white rooms from the original. It’s inspiring how fresh and clean everything becomes as we prepare our home for renters; it is inspiring me to keep everything in boxes and live simply.
I also agree about the music adding to the noise, but sometimes we play a little game where we play music and everyone is quiet while we raise our hands when we hear a new instrument, like Ma Vlast (My Fatherland) London Philharmonic. The kids’ faces light up when they realize they have heard a new one.
I also love the beauty in the moment when I hear my daughter singing her dad’s favorite playlist songs; it’s so real and so not-kid-music. Music like Madison Rising’s The Star Spangled Banner or My Town by Michael Stanley Band or Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley.
Love Schole Sisters. Go Sarah.
I am very sensitive to high noise levels, which is ironic since I have seven kids. I struggled with the idea of playing music in the background because it often feels like just one more assault on my ears, no matter how lovely the piece. And sometimes, when the noise level was already high, a fugue or a particularly heavy piece of music would play and add to the feeling of chaos. I was thrilled when I finally found a classical station in pandora that doesn’t send me through the roof! Search for “harp” and the harp concerto station is very chill, very pretty, and with no fugues. :)
Ooo, I’ll need to look for harp music to try. Eight kids here, wood floors/high ceilings echo, one child in a wheelchair, adding music often just grates on my nerves. However I know my family likes it. So often the battle is keep mommy sane or have some background music. Bet you can guess which usually wins! Sane mommy.
I am the same way about having music in the background. It’s just more than I can handle at times. But there are times when I do agree that it can enhance the atmosphere rather than detract from it. I guess there’s a time and place for everything right?
On the same note (haha! I usually don’t get to make puns!), I think that there is a place for silence as well. I have a deep love for silence because of memories of spending time at a friend’s house where it was always peacefully silent. It was so refreshing to be away from noise and I try my best to make time for silence in our home.
Lisa- good point about silence. I’m an extravert (surprised? lol) and so are a couple of my kids, so there isn’t a whole lot of silence around here. That’s definitely something I need to be mindful about if I want to cultivate it (and I do!).
Harp! I’m going to look it up. I’m with you on the added noise. We have a lot of natural noise around here and even though music does seem to calm that somewhat, it does at times feel like just adding to the cacophony. :)
Andrew Kern suggested to me at the Midlands Homeschool Convention to try Baroque music in the mornings and see if it calms my boys and all of the loud and the banging. I have it on my list for tomorrow morning :)
Love , love, love this space and what you are doing here, Sarah!
Both my youngest daughter and myself are sensitive to noise too. Music definitely has its place though. We are a very music oriented family – both listening to music and playing musical instruments. But there are times when we need quiet. So we do have music playing usually at some point every day. But we also have quiet times as well. It usually works best to not have any music going when we try to do school. ;)
Oh, Lora Lynn, I feel your pain. I totally understand. I have one child who looooves to work with music or an audio book going, and it drives me bananas.
When we moved into our house a year ago I specifically chose a paint color that felt calm and beautiful to me (it’s a pale blue/grey), and I keep the main areas of the house uncluttered so that we have a more calm and beautiful place to spend our days. We also try to keep something alive on the table (our grocery store marks flowers down frequently, so I can often make a pretty arrangement for a dollar or two!). I love the idea of having music playing in the morning–that’s something I don’t often think of doing but you’re right, it does set a better atmosphere!
I love this. Beauty in our home is actually something I have been thinking about lately. I am NOT a decorator by any means. I hate to admit this, but most of our walls are bare. The only things up right now are things that are precious to me such as family photos and paintings my mother did. So in order to fill the blank walls with something more meaningful to us, I bought a set of paint pens. And, since I am an off the wall mom. We are going to write our favorite poems on the wall. Just some beautiful things to inspire us randomly placed about the house. My girls are gonna love this. Unexpected things that make you smile are so important!
I have been playing Gregorian Chant sung by the Daughters of Mary. I found them on Youtube a year ago singing the Angelus, and I just can’t get over it. We need to integrate it into our lives so the children will learn them anyway, why not play the most beautiful versions I’ve ever heard? They have a few cds available for purchase, but I only have these two for now. They’re wonderful. I love the ideas above! I’m afraid I’m really going to like this site! I may spend too much time here!
I heartily second the recommendation of the Daughters of Mary. They are just beautiful and amazing example of using your talent in praise of God. Their sung Angelus is among my most favorite song of theirs. I try and play this at lunch time. We also use a Gregorian chant station on Pandora to listen to at breakfast.
I keep hearing about the Daughters of Mary but haven’t gotten my hands on any yet. Now I’m off to click around and give a listen. :) Thanks for the recommendations!
Sounds like you’re becoming an “on the wall” mom! :)
Two thoughts here. First, fresh flowers! I’ve gotten in the habit of clipping a few things from our yard, various textures of greenery and whatever flowers I can find. Sometimes it’s just a few tiny blossoms from a flowering shrub, but to me that little pot of living things on the table make a big difference. And they’re so pretty! And second, I need our work area to be tidy. I am very visual, so it’s hard for me to focus when the space I’m in is a mess. This is something I can do, and the kids help, during the few minutes before we sit down together to begin our school day: just pick up the random things that end up strewn around and return them to their “place”. Push chairs in. tidy up the couch cushions, straighten the pictures on top of the piano… just takes a minute, but an ordered environment must help order our minds and our learning efforts. At least I hope so!
Thanks for these posts, ladies! Good stuff!
I don’t know why I don’t bring in fresh flowers more often! It only takes a minute and makes such a difference. Good ideas. :)
Even better, provide a tray, scissors, a selection of vases and small pitcher and encourage your little ones to learn how to make a vase of flowers with all of those little gifts they love to bring in! I have one in my pantry, an idea taken from our Montessori inspired spiritual formation program at church. Ever since I did that, we have a constant stream of pretty little flowers scattered through the home :)
Oh, me too! I have to have things at least semi-picked up before we can start school ….. Which means school isn’t getting underway until at least 10.
Tis OK. This year is going to be the year of the relaxed homeschool.
And the coffee, tea and hot cocoa? I totally thought that was for the momma! ;)
I am very big about letting the natural light in. I do NOT like keeping blinds shut all day. There is something about the natural light coming through the windows for sure. :) And I love the idea of setting out some packets of hot cocoa, tea, and cider. Wouldn’t it be really cute to have just a small inexpensive basket filled with the packets of cocoa, tea, and cider sitting next to a cream and sugar set?
For another idea, when we moved into our house, my husband was hanging up the curtains. He found a strand of fake decorative green ivy that we had bought a long time ago (very inexpensive as in like a dollar or two), and he draped that on the top of the curtains/window in our kitchen. We have white sheer curtains in the kitchen so it gave it a bit of color. I thought his idea was great! Sometimes, I find it’s those little simple touches that can add beauty. Thanks for this discussion post! I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s comments and gleaning ideas to add more beauty to the home!