Day In The Life: Finding Our Family Rhythm by Wakako

Dear friends,

I wanted to check in with you to see how you are doing. Changes, both positive and negative, take a lot of energy from us physically and emotionally. Finding some consistency in our daily and weekly rhythm has been essential for our family so I wanted to share some of what we are doing and what has been working for us. 

Not everything is ever perfect but that's life, right?

Many mornings, I wake up before kids and Frido do. It's quiet and it is the time when I feel the most energy from the earth. At this hour of the day, the sky is transforming every minute and the world is slowly waking up to the new day. I light a candle and make my matcha latte before I sit down to write. I use the same stamp every day to write the date. Predictability is comforting.

Once everyone gets up and the day starts, we love our candlelit breakfast. Coco is usually in charge of setting up the candles at the table and she takes great pride in the role and it is one sure way to get everyone’s mood to a brighter side. I try to get the girls out to our backyard as much as possible even if the weather is not always favorable. I often tell them, “go outside for a little while even though there is nothing to do”. Sure enough, once they step outside, they immediately find some interesting things to do, explore, or play. We are low-key on using screens and devices with our kids and being outside has been a good way to keep our minds engaged. Their feet are always almost muddy and that makes us all very happy.

They take downtime after lunch to listen to their favorite audiobook. Currently, they are inhaling the Little House series. I work during their downtime... extra focused. When they are finished, we look forward to our shared tea time with treats. I enjoy making matcha latte for myself and for kids (with a little bit of matcha powder:). Steamed milk and honey in the tea make the ritual extra enjoyable and the table is once again lit warmly by candles. We might talk about the part of the book they just listened to and discuss what is going on with the character. We might talk about plans and ideas for the afternoon. We often end up transitioning into handwork like knitting and embroidering, writing letters, or if kids feel extra explorative, they might just go back outside!

Yes. We do learning and chores too but I feel what works for us is having very predictable and pronounced small milestones throughout the day that we can all look forward to. They are our anchors. These activities are so enjoyable and nourishing that it’s hard to be grumpy even though we can’t go too far from our home right now.

I am working to let this new reality lead me and my family to a slower and deeper life...

- Wakako

The BK team behind the video: Wakako for writing the story and filming the clips and Eunice for editing the footage together.

BK ARTIFACTS FEATURED:

• Traveler's Notebook / Camel 
• Preppy Fountain Pen / 03 
• ystudio Brassing Fountain Pen 
• [KLEIDxLIFE] A5 Noble Grid Notebook 
• Date Header Stamp / To Do 
• ateliers PENELOPE Cylinder Tote