Back to School Stressors
We are getting ready to go back to school at my
house this week. Kids are getting up earlier and going to bed earlier- and we have gotten back into the habit of reading and doing math facts. The routine of school is always more demanding than summer routines. I do cherish the summer…riding bikes and baseball games. My kids play around the house, pretending with their littlest pet shop collections, building with legos and experimenting with the art supplies that are forever cluttering up the kitchen table, but I love that they can get engrossed in something that lets them explore creatively without the interruption of me having to yell, “It’s time to go! Hurry up and get ready so we are not late!!”
Then again, it will be good to get back into the routine. I can already tell my son’s additions facts are not as keen now, as they were at the end of the school year. Little ones that thrive on routine, like my daughter, are getting board and cranky. The biggest problem with the impending loom of the first day back to school, is the stress that come with it all. I am trying to be proactive this time and do a better job planning ahead so that we transition smoothly without all the stress, but I feel it creeping into my neck muscles no matter what I do.
Then I remember to stretch and breathe and I am reminded of how lucky I am to do music with little 
kids everyday. I get down on the floor with all the little ones with my guitar, and for the time that I am there, I forget about my daily stresses. I breathe deeply, I sing with my soul, I dance until I’m breathless and drum away all the worries in the room.
Back to school routines will be good. Goodbye Summer! It was a good one.
Welcome to the Harmonious Beginnings Blog
Welcome to Harmonious Beginnings Blog! This is my second attempt at blogging and I am making a concerted effort to keep this one more current. Things for my small business are in a state of transition this year. Although it can be a bit unsettling when things are in a constant flux of change, it can also be exciting. I am looking forward to what this new year will bring. I love working with my individual clients and seeing them grow. I am meeting new families all the time and watching some great little musicians blossom before my eyes. I am getting ready to expand my Music Together® early childhood groups- which I love to teach- to include Music Together Within Therapy- therapy focused groups.
On a personal note, I’ve got 3 kids who will all be at Fine Arts elementary next year. My husband and I are amazed every day at how quickly they are growing up. As I watch my oldest daughter taking Suzuki violin lessons, just like I did at her age, I remember the struggle. As a kid, I hated to practice. As a Mom, I want her to form good habits. In the long run, I am ever grateful to my mom for pushing me when I wanted to quit. I hear from parents all the time that played an instrument for a short time during their childhood. I wonder, how many people regret quitting, or are glad that the dropped their instrument? One thing I can say for sure, when I look around at the people I know, whether a friend has played for 3 years or 30, there is a kindred spirit I find in another musician. It changes us for the good.