Tea time doesn’t have to be sophisticated. It just has to be consistent. Select a time to have tea, with snacks and a wonderful story or poetry to read.

I recently heard a podcast with @sally.clarkson who said that every day at 3 o’clock she and her children would gather to hang out and have some tea.

I loved this idea because one area that I have been having trouble incorporating tea time, which is a big part of the Charlotte Mason method.

I told my girls that we were having tea time today at the o’clock. They were super excited and couldn’t wait for the big event.

We had tea (water) and pao de queijo (Brazilian Cheese Balls). I had matcha green tea latte which was delicious.

Presently, we are working through the Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh.

I can tell tea time is going to be sometime we look forward to every day.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Select a time: Select a time where you can all come back together to have a snack read and hang out. For us 3:00pm works the best.

2. Drink: although it’s called tea time, don’t get caught up in only having tea. You can have any drink you want: i.e. hot chocolate, water, tea, etc.

3. Tea set: if you have a tea set that you actually want to start using great! If not mugs will do just fine. The children love drinking out of them because they feel more grown up and sophisticated.

4. Story: read a story or poetry. As you can see, we are currently reading Mary Poppins. Stop at the end of a chapter or when the kids are tired.

5. Talk: this is a great time for the kids to open up and talk about whatever is on their minds.

Tea time has become my most favorite time of the day. I highly recommend it. After tea time we have arts and crafts and it’s an easy switch.

I do believe that regardless of whether or not you homeschool, tea time is essential. It is a time to gather, relax and bond.

We only started doing tea time less than a month ago and it has changed our family dynamic so much. We look forward to spending down time together and learning new skills like origami, sewing, and more. We love read wonderful books that enhance our imagination.

If you don’t homeschool, make tea time a must. Whenever you come home from work and or your child comes home from school, sit down with him or her. Have “tea” (i.e. hot chocolate, smoothie, etc) and a snack. You can read a book, play a game, and do something that bonds the whole family together.

I promise, you will all love it.

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