Please share about your tea time with your children

[Trivium Academy]

I want to do this with my kids, they would love it. How often do you do it? What do you do during?

 

I'm thinking that I'd have dd7 pick a poem from our poetry books to read, I'd read from The Book of Virtues or The Moral Compass and ds4 could recite his nursery song he's been learning. That way we're all bringing something to the table. Dd7 would love to bake the goodies each week with me and dh would appreciate the leftovers (if there are any). I think this would be a wonderful "special" time for us, so I'm interested in what you do.

 

I've got a lot of little things floating around my head, I think I want our afternoons more structured like having a craft/handiwork time, etc.

 

Oh, also where could I see cute tea sets? I found an Alice Wonderland set although it's a little expensive, I want a fun set like that just cheaper. It'll be dd7's bday present instead of a microscope (still getting).

[Jumping In Puddles]

That sounds wonderful!

 

We have tea time everyday. At around 4:00 every afternoon, I put on the kettle and we have a cup of tea. The kids have decaf with milk and honey.

We drink our tea in our good china cups and saucers and amazingly we haven't broken one yet. Sometimes we have 2 sugar cookies with our tea but usually it's just tea.

 

My mom is English, and we've always done this. Whenever we're at my parents house, around 4pm my dad will say..."oh look at the time" and my kids will say TEA TIME!!

 

What you are planning sounds even better though!

[Another Lynn]

I am always wanting to read that to mine and never seem to squeeze it in - tea time is a great idea.

 

I have not done tea time here in AGES!!! When I used to try it with just older ds and me several years ago he loved it. I didn't have much "snacky" on hand, so one of our treats was chocolate chips. (and of course he had to have hot choc. instead of tea :tongue_smilie:). But now anytime he hears "tea time" mentioned he says we need to get chocolate chips :glare: - I've ruined him!

 

Thankfully you're a better planner than I am! (I'm picturing cucumber spread finger sandwiches, bite size banana bread muffins, fresh sliced fruit, real tea with cream and sugar cubes!)

 

Keep us posted - maybe I'll get inspired to try again next fall. (I won't have any real appetite until I have this baby - and then I won't know my name for a month or so!)

[stephanie]

I want to do this with my kids, they would love it. How often do you do it? What do you do during?

 

I'm thinking that I'd have dd7 pick a poem from our poetry books to read, I'd read from The Book of Virtues or The Moral Compass and ds4 could recite his nursery song he's been learning. That way we're all bringing something to the table. Dd7 would love to bake the goodies each week with me and dh would appreciate the leftovers (if there are any). I think this would be a wonderful "special" time for us, so I'm interested in what you do.

 

I've got a lot of little things floating around my head, I think I want our afternoons more structured like having a craft/handiwork time, etc.

 

Oh, also where could I see cute tea sets? I found an Alice Wonderland set although it's a little expensive, I want a fun set like that just cheaper. It'll be dd7's bday present instead of a microscope (still getting).

 

Jessica, I started doing this with my dc from a suggestion here on the boards and my dc love it! They listen even more to what I'm reading when we do it as tea time. We do ours in the afternoon, sporadically. I don't do it everyday for I feel the novelty may wear off, but 2-3 times per week. I bake cookies almost daily so we will have that with a little hot choc., coffee, or juice. My dc are not big tea people despite being from the south! I actually purchased our tea set at World Market for $5. It was on clearance since our local store was going out of business. It is really cute b/c it has 6 very small cups with the saucers, and they store in a convenient little rack. I love it b/c the rack is vertical, and takes up very little space on my kitchen counter. Also, it is chocolate brown which went perfectly with my kitchen! They had several different colors, though. I hope you find what your looking for. It has been a special time for us. Even ds13 likes to sit and have tea time with us. It's funny how simple things can bring a family together!

[5parkers]

I sat a table outside under the trees for myself and my 3 kids. We all wore funny/ pretty hats and gloves I picked up at garage sales. We ate cookies that the kids help me make and poured tea from a pitcher. We have always had our "tea parties" outside, enjoying nature and all God's creation.

[Tami]

3:00 in the afternoons during the winter season. I usually serve fruit and cheese or some type of light cookie from the Dollar Store.

 

I like individual pieces over sets. TJ Maxx has beautiful pieces and we also find beautiful tea cups at antique shops.

 

I don't do anything academic, other than put our classical music on or let dd read her favorite poems if she wishes. The point for us is a pick-me-up in the middle of the day and a little break. Rarely, we listen to a fun audiobook during tea time but not more than one per year. I just want a break at that time of day. :lurk5:

 

I can't get into tea time in the summer, but rather have cold drinks and snacks at that time. It would be fun to go out and get some pretty crystal glasses for this!

 

Have fun with it!

[Cathy in IL]

I just got inspired! I haven't tried this yet, but I will share the idea that just came to me. I am wanting to add art history, appreciations, whatever you want to call it to our schedule. I also want to add tea time. I think I will combine them. We could look at art together during tea time.

 

When I was in college, a friend of mine used to have Tea at Ten on Tuesdays. He would invite different individuals to join him for tea so he could get to know them better. I think I will add tea time into our schedule Tuesday mornings at ten. It's catchy enough to be remembered and is a good time for a break from our usual schedule. Doesn't hurt that Tueday is baking day around here too.

[mcconnellboys]

I collect antique teapots and use a variety of those, along with a variety of pretty dishware when we do tea, generally. We vary up our teas, doing some that are more fancy, some that include more dessert items; sometimes we do a "ploughman's lunch". I use plate stands to vary heights; sometimes I have fresh flowers on the table. We might listen to classical music, a great book on tape, or read poetry, etc.

 

My boys like to take tea when we travel, so if we find a spot that's not too hoity-toity, we'll try to fit in a tea time. I love traveling in Canada with them as there are a ton of places where you can do tea up there! And most of them are not overly fancy or created for little old ladies only, like here....

[Jumping In Puddles]

Sometimes we have a tea party which is really fun... we'll have cookies and my daughter's little tea set and we spread out a blanket either on the floor or outside but that to us is different than everyday tea time which as I said earlier is really just tea!

[Langhaven]

We do it every day with our Explorers Bible Study. The girls are more at a verbal/oral stage, so we read the study together, go over the questions and sip tea. They love it and ask for it everyday...with creamer!

 

Pam

[Novafan]

My DS used to have "Literary Tea" every Friday afternoon at his old Montessori school. The kids loved it. The children would serve each other tea and different children would get up each week and read something aloud, be it a poem, a story or something that they wrote. Each child would take turns bringing in a snack for Literary Team Time. :)

 

Funny you should bring this up because I have our own version of "Literary Tea," on our weekly schedule for next year.

[Momto5]

We do tea at our house as well. For us, tea time is purely social. I try to make it a time when the kids talk and I listen. (I'm a little chatty and so I have to frequently remind myself it's not my turn. :) ) My hope is that through tea time my dc will learn the art of conversation, the pleasure of being together, what they have to say is important, and a little manners. OK, so learning does go on during tea time but its pretty covert. :D

 

I love hearing everyone's ideas.

[kls126s]

I tell ya - homeschooling moms are a great breed. What a great opportunity to make warm memories!

 

I'm taking notes - keep talking...

[MerryAtHope]

Here's a fun article with ideas for Tea-time with your kids: http://www.bravewriter.com/BWL/bwlteatime.html

 

Merry :-)

[Trivium Academy]

It's hard to believe tea time can take so many different forms, I saw some websites that have some wonderful ideas for tea parties, teaching manners, etc. I think I'm going to get dd7 involved in this, so we can learn about how to make the tea and how to set the table together.

 

I'm so stumped about her birthday in July, her dad is building her a treehouse which is so perfect for her. She's my artistic scientist and doesn't really like having toys, she doesn't play with them- she plays with her little brother.

 

Maybe clothes. She does want to start handicrafts so I'm looking for a good resource to teach her more than one like Keepers at Home, I don't want to buy kit after kit for this.

 

The kids had 'tea' at a friends house and they loved it. Thank you all for your responses!

[Tarheel Heather]

My mil bought dd a very cute cup and saucer for under 2$. She loves it!

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Aside from the more conventional tea rituals in our home and with the extended family there is also "Nana's Tea."

 

Nana can brew this very quickly to accompany lunch or other wise spoil grandchildren.

 

;)The secret recipe: Mix milk and cola until it takes on the apperance of black tea with a heafty dose of milk. It seems that our children prefer Pepsi but any cola will work.

[rafiki]

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[Tweed]

We do tea time or "tea party" as the kids call it every Monday at 3:00. I break out the silver and the china that has been in the family for over 100 years. The kids pick out a tablecloth and napkins and put them on the table. Sometimes I bake something, but mostly I pick up something from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, especially the cream puffs. Must. Have. Cream. Puffs. ;) The kids all pick their favorite tea, we eat and we chat. The mood is so relaxed that I find it a good time to talk with the kids. As an added bonus, the kids tend to finish their work on a timely basis on Mondays, which is our busiest day, because they know if they don't finish at 3:00, we can't have the tea party.

 

Also, everyday we break from school for a half an hour and a have a cookie break. That is when I read them a story from one of Lang's fairy books.

[CalicoKat]

We call it "Coffe Break Time" here. It's usually around 2 pm. We brew our coffee add cream & sugar and sit down and take a load off the feet.

 

2 pm is ually about the time I need a break. And my dd who has ADHD starts to loose it.

 

It's a perspective making moment for me. And for her the caffeine doesn't hurt. The other kids like to have a cuppa too.

 

Sometimes we'll have a snack depending on how bare the cupboard is. Cheese sticks, crackers & cheese, a fruit crisps, or a PB&J.

 

My kids each have their favorite coffee mug.

[mafi39]

I love, love, love this idea of tea time with dc. But, when it comes to tea, I am a dummy! What kind of tea do you use? In the summer is it just the plain ole sweet tea kind. What is your favorite tea and what do you put in it! Thanks!

[Jumping In Puddles]

We just use decaf tea bags and put milk and honey in our tea. Sometimes we use loose leaf tea (uptontea.com) and brew it in a ceramic tea pot.

 

I like using my china for tea because otherwise it would NEVER get used! I like using it everyday.

 

When my kids were very little (age 1 and 2) I gave them warm milk with cinnamon and honey in it and called it "tea". They got wise to that though and now they want the same tea I have.

 

I have tried herbal tea but my kids just don't like it.

[Tweed]

I love, love, love this idea of tea time with dc. But, when it comes to tea, I am a dummy! What kind of tea do you use? In the summer is it just the plain ole sweet tea kind. What is your favorite tea and what do you put in it! Thanks!

 

 

My kids tend to like the fruity Celestial Seasonings, especially Raspberry Zinger and Tangerine Orange Zinger. I think their Zinger collection is a good way to introduce tea to children. During the winter we sometimes do hot chocolate instead.

[Chris in VA]

I'm late to the conversation, but just wanted to add some ideas--

 

I got a bunch of real tea cups with matching saucers at our garage sale. I also bought a few off of ebay. I let dd choose two, and I know they will all end up hers, one day! Grandma gave her a fiestaware-type tea set, but it is too small--we like using real cups instead. I make the tea by just putting 3 tea bags in our teapot with about 4 cups of hot water. I just let it steep for about 3-5 minutes. We have lots of small pitchers/creamers, b/c I used them for pouring at preschool. Dd chooses one, and we sit at the table. Love the idea of doing poems then.

[Jumping In Puddles]

Grandma gave her a fiestaware-type tea set, but it is too small--we like using real cups instead.

 

Those little tea sets are great for them to play "tea time/party". My daughter sets hers up on her floor and gives cups to her dolls, bears and her brother if he's around.

[Hoggirl]

If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes is a delightful book with different "themes" for teas including a Teddy Bear Tea, Tea to Go (traveling tea to take and share), a Christmas Tea, Tea al Fresco, etc. There are LOTS of pretty photos and GREAT ideas for making wonderul "tea memories." This was given to me as a gift several years ago. It has recipes as well as presentation ideas.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

A lot of times we set the table, then practice our very best manners and read tongue twisters using our very proper voices (for diction). This is quite comical, but the goal is to remain composed and not laugh. After awhile, we have a good crack up and just converse. Sometimes we play cards or chess.

[Hazelt"nut"]

there is so much that could be done at this tea time. The poetry, the books, etc. But I think a tea time that is not "educational" but more of a share time together. A time to say what is on your mind, what you're thinking about, your favorite or least favorite part of the school day or week if you do it just on Fridays. I know this can take place at the dinner table but the idea of an afternoon break sipping whatever, looking into the eyes of our kids and letting them look into ours..sharing our minds and hearts. I think this could turn into something really great especially if it continued on into their teen years..homeschooled or not. Only question here is with a boy is it weird to call it tea time. Will it seem to girly? I'm just wandering. I know somehow ds3 would make the tea spoon into a sword and the squares of sugar bad guys..lol.

 

But this is a neat idea and one I'm going to think about!

Sheryl

[King Alfred Academy]

We do tea time or "tea party" as the kids call it every Monday at 3:00. I break out the silver and the china that has been in the family for over 100 years. The kids pick out a tablecloth and napkins and put them on the table. Sometimes I bake something, but mostly I pick up something from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, especially the cream puffs. Must. Have. Cream. Puffs. ;) The kids all pick their favorite tea, we eat and we chat. The mood is so relaxed that I find it a good time to talk with the kids. As an added bonus, the kids tend to finish their work on a timely basis on Mondays, which is our busiest day, because they know if they don't finish at 3:00, we can't have the tea party.

 

Also, everyday we break from school for a half an hour and a have a cookie break. That is when I read them a story from one of Lang's fairy books.

 

This is great! We started doing tea time this year and used it as a "break" in the morning. We set the table, have a drink and a snack, and I read aloud...usually a Burgess book.

 

BUT...now after reading all of the posts about having it be a "non-school" time but a time for creating memories, I am thinking I want to go more that route, but know I would not getting the reading done (I don't like to read aloud)

 

NOW..after reading your post, I am going to try it this way. We will have a snack in the a.m. while I read and then have a social/memory makin' tea time once a week! I like it! Thanks!

[Trivium Academy]

Oh my ds-almost-4 loves tea time! But he's been playing tea party with dd7 for a year now with water. I know my ds likes to be able to use a real cup (not plastic) and having a treat. We got a teapot set today and the kids were more excited than I expected them to be.

[Sahamamama]

A resource that we have enjoyed using here is a little teatime booklet published by Storey Country Wisdom:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Teas-Teatime-Recipes-Bulletin-174/dp/0882667203

 

The booklet explains the whys and hows and whats of doing tea, but the best part is the recipes. Yum.

 

My girls are too little for weekly tea-time now, but I read (I think it was on Bravewriter's website? duh, one of those links to a link to a link... you know how that is...), ANYWAY, I read somewhere out there about a mom who does teatime with all of her children one time per week -- on a Friday, for lunchtime, complete with all the fancy china, tablecloths, napkins, scones, tea, cream, sugar, etc. -- and even her teenage sons drop in for tea on occasion. She reads to the littles and middles, or they take turns. This sounded like so much fun (and work), but we do plan to do something like this when the girls are older.

 

But I did think that maybe we would do it every other week (Friday), then on the alternate Fridays, we could go out (weather permitting) and have poetry/literature reading outside at a park.

 

Hope you find the link and enjoy the tea book. It's inexpensive and worth it, IMO.

[Jumping In Puddles]

My girls are too little for weekly tea-time now...

 

How old are your girls?

[Michelle @ Living Waters]

We've tried to do a variety of "themed" teas, but I've been unsuccessful more than successful. (We actually started a fire once). I finally figured out that I had to lower the expectations a bit and just go with it. You can read about our tea times at http://michellejoywaters.blogspot.com under "tea time."

 

 

We have been successful, though, with reading through the Golden Children's Bible during morning snack. We've covered the whole bible more than once. I often add on "Leading Little Ones to God" at this time if they want more reading...

[Langhaven]

I haven't gone through every single post here - but finally found the link I've used in the past to purchase sweet tea time products. Perhaps it will help some of you!

 

http://www.pumpkinseedpress.net/products.asp?ci=9&Tea-Time-Products

 

Blessings all-

[Trivium Academy]

 

Dd7 read from A Child's Garden of Verses by RLS and I read a story from The Children's Book of Virtues. Even dh joined in- see boys will joyfully join in if there are sweets to be had! We have French Vanilla Decaffeinated tea with sugar cubes (lol!) and shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers and cut up pieces of some Little Debbie cake thingy.

 

We loved it! Thank you so much! :D

 

Yes, I had to check out books that we own from the library...ours are in boxes. :)

[midwestbelle]

I first heard in on the CD that came with "Secret Keeper Girl", but found this printed one online here.

 

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in a beautiful antique store. This trip was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."

 

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand." It said, "I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over and over, and I yelled out, 'Don't do that. I don't like it, Let me alone,'" but he only smiled, and gently said, "Not yet!!"

 

"Then-WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it - I'm getting so dizzy I'm going to be sick!' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said quietly, "Not yet." He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then.....

 

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. 'Help, get me out of here!' I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, "Not yet."

 

When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good. 'Ah, this is much better,' I thought.

 

But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please. Stop it, Stop it!' I cried. He only shook his head and said. "Not yet!"

 

Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited------- and waited, wondering what's he going to do to me next?

 

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." And I did.

 

I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"

 

Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember." Then he said, "I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone you'd have dried up."

 

"I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled."

 

"I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked."

 

"I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any co lor in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you."

 

The moral of this story is this:

 

God knows what He's doing in each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this.... Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest teacup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.

Mister Ed Favorite Stories 12:36 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

[Trivium Academy]

Just beautiful Dawn, sniff, sniff. Thank you for sharing that story.

[Chris in VA]

Oh, I agree. But my impression is that's not the same as the Tea Time Triv is referring to. For that, I actually want more than a few sips of tea!

 

"Tea" Hee!!

[Jumping In Puddles]

Oh, I agree. But my impression is that's not the same as the Tea Time Triv is referring to. For that, I actually want more than a few sips of tea!

 

"Tea" Hee!!

 

:lol: true, that! :lol:

[St. Theophan Academy]

Here is a link to my post on what we do for tea time. As for tea sets - I have over the years collected mismatched tea cups from antique shops (back in the days before kids :) It is fairly easy to find inexpensive tea cups and saucers from antique stores - and also shops like TJ Maxx and Marshalls often have really cute tea cups for $3-7. I found my littlest a sweet little peter rabbit tea cup at Easter and put it in her Easter basket as a gift, cost about $4. I don't worry about getting a set that matches, since each child really enjoys having their own special cup (and since you have a boy and a girl, to get boys into this you really need to let them find a cup they like - my son picked one from my collection that was "masculine" enough - meaning no flowers :) ) As for a tea pot - I bought my first this year when my daughter had an Alice in Wonderland bday - but I got it at TJ Maxx for $8 - lovely china tea pot!