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Sarah M
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| Posted: Nov 19 2009 at 11:11am | IP Logged
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We are involved in a local CGS program that includes all three levels. It's a fairly well-established atrium, and my children have been going for a couple of years now. I have been thrilled with their experiences there.
The atrium session times are at really incovenient times, though. They are after-school (out of necessity- I understand that), but that means that sessions are 3:45-5:45 pm. That really disrupts our family life! We usually eat dinner at 5:30 and get the kids to bed by 7:30, and on atrium nights, we don't even get home till 6:30 pm. Ugh. I can also see this presenting a problem as my kids get older and more involved in other extracurriculars. Between sports and music lessons, we'll be out of the home a few nights a week. I hate to be schlepping kids here and there more than necessary...
Also, my 4yo ds does not like to go. He complains about it all week and then pitches a fit when I drop him off. He cries and begs me not to leave him, and I'm torn between feeling manipulated and wanting to honor his need to be with me a lot right now (his daddy is gone for 6 months, training for a new job across the country).
One more monkey wrench. We're moving in the spring. Our new city does have a new-ish atrium program, and so we will have the option of participating there. But.... all of this will probably hold true for that program, right? So I'll be right back where I am now?
So now I'm seriously considering creating an atrium at home, and I'm nervous, because as we all know, creating materials and learning the presentations is a lot of work! If I choose this route, I will order the Moira Farrell albums to get me going.
I guess what I'm asking is: is it worth it? What are the pros/cons to doing it at home vs. at a parish setting? I found an old thread where Moira chimes in on the benefits of home atrium, but I guess I'm wondering what your personal experiences are. Have any of you done both at different times: church atrium and home atrium? What is your experience? Is doing it at home worth it, or should I just make the parish program work for my kids?
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happymama
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Interesting question. I don't currently have an atrium my kids can attend, so we are doing it at home. CGS is so, so important to me. I would use the word "vital", and how I wish every Catholic child could have this experience!
CGS at home is a ton of work. The presentations themselves are not hard to get ready, necessarily, in fact they are quite fun if you enjoy crafty things. It's getting all the details put together at the same time, having space in your home to do it, inviting the children at a time when they are in a receptive mode... all together it feels like a lot of work. And I'm whiny in my mind sometimes, because of a really rough pregnancy last year, and under-3's getting into things, kwim. So, that's the "downside". I would love to send my older boys to a real atrium for the consistent organization.
HOWEVER, I too find it stressful to have to be ANYWHERE at a specific time each week. I love being a part of the CGS presentations, tailoring them to the levels & interests of my own kids, and having the materials available to them 24/7. Setting up their own altar at home is a beautiful thing. I learn so much about my own faith life when I prepare for these presentations. We used to post on this blog the presentations we were working on. (Haven't done that for quite a while.)
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Erin
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Okay to be a sounding board; What are the benefits that your children receive from the parish atrium?
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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Kathryn
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Forgive my ignorance but what is an atrium program and what does CGS stand for?
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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Lisbet
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We did a parish atrium for a year - it was okay, but not nearly as personal and in depth as here at home, plus my dd just thought the instructor hung the moon and got all 'teacher pet-y" I really like the intimacy of a home atrium. It is a lot of work, and I scale back a lot of what is recommended.
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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Sarah M
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| Posted: Nov 19 2009 at 1:41pm | IP Logged
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Kathryn, CGS stands for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The Atrium is simply the place where this program happens. The program is a contemplative spiritual faith formation program for children, ages 3-12, carried out in Montessori fashion. More about it on the thread here.
Erin, a sounding board is just what I need! The benefits to a parish atrium: an orderly, prepared environment (my house is decidedly NOT this); all the materials are beautiful and already made; the group work done in levels II and III can be done with other children. I don't foresee us having an entire space to be able to devote to an atrium. I can see the possibility of shelving to store atrium materials, and then the pulling out/putting away involved with that each week. Bringing it all home means that I need to create materials, space, and train myself in the presentations and liturgy involved. I can see the training myself as a very good thing, if I can indeed carve out the time needed for it. But since I'm simplifying so much else in our curriculum, I'm suddenly finding myself with very little to plan! So maybe I can devote more of my time toward atrium materials/presentations, since I'm no longer working so hard to create custom unit studies and such...
Happymama, I do enjoy the CGS Moms blog. Thanks for the link to remind me. :)
Lisa- good to know that your home atrium was more personal. I can see that happening here, too. So... how do you make it work in a small-ish space, if I may ask? That's a major hurdle I'm trying to contemplate...
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Marcia
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First off I'd try to get to the bottom of why your little guy is sad. Have you talked with his catechist? I bet she/he is willing to give you some ideas. Is there any way you can go and observe him a few weeks to see how he reacts after you drop him off? The reason I ask is that I have a child that comes to my atrium whose mom says she complains the whole way to atrium and then when the mom is out of sight the kid loves being there...in fact is the last one to put work away.
I've done both. My kids are currently in an atrium that I help to direct so there isn't a chance they can quit. (LOL) I've found having some daddies be part of the process to be very helpful. There really isn't a perfect time to have atrium. We've tried all sorts of different times and it's hard to accomodate the HSing and schooling families at the same time.
Perhaps you could delay your decision about the next place until you've observed the environment and see if it's good for your family?
The depth of the presentations for the L2 and L3 child are way out of this world...so much more than they could get in a book. I find that my parents that observe want to work with the materials too. It's wonderful to have such a wealth in the atrium.
I haven't personally looked at Moria's L2 or L3 home albums...but know that she has not been trained...this is her own personal hopes from what she had just observed.
I know that my life has been changed by going through the trainings myself. (finished L3 this year) If you think you'd like to keep atrium at home I HIGHLY recommend you try to take the training.
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Marcia
Mom to six and wife to one
Homeschooling 10th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, PreK and a toddler in tow.
I wonder why
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Erin
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| Posted: Nov 19 2009 at 5:23pm | IP Logged
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Okay next question:
What would be the benefits of doing it at home?
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LucyP
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I don't know anything about the programme, but honestly if my child, even my almost 6yo, was actually crying and begging not to be left by me or made to do something, then unless it was *essential*, like medically or spiritually "life and death", I would not be leaving them. Four seems very young to be left to do something to my way of thinking anyway - I know children in school and day care get used to it and cope, but I know my children would find it exhausting. As I say I don't know anything about the programme, but didn't mothers teach their children the Faith beautifully and successfully for 2 thousand years without having to take their children to special programmes? I'm sure you could do a wonderful job!
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dakotamidnight
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I'm very curious about CGS - but the only place in town that does it anywhere near us is an Episcopal church.
That makes it a no-go right?
I really wish we lived on the more Catholic side of town some times.
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Sarah M
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Oh wow. You ladies are all so very helpful.
Erin- you know me well to know that this is exactly what I need-- a sounding board to talk it all through  . Benefits of doing it at home: I get to be personally involved with this highly intimate spiritual formation. We would draw closer as a family because of it. The girls could do their group work together- thereby (hopefully) strengthening that sister bond. The living out and observances of the liturgy would be a great boon to our domestic church. I would not have to take them across town twice a week, and disrupt our normal rhythm. Family dinner time would not be disrupted.
Lucy- I do agree. It breaks my heart when he cries and resists going, and last week I just finally brought him home with me. Clearly he isn't comfortable being left there (and he's perfectly comfortable being left with my neighbor, or our babysitter, or Grandma, so... I know it's not a fear of being without me), so I decided that it is unlikely that a strong relationship with the Good Shepherd will be forged in a place he is being forced to go to. My hunch is that he will meet the Good Shepherd more readily in a space where he is most comfortable. Which would be home.
Dakotamidnight- I'm not sure you should write off the
program at an Episcopal church. Others here who are trained in CGS ought to know... Marcia, do you know? I'm pretty sure it's more or less the same program in the Episcopal churches as it is in the Catholic Churches....? They do training together, so I would think so anyway.
As for more ramblings (because you aren't all getting sick of me yet, are you?   )... I just found out that the city we are moving to only has a level I atrium. Both of my girls are in Level II. So that means that I'll have to do Levels II and III on my own anyway. Makes sense to grab the whole kit and caboodle and just do it at home, doesn't it? I think I'll probably let the girls finish out the next few months in their Level II, because there is NO WAY I'll be ready to take on Level II work any time soon. And I'll slowly begin preparing materials for Level I. And I think I'll go ahead and pull out my son.
I love love love CGS, and just like happymama mentioned above, I think it is indeed vital. It's probably the one single "curriculum" or program that is non-negotiable for me- we must do it! It's just a matter of when and where and how, and you ladies have been such a help to me in hammering it all out.
THANKS!
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Susana
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Hi Sarah! I have Moira's album and just recently got Elizabeth Papandrea's album. I like both, but I am really extremely impressed by Elizabeths highly detailed album! Elizabeth has both AMI and CGS training and has customized her manual to include information for both the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Mass. I blogged about it here: CGS Album for Homeschoolers
I'll keep you in my prayers so that you can make the best decision that will work for your family
God Bless!
-Susana
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Atrium: home program vs. parish program
