I call this pt. 1 because I have a feeling I shall be talking about it quite frequently. lol
I'm doing this right now, discovering Waldorf. Mostly by reading every single book the library has in the system and reading as many blogs as google has to offer. I've read books on Waldorf education for a few years now and whenever I find myself contemplating my children's' lives I find myself going along about things in a more "natural" way. Nature walks, reading books, open ended toys... I attempt to hand make the kids' toys and or gifts and if I am purchasing things for them I try my best for it to be an open ended toy that they can fill with their imagination. Capes, blocks, crowns, baby dolls and cradles. Books. I can't tell you how many books we read or even how many we own. As I said, I try my best but I should also mention that (lol) I don't always succeed!
The more I discover through reading on the subject the more I like and the more I think a lot of it makes sense. I've always gone about my parenting ways by the seat of my pants because I don't like to buy into a lot of parenting "notions" and this will certainly be the same... I'll shape it into working for our life.
What does a parent want more than for their children to become strong, intelligent and confident people? I feel like the Waldorf method also reminds me to teach them inner peace and really it teaches me inner peace too.
I've hemmed and hawed on the subject quite a bit but I think ultimately we're heading in that direction... I do not at all know "all about it" or anything, but I've enjoyed reading about it more than I've ever enjoyed learning about anything else so I feel like that's a sign. Also I get goose bumps of excitement when I think about how the kids would react to something or how much they would enjoy having more things to celebrate.
This year I think the kids would really enjoy having a nature shelf. I think we'll start it in the new year and put things on our shelf from the season we're in that inspire us and will get us through the rest of the winter. I hope it'll remind us of the beauty of nature even when it's dark and dull. After awhile we'll trade things around, add things we discover on walks or add little things we've crafted.
I've already began crafting 5 little birds to add this spring.
I hope these things will be a reminder to me also to open the curtains more and let the sunshine in. I hope to remember that less is more (my motto in life) and that less television increases independent play time. Ultimately I hope I remember to appreciate the every day beauty of nature and to take time to be peaceful.
I get so excited thinking of all that we'll discover as we start participating more in the seasons and going with a more natural flow.
If anyone has any links or resources that they've enjoyed please share them with me!
I'm doing this right now, discovering Waldorf. Mostly by reading every single book the library has in the system and reading as many blogs as google has to offer. I've read books on Waldorf education for a few years now and whenever I find myself contemplating my children's' lives I find myself going along about things in a more "natural" way. Nature walks, reading books, open ended toys... I attempt to hand make the kids' toys and or gifts and if I am purchasing things for them I try my best for it to be an open ended toy that they can fill with their imagination. Capes, blocks, crowns, baby dolls and cradles. Books. I can't tell you how many books we read or even how many we own. As I said, I try my best but I should also mention that (lol) I don't always succeed!
The more I discover through reading on the subject the more I like and the more I think a lot of it makes sense. I've always gone about my parenting ways by the seat of my pants because I don't like to buy into a lot of parenting "notions" and this will certainly be the same... I'll shape it into working for our life.
What does a parent want more than for their children to become strong, intelligent and confident people? I feel like the Waldorf method also reminds me to teach them inner peace and really it teaches me inner peace too.
I've hemmed and hawed on the subject quite a bit but I think ultimately we're heading in that direction... I do not at all know "all about it" or anything, but I've enjoyed reading about it more than I've ever enjoyed learning about anything else so I feel like that's a sign. Also I get goose bumps of excitement when I think about how the kids would react to something or how much they would enjoy having more things to celebrate.
This year I think the kids would really enjoy having a nature shelf. I think we'll start it in the new year and put things on our shelf from the season we're in that inspire us and will get us through the rest of the winter. I hope it'll remind us of the beauty of nature even when it's dark and dull. After awhile we'll trade things around, add things we discover on walks or add little things we've crafted.
I've already began crafting 5 little birds to add this spring.
I hope these things will be a reminder to me also to open the curtains more and let the sunshine in. I hope to remember that less is more (my motto in life) and that less television increases independent play time. Ultimately I hope I remember to appreciate the every day beauty of nature and to take time to be peaceful.
I get so excited thinking of all that we'll discover as we start participating more in the seasons and going with a more natural flow.
If anyone has any links or resources that they've enjoyed please share them with me!
Have you thought about pressing flowers? Try to get the kids excited about finding new flowers each time you go on a walk and then press them into a book?
ReplyDeleteI'll assume you know parenting passageway and shiviya naturals?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.waldorfjourney.typepad.com/ This is mostly a waldorf homeschooling blog, but there is a really informative radio show also that goes deep into the waldorf philosophy.
http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/
http://aresohappy.squarespace.com/
http://www.uncommongrace.typepad.com/
http://www.chelseab.typepad.com/ These 4 are really cute blogs by moms that practice Waldorf lifestyles.
I've read a ton about Waldorf but decided I liked the way it looked in practice, and as a "lifestyle" it has some good points but at the end of the day when I actually started to read some Steiner it's just not for me. I worry about a Waldorf teaching method (and it was a teaching method long before a lifestyle) realistically preparing a child for any sort of actual job- especially math and science prone kids. I'm also not fond of all the fake spirituality (chanting and candle lighting ceremonies, fairies and gnomes taught as real entities, catholic holidays minus the catholic) although I understand why it would be important to people without any spirituality in their life. I've moved on to studying a lot about Charlotte Mason, but I'm interested to see what you think about Waldorf. I do still enjoy a lot of Waldorf blogs.
That's a great idea! What do you do with pressed flowers once they're pressed?
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I meant about trimming it down to fit our family. I'm not really into chanting and candle lighting as well. At this point what I like about waldorf is imitation play, going with the rhythm of nature... I do like reading about fairies and gnomes though I plan to read it more about fairy tales. I mean, I love reading "real" books to the kids... not just Babar and the Pinkalicious books. I'm looking forward to reading the brothers Grimm and such. Like I said, I'm doing lots of reading and just plan to mark out what I don't agree with. I do read the magic onion and a few other waldorf inspired blogs, thanks for the other links too!
ReplyDelete