Waldorf in the Home http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/ Resources for Nourishing Family Life en Copyright 2012 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:50:00 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Rahima Baldwin Dancy Thumbnail image for Rahima!.jpgWelcome to my blog, designed for parents who want to bring more Waldorf principles into your homes, either to enrich family life or for home schooling.

After having worked for many years as a midwife and director of Informed Family Life, I now spend most of my time as director/lead teacher of Rainbow Bridge LifeWays Program for 1-5 year olds in Boulder, Colorado. I started this program with my daughter, Faith Baldwin Collins, in 2008 and now run it with help from my husband, Agaf, daughter Jasmine, and Lauren, a Waldorf teacher and midwife.

Right now I'm excited to have finished the 3rd revised edition of You Are Child's First Teacher, which will be out in this coming summer (2012); in the meantime the 2nd edition is still available fro our online store as a resource for parents with children from birth through age six. If you have questions, please use the "Contact" button on the website--I'd love to hear from you!

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/12/rahima_baldwin_dancy.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/12/rahima_baldwin_dancy.html About the Web Authors Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:50:00 -0700 Mom's Love Affects Brain Development mother w daughter.jpgWhen Rudolf Steiner described something in 1909, it can sound as if it's coming from left field: for example, that for the young child, love, "pleasure and delight are the forces which most rightly quicken and call forth the physical forms of the organs."

What does that mean? And then, as with so much leading edge brain imaging today, we hear something that sounds remarkably similar: that the young child's brain is actually measurably different depending upon how much loving nurturing he or she receives.

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/02/moms_love_affects_brain_develo.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/02/moms_love_affects_brain_develo.html Parenting Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:14:25 -0700 Homebirths Up by 30%! newborn w dadmom.jpgThe number of homebirths reached its highest level since researchers began collecting data 20 years ago. After declining from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of US births that occurred at home rose 29% from 2004 to 2009. The research was released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The numbers are still small--in 2009, 29,650 births, or .72 percent of all births, occurred at home. However, the increase is a rapid change in direction, after declining for 15 years. Home births tend to be more common among non-Hispanic white women who are 35 and older and among women with several previous children.]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/homebirths_up_30.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/homebirths_up_30.html Birth Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:19:25 -0700 Sharing Longer Stories with Little Ones Puppetry Snow Maiden closeup.jpgI've written a long segment in First Teacher on how to select stories to tell with younger children--they especially like simple stories with repetition, like "The Gingerbread Boy" or "The Three Little Pigs." But what about sharing longer stories, especially if you have a mixed-age group? Our group of 1- to 5-year-olds is a younger mix this year, so when I first told "The Snow Maiden" after Christmas break, I was losing them. Even using the adaptation by Bronja Zahligen in the WECAN book Plays for Puppets, this is still a fairly complex Russian tale.]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/sharing_stories_with_toddlers.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/sharing_stories_with_toddlers.html Puppetry and Storytelling Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:52:13 -0700 Toddlers Need Naps, Study Shows! sleep napping.jpg[Note: LifeWays offers a video of putting children down for nap in a childcare setting.] It's always nice when science and academia support what we already know: toddlers need naps! A recent study at the University of Colorado showed that missing just one nap can cause toddlers to be more anxious and frustrated when faced with a challenge. Children in the study were 2-1/2 to 3 years old, and missing just 90 minutes of sleep brought similar results to what adults experience when they pull an all-nighter.]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/post_3.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2012/01/post_3.html Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:35:26 -0700 Felting Bars of Soap with Children Felting Soap almost finished.jpgThe children at Rainbow Bridge felted wool coverings for bars of soap--making "soap in a sweater"--as presents for their parents. It becomes soap and washcloth in one, and works best with a soap dish in which it can drain. We used Ivory soap, wool roving for the first layer, and colored wool for the outer layer. Here's a picture of them unwrapping the soap when the felting process was finished.

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/felting_soap.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/felting_soap.html Crafts and Activities Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:28:09 -0700 Limiting Screen Time I was recently interviewed by folks from Michele Obama's initiative for preschools, called "Let's Move!" As part of her program to overcome obesity in children, one of the key points of Let's Move! is limiting screen time. They were interviewing in-home providers who have been succesful in limiting screen time or those that are screen free.

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/limiting_screen_time.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/limiting_screen_time.html Family Life Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:45:27 -0700 Eight Principles for Inspired Mothering Eight principles for inspired parenting:

1. We need to accept who we are and build up the support we need.

2. We need fathers to be actively involved with children.

3. We need a true understanding of children and their world.

4. We need to trust the natural process of development and not interfere with it.

5. We need to trust ourselves and our children and to let go of guilt.

6. We need to trust our children as individuals.

7. We need to value our parenting.

8. We need to value our home making.

We are our children's first home, which then expands to include life as it unfolds in the physical house or apartment. When we have children, we are creating a home willy-nilly. The more attention, awareness and creativity we can put into the process, the more home life can become a platform that effectively supports every member of the family, including ourselves.

 

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/eight_principles_for_inspired.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/eight_principles_for_inspired.html Family Life Mothering & Spirituality Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:53:53 -0700 Cynthia Aldinger Thumbnail image for Cynthia-grandkids-cropped.jpgCynthia Aldinger has contributed many articles to this blog. She is the founder and Director of LifeWays North America and worked for many years as a Waldorf early childhood and parenting educator. She writes:

When I was pregnant with my firstborn son about three decades ago, I developed a passion for learning all I could about Waldorf education and child development. When he and his brother were 9 and 7 years old, his father and I had the privilege of moving to Sussex, England where I completed my Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College.

 

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/cynthia_aldinger.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/cynthia_aldinger.html About the Web Authors Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:40:00 -0700 Rhythm in Home Life A regular lifestyle, like the pattern of life in the womb, offers a stable environment during the rapid growth and changes in rhythm of the body during childhood. Children provided with this regular life feel confident about their world and are not concerned by uncertainty about when the next thing will happen. Rhythm in home life can also help to calm a nervous or difficult child by turning the child's life into a series of events in which he participates, and from which he gains a new sense of security and competency.

]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/rhythm_in_home_life.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/12/rhythm_in_home_life.html Family Life Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:54:31 -0700 New Edition of You Are Your Child's First Teacher First-Teacher-NewCover.jpgWe are pleased to announce that a revised and updated edition of You are Your Child's First Teacher will be available in the summer of 2012. (The second edition--with the pink cover--will still be available until then). 

In the third edition I've updated all the references (including web addresses) and added two chapters that have grown out of my work with parents and with LifeWays over the past five years.  The new chapters are on "Home Life as the Basis for All Learning" and "Rhythm in Home Life."

I'm excited that the editors at Celestial Arts contacted me to do a new edition at a time when I had been working with 1-5 year olds and their families through Rainbow Bridge LifeWays Program in Boulder. I'm excited about reaching an expanded audience with this new version!

Check out the new table of contents:


]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/11/new_edition_of_you_are_your_ch.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2011/11/new_edition_of_you_are_your_ch.html Parenting Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:10:47 -0700 Igniting the Inner Life (book) Igniting the Inner Life Book by Regina Sara Ryan The inner life is the intrinsic spiritual dimension of existence. To ignite it is to make a pilgrimage within--to move from "out there" to "in here" in the orientation of life, work, choices and relationships. This book is immensely practical and is directed to anyone with a focus on spirituality, self-understanding, contemplative prayer, God or the awakening of the heart's knowledge regardless of the religious tradition they follow. ]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/11/igniting_the_inner_life_book.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/11/igniting_the_inner_life_book.html Inner Development Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:35:46 -0700 Home Away from Home Home Away from Home. LifeWays Care of Children and Families Book by Cynthia Aldinger and Mary O'Connell Have you heard about LifeWays and want to learn more? The LifeWays approach to childcare could--and should--revolutionize childcare in North America. LifeWays, founded by Cynthia Aldinger and based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and others, fosters relationship-based care that takes home as the model. Children in mixed-age groups stay with the same care giver from infancy through age 5, providing the continuity and caring of an extended family unit. This approach is adaptable to large centers, such as those run by Mary O'Connell in Wisconsin, as well as to small, in-home programs. Because it is based on what children need for healthy development, it also provides many valuable insights for parents. Home Away from Home describes the many nurturing elements of LifeWays programs, including the Living Arts, creating a rich environment, and creating daily and weekly rhythms. Practical aspects of LifeWays training and opening an in-home program or even a center are also considered in detail. Anyone involved in the care of young children should read this book--it is clearly written, well illustrated with photos, and holds the reader's interest throughout. Chapters include: 1. What is LifeWays Child Care? 2. The Many Faces of LifeWays 3. Other Facets of LifeWays (playgroups, forest kindergarten, preschool and parenting) 4. Home Away from Home--Rhythms, Routines and the Living Arts 5. Finding Your Colleagues 6. Protection: The Safety and Health of Children in Relationship-based Care 7. Creating Your Community of Care 8. Regulatory Bodies and Professional Support 9. Business Questions 10. Supporting You in Your Work--LifeWays North America Add to cart ]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/08/home_away_from_home.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/08/home_away_from_home.html LifeWays Childcare Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:56:19 -0700 "Babies" ~ Raising Children in 4 Cultures Thoughts on the film "Babies" I recently saw the film "Babies" and highly recommend it! There is a book called Birth in Four Cultures, and this film could be called "birth through walking in four cultures." The filmmakers follow four children, in Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo and San Francisco. Some things that jumped off the screen and caused me to ponder: Namibia: The baby is worn while the mother works, but once the child has learned to walk, the training shifts: he or she (I forget which) is getting tired. The mother, instead of picking him up, leans down and nurses him standing, for a moment of "I care, and here's a shot of energy," and then continues walking with him (you probably often need to keep walking in this culture. And now we know what long, dangling breasts are good for!). I was impressed by the health and vigor (of those who survive high infant mortality rates) in a culture that can't shy away from dirt. The culture of women: the two women seem to be mother and daughter. If so, I wonder about the culture of this tribe, as many women throughout the world must leavve their own women-folk and join their husband's family. The brood of children they tend is probably a mix of both of theirs, as it isn't uncommon for mothers and oldest daughters to be having babies at the same time. The men aren't visible at all--probably off with the older boys and taking care of business. Many interesting questions left unanswered! Mongolia: At the end, we see what this family has probably received for their year of troubles: the family in their yurt, gathered around a computer screen. The brother, perhaps 2-3 years older, takes frequent opportunities to whomp on the baby. Both children often look at at the cameraman as if to say, "Why isn't this adult doing something?" The two boys play with a bucket of water and make a mess on the floor. The mother returns and the older one skips out, leaving the toddler to take the heat. Because we don't understand the language, we are much like the baby, who doesn't have a clue why this source of all love is suddenly angry and rejecting him. The relationship to animals: functional and unsentimental. As in Namibia, the slaughtering of a sheep or goat is matter-of-fact, with the mother doing the work while the toddler plays with the innerds. Tokyo: What a westernized, hip culture! The well-known predicament of trying to talk on the phone or do anything while the baby is around. The role of "classes" in bringing experiences to the children and creating community for the adults. The frustration of the baby at "play time." San Francisco: The emphasis on books. As in Tokyo, the role of classes. When the mother sees her baby is occupied in the jumper, she tries to quietly disappear in the kitchen--the 24-hour-a-dayness of it. If it comes to your area, see it--or catch the Netflix version. ]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/05/babies_raising_children_in_4_c.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/05/babies_raising_children_in_4_c.html Family Life Fri, 28 May 2010 08:47:18 -0700 Waldorf-Oriented Teaching Supplies Art of Learning is a new company by Gayle Griffiths that specializes in Waldorf-oriented teaching supplies, art materials, and so forth. Check them out at www.art-of-learning.com (916/723-4225)]]> http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/05/waldorf-oriented_teaching_supp.html http://www.waldorfinthehome.org/2010/05/waldorf-oriented_teaching_supp.html Waldorf Resources Fri, 28 May 2010 08:34:37 -0700