Waldorf in the 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

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.

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)

Nielsen, the ratings company, recently reported that kids ages 2 to 5 spend an average of 32 hours a week in front of a screen, outpacing older kids (children 6 to eleven are second, averaging 28 hours a week, with researchers thinking that school keeps them from first place).

Thirty-two hours a week is practically a full-time job! Twenty-eight hours a week is more than a college education. Do we really want our children to be getting a degree in media watching???

I recently read a quote by Rudolf Steiner that I had never seen before (unforunately, the person didn't give the source):
"Let us help children stay young, remember their youth impulses and intentions in adulthood, and find their true identity!"

To me, this covers it all, traveling from early childhood, through teen-age idealism, and into adulthood with the will forces to be who you are and do what you came here to do.

So many forces in our culture work against this, from the push for early academics, to the creating and marketing to the "tween culture" for 8-12 year olds, to the lack of support for teens making the transition into adulthood. When I watch the children at Rainbow Bridge (our LifeWays program in Boulder for 1-5 year olds) I am struck, again and again, by what a rare oasis of childhood and learning-through-play it is in today's world. Lucky kids!

Mother-Lines of the Spirit
Keynote by Carol Lee Flinders

Biological mother-lines are the channels through which our evolutionary inheritance flows. Spiritual mother-lines come into existence when we take our evolution into our own hands. We will explore how they connect us with mothers, daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters in altogether new ways, and with women we may never meet face to face: a Dorothy Day or Aung San Suu Kyi; a Teresa of Avila or Wangari Maathai. They can render us fearless, resourceful and radiant. Distinct, yet joined like partners in a dance, the mother-lines of body and spirit turn and twine within us like the double helix of our DNA.

Audio: CD for $12.50

Becoming Mother--Spirituality, Femininity and Earth Transformation
Keynote by Regina Sara Ryan

Female or male, the task for each conscious human person is to "become Mother." Whether we have physically borne children or not, the knowledge of "mother"--as the one who facilitates birth, nurturance and maturation, and death and renewal--is present in the cells of the body.

Sadly, this knowledge of "Mother" often remains obscured and unavailable to us. We can, however, turn to one another, to the great "Mothers" from the past (women or men), and to the images and understanding of God as Mother to find the inspiration, courage and wisdom to transform our own hearts, to serve our children and families, and to ultimately celebrate and honor the Earth Mother on whom we all depend.

Regina Sara Ryan is the author of The Woman Awake. Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life

Audio: CD for $12.50

Embracing the Dark: Kali Energy in Life and Spiritual Practice
Workshop by Regina Sara Ryan

When we only look to the sublime and blissful images of the Divine for our consolation, we often fail to recognize the face of the Divine in those experiences and energies that do not fit our limiting stereotypes. However, the fierce and erotic Goddesses such as Kali and Smashan Tara must be approached with tremendous respect, awe, humility and caution. Using stories and the contemplation of sacred images of the Dark Mother, this workshop will provide an opportunity to reflect upon and rekindle our longing for Wholeness--for a deeper appreciation of full-bodied spiritual life and practice.

Audio: CD for $12.50

Mothering Our Lively Sons!
Workshop by Janet Allison

Mothering a boy can be exhilarating and exhausting! Understanding the role of biology, testosterone, and environmental stresses means you can help him be his best. Effective language, practical activities and developmental insight can deepen your connection to all the boys and men in your life.

Audio: CD for $12.50

Nurturing Children and Ourselves
Keynote by Cynthia Aldinger

How can we find our way to simplicity in living that supports our own well-being and the well-being of the children we care for and about? How can we do everything we want to do and not exhaust ourselves and our children at the same time? This talk is filled with humor and practical suggestions, including how to handle a TOAD (The Over-Abundance Disease) in your life (hint: you can kiss it or throw it against the wall).

Cynthia is the founder of LifeWays North America, supporting parents and professionals in the vital work of being with young children.

Audio: CD for $12.50

Life as the Curriculum for Young Children
Workshop by Cynthia Aldinger

What young children really need can be provided through the Living Arts--domestic activity, nurturing care, creative exploration and social ability. Learn how the LifeWays approach takes home as the model and life as the curriculum to transform your experience with young children.

Cynthia is the founder of LifeWays North America, supporting parents and childcare providers in their work with young children (see www.lifewaysnorthamerica.org).

Audio: CD for $12.50

The L.O.V.E. Approach to Discipline
Workshop by Cynthia Aldinger

Learn about this practical, multi-faceted approach to child guidance based on listening, laughter, order, objectivity, versatility, vulnerability, energy and enthusiasm.

Cynthia is the founder of LifeWays North America, and this popular workshop has been offered throughout the country. The workshop deals primarily with young children, toddlers through age nine.

Audio: CD for $12.50

"Honoring Mother Spirit and Our Amazing Spiritual Feminine Gifts"
Keynote by Nancy Poer

We have spiritual gifts as women which we rarely realize or fully treasure. It is just those strengths and gifts these times call for as we face our intense, fear driven, patriarchal, materialistic culture that would sweep away even the sacred space of our homes and replace it with marketplace values and cyber life. This is about reclaiming our sacred power, speaking our truth, and bringing renewed life and light into a world of need.

Audio: CD for $12.50

"Mothering and Spirituality:
Resourcing Feminine Wisdom"
April 24-25, 2010
Sacramento Waldorf School

Join us for two days of inspiration and renewal, with keynote speakers and workshop presentations around the theme of accessing our feminine wisdom in mothering and all of life. In addition to exploring the feminine aspects of spiritual life, there will also be workshops on other aspects of parenting, Waldorf education, and home schooling. All workshops are still open, as well as all childcare groups.

With featured speakers:
Regina Sara Ryan, author of The Woman Awake: Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life
Carol Lee Flinders, author of At the Root of this Longing. Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst
Nancy Jewel Poer, wise elder and educator, videographer and author of Living into Dying
Cynthia Aldinger, founder and director of LifeWays North America
Rahima Baldwin Dancy, parenting educator, midwife, and gerontologist

A complete brochure and secure online registration are available by clicking on "More Information" in the column at right, and then clicking on the link to the 8-page brochure (near the top of the page) and then on the secure on-line registration form (pay with your credit card or fax or mail in the registration form).

In conjunction with the spring conference, we will also be offering a
Teleseminar with Regina Sara Ryan, interviewed
by Rahima Baldwin Dancy, discussing topics from Regina's book,
The Woman Awake: Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life
12 monthly conversations starting January 6, 2010 (join any time)

Order now: The Woman Awake ($19.95 +s/h)

For the teleseminar, described below, register using the link in the right-hand column of this blog.

Get a head start on the conference theme by joining Rahima and Regina for a series of weekly conversations around the twelve chapters of Regina's book, The Woman Awake: Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life.
One--The Awakening/A Path of Annihilation Jan. 6, 2010
Two--The Desert Path: Silence, Solitude and Prayer Feb. 10
Three--The Path of Waiting/The Way of Surrender March 10
Four--The Path of Mother April 7
Five--The Path of Compassion May 5
Six--The Path of Darkness June 2
Seven--The Path of the Warrior/The Way of Power July 7
Eight--The Path of Service August 4
Nine--The Path of Art and Inspiration Sept. 8
Ten--The Path of the Body/The Path of Sex Oct. 20
Eleven--The Path of Devotion Nov. 24
Twelve--The Path of Community Dec. 15, 2010

Participate in the live conversations with your questions, or listen at your convenience to online recordings available with a password. Live interviews will be Wednesdays from 7-8 pm Pacific Time. If you miss a session, you can dial in at your convenience and listen to an online recording of the conversation.

You can join at any time. Registration is $10 per session in blocks of 4. Get started reading this inspiring book now, and register for the series of stimulating conversations:

Order The Woman Awake ($19.95 +s/h)
Register for the teleseminar in the column at right.

Lakech Ecolodge will be hosting Joseph Cornell and friends from June 11-13, 2010 in Westerose, Alberta, Canada. Joseph Cornell has shared the message of love of nature with children of all ages al over the world for 30 years. He wil be joined by nature educators who walk their talk, from animal-assisted therapy, permaculture, biospheres, storytime, wile nature walks and freening schoo yards. For further information contact lakech.ecolodge@hughes.net.

For audio and video recordings of talks and workshops that Joseph has given at Waldorf in the Home Conferences, use the search engine for the site, on the right.

YEARS OF WONDER CONFERENCE
April 23-24, 2010 in Ann Arbor, MI
"BEING THE PARENT YOUR CHILD NEEDS"

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 23rd and 24th, 2010 -- Announcing the First Annual "Years of Wonder" conference, located at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor. The 2-day conference is open to the public and designed for parents, educators, homeschoolers and others interested in creating an environment where young children can acquire skills, capacities and knowledge needed to live well in the world.

The conference will focus on enriching your parenting skills, practices that foster vigorous brain development and creating a healthy, nurturing home environment! Author and long time early childhood educator Sharifa Oppenheimer will lead the conference as keynote speaker with lectures entitled: "Love's Other Name--Discipline" (Fri. night lecture) and "How Children Learn and How Parents Can Best Help Them" (Sat. Morning Lecture). [For full biography on Sharifa Oppenheimer, see below.] Parents will take home skills to support their children's well-balanced, broad-based learning, and thereby give these children treasures to last a lifetime.

$60 Registration Fee: The 2-day conference features workshops in Art, Movement, Language Arts and Family Life. Registrants choose three workshops to participate in. Lunch is included in the Registration Fee. For registration information, email awalton@steinerschool.org.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Biography (Keynote Speaker)
Sharifa Oppenheimer was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as day care director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through teacher-training programs at Sunbridge College in New York State, and at Rudolf Steiner College near Sacramento as a master teacher offering practicum and internship opportunities. She has written many articles on Waldorf education, helping the parents of her students create supportive home environments. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa is the mother of three grown sons, who were educated in the Waldorf tradition. She lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.

With my interest in "Mothering and Spirituality," the theme for the April, 2010 parenting conference (see right sidebar), I wanted to share with you another interesting book I have found:
The Return of the Feminine and the World Soul by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee (2009. Available from www.goldensufi.org)

Vaughan-Lee writes:
"The feminine has a central part to play in the work of global healing and transformation. Her natural consciousness holds a deep understanding of the interconnections of life, how all the different parts relate together: how this awakening oneness can unfold. And every woman has in her spiritual center the sacred substance of creation that is necessary for life's regeneration. Without the full participation of the feminine nothing new can be born.

A relationship to the feminine is also necessary for the reemergence of the anima mundi, the soul of the world. Buried by masculine consciousness, the world's soul is crying out for our attention. She has the ancient wisdom and understaning of life's oneness that we need if the world is to be redeemed."

Over the past two decades Llewellyn Vaugahan-Lee has given different teachings on the feminine and the anima mundi. Adiditional resources, including free audio and video can be found online at www.workingwithoneness.org/feminine.html.

Anne Baring, co-author of the Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image [also a great book for exploring the feminine!] reviews this book:
"This book is the work of an alchemist--a vitally important contribution to the Great Work of rescuing the human soul from the darkness that currently shrouds it. In this dangerous transitional time, where ignorance, confusion and cruelty abound, its theme of the need for us to recover and comprehend the Feminine is of absolute and urgent relevance.
Few people are able to define and evoke the Feminine in the way that Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee does; in poetic and beautiful prose, he speaks directly from his soul to ours, acting as advocate for the longing of the anima mundi, the World Soul, to be welcomed once again into our lives and our culture. He knows that it is the time of humanity's awakening: each one of us participates in the mystery of the light hidden within us and within all nature that is being awakened. For exploring this mystery so directly and deeply and with such insight, he deserves our deepest gratitude. Women and men alike will welcome and treasure this book."

Enjoying Your Daughter At Any Age!
by DeAnna L'am

One of my mentors said to me many years ago: "It's great to work on cleaning the barn, but don't forget to RIDE THE PONIES!"

Are you so busy reminding your girl of her homework/ chores/ the need to get-out-of-the-door, that you don't have time to enjoy her anymore??? If you wonder where did all the joy go, now that your girl is approaching puberty, read on...
When I heard myself sounding like an old tape-recorder reminding my daughter Ellah (9) of simple things she needs to do every day, I decided to start taking walks with her.

We bundle up every morning before school, and go for our special time together. We pause as we enter the walking trail, and thank Mother Earth for her beauty. While Ellah skips, hops, and jumps around me, I take my "power walk." We invent little songs and pacing-rhymes; we open our eyes to see the skies, our ears to listen to birds, and our hearts to take in the beauty. I enjoy my daughter's company immensely on these walks, as well as get my exercise!

How can you implement this with your girl (or children)?
What allows me to enjoy my girl's company so much is the fact that we are spending special time outside our family's daily obligations! There are no dishes to wash, no chores for her, no phone calls or email distractions for me...

Create a daily, weekly, or any recurring occasion for you and your girl to spend one-on-one time outside of the home. It is important that you are both away from your daily environment and the myriad of things that demand your attention. The quality of this time is initiated by the virtue of scheduling it! This demonstrates to both of you how important your relationship is...
If you have more than one child, devote shorter one-on-one time to each, on a regular basis. Your exclusive attention will matter far more than the length of time you spend.

MODELING VERSUS TELLING

On my walks with Ellah I give voice to my enjoyment of nature; I breathe deeply and speak my appreciation of what I see. When it's time to turn back I announce this to the trees, and ask that one of them draw my attention and give me a message. Ellah was so taken by this on our first walk, that she now gets four or five messages from trees every day! I don't need to give her speeches about how alive nature is, or how it speaks to us if we listen. This would have sounded like a lecture! Instead, I model what I want her to know.

So many Moms tell me their daughters don't share anything with them. Well, do YOU share with your daughter??? Do you model the behavior you would like to see?
The shift from "Telling" to "Modeling" is a small but profound one! It will make the difference between your girl tuning you out or walking away, to her listening, and sharing her experiences with you!

Cultivating this practice is particularly important as your girl approaches puberty (and even more so if she's already there!) Taking a walk, or setting aside regular times for the two of you alone, will give you the opportunity to speak with her about tender transitions in her body and heart.

"But where do I begin to talk with her about THIS???" you may ask...
I am very excited to let you know I'm working on a special offering that will help you stop worrying about "The Talk", and start talking with your girl! I am sooo excited about it! I can't wait to share it with you... so stay tuned, I'm putting the finishing touches on, and when I'm done -- you'll be the first to know!

~ DeAnna L'am, speaker, coach, and consultant, is the author of Becoming Peers - Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood. Her pioneering work with mothers and coming-of-age girls has been transforming girls' and women's lives around the world, for over 20 years. To jump-start your relationship with your daughter, and to receive FREE tips now, go to: www.deannalam.com
________________________________________
© 2009, DeAnna L'am, Red Moon ~ Cycles of Women's Wisdom. Used with permission.

________________________________________

A St. Nicholas Story
The Fiercest Little Animal In The Forest
Book by Terri Reinhart; illustrated by Patrick Reinhart

Terri Reinhart spent 18 years teaching kindergarten at the Denver Waldorf School. One of her favorite duties as a teacher was telling stories. She relates:
"The image of this pine marten came to me one morning after I had been struggling to find just the right St. Nicholas story to tell to my kindergarten children. I could almost see this little creature in my imagination carrying the gold coins in his teeth and dropping them into the stockings. When story time came, I just started speaking the story and I allowed the pine marten to lead me. The story in this book is what resulted. This is the first time it has been published in book form."

The story is delightful, and the illustrations by Patrcik Reinhart bring out the charm of this story that will delight young and old alike. Through a simple tale of St. Nicholas bringing food and gifts for the poor, the book tells how the little pine marten stopped being so snarly and served the good saint.

The paperback book, in full color, costs $12.95 and is available from https://www.createspace.com/3408785 as well as other sources. Highly recommended!

About the Illustrator: Patrick Reinhart graduated from Beloit College with a degree in Studio Art. He has exhibited his artwork in the Wright Museum of Art in Wisconsin. Patrick has designed for the Authentic Travel magazine, drawn caricatures, created websites, and designed tattoos. His first love, however, is illustrating children's books.

The Woman Awake. Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life
Book by Regina Sara Ryan

Over the course of 15 years, Regina Sara Ryan, a former Catholic nun, began her search for the "feminine face of God." This book is the result of that search. Stories of her own compelling journey are intersected by those of 24 great women of spirit who guided her through inspiration, or touched her by their personal presence, including: