We're a radical unschooling family, which means nothing if not infinite flexibility. 
I'm interested in learning more about Waldorf in the home.
There is some that I've been reading about it (and Waldorf-y based things) that are very appealing to me, and that I wouldn't mind bringing into our lives. In fact it feels really inspiring. So... I'd really like to hear from unschoolers who use Waldorf ideas, or the more unschooly Waldorf families. Ideas I like: the focus on art and nature, the not-so-soon approach to academics, and (especially!) the rhythm and celebration of cycles/festivals. Some of Waldorf is right in line with what we already enjoy in our lives, and some seems like it fills a desire that one or more of us has felt. And some seems like it would be like trying to get a square peg in a round hole.
Good places online to check out? Different ideas we might want to try out to bring more Waldorfyness (
) into our world? Blogs that talk about day-to-day life in a Waldorf family? Input, insight, info all appreciated!
I'm interested in learning more about Waldorf in the home.There is some that I've been reading about it (and Waldorf-y based things) that are very appealing to me, and that I wouldn't mind bringing into our lives. In fact it feels really inspiring. So... I'd really like to hear from unschoolers who use Waldorf ideas, or the more unschooly Waldorf families. Ideas I like: the focus on art and nature, the not-so-soon approach to academics, and (especially!) the rhythm and celebration of cycles/festivals. Some of Waldorf is right in line with what we already enjoy in our lives, and some seems like it fills a desire that one or more of us has felt. And some seems like it would be like trying to get a square peg in a round hole.
Good places online to check out? Different ideas we might want to try out to bring more Waldorfyness (
) into our world? Blogs that talk about day-to-day life in a Waldorf family? Input, insight, info all appreciated!
:
: but I think my kids would start to smolder if they were layered in wool. They get irritable if they're hot! How warm are we talking, here? It just seems kind of random... I don't have a context to put it in, though.
) no pragmatic value. DD doesn't wear wool nor does she play with just silk or natural toys (we have some imaginative plastic and metal objects for play, for instance). I interpret Waldorf very loosely. Here's a quick synopsis of us: DD wears comfortable, non-character, cotton clothing that is appropriate to the season. We have lots of open-ended toys both structured (cash register, wooden kitchen and food) and non-structured (seashells, nuts, rocks, animal figurines). We have a fabric basket filled with a variety of fabrics--velvets, silks, satins--instead of playsilks, which I think are limiting. We don't push academics but dd is very self-driven and is learning to read at age 3 by her choice. We tell lots of stories, we act out stories with figurines, we read lots of stories (some by Waldorfish authors, others not). We do lots of creative art and have an entire wall covered with paper with art supplies nearby for whenever the mood strikes, as well as structured art time. We do all-kinds of painting, including but not limited to wet on wet (the reason behind this is some rather woo-woo Anthroposophical color theory in which spiritual beings inhabit color and stuff--a belief that I do not abscribe to). We are TV-free (unless we're sick, and then we do watch the occasional DVD). We honor the seasons and celebrate festivals by making special decorations, reading/telling special stories, cooking special foods. We have a daily and weekly rhythm that keeps our life moving and sane. We sing a lot and encourage musicality (but I do not believe in limiting children to the pentatonic scale).
for good toy ideas at different age levels, plus some reasoning behind why these are good toys.
