New, how to set up a home waldorf style

[saabgirl88]

Hi,
My name is Amanda and I have three wonderful children. We have been homeschooling for 2 years. Last year I had surgery and started doing more of an unschooling thing. This year after much research we are doing Waldorf. I am very interested in all the concepts. However we don't have any extra money for curriculum right now, so I am kind of making do with what I have. Can you share with me how to set up my home to make it Waldorf friendly, how to do Waldorf with three kids (8, 7 and 2) I think I have a pretty good start on the rhythm part.
7:30ish, breakfast and clean up
8:00, free play
9:00, circle time and nature walk
10:00, Jon block time (my 7 year old) while Thomas (8 year old) plays with Emily
11:00, Thomas block time, while Jon plays with Emily
12:00, outside play
12:30, lunch
1:00 - 3:00, nap, rest time. boys do handcraft then free play
5:00. dinner
8:00, Emily goes to bed
9:00, Boys go to bed.

Here is where I am stumped, I need to come up with a good bedtime ritual. With the 2 year old, I do one story, sing, prayers, lovins. However we are very bad about TV at night, so the boys watch tv till bed. I know this is not good and I am working on it. How do I get two year old out of my bed! I love her very much but I have had surgery and may be facing another one, I am still in a great deal of pain so it hurts having her in bed with me (I had a neck fusion surgery). She is also glued to a tv during nap and night time. Some nights she won't sleep till 10 to 11pm. I hate this and I know it is hard on her, I want to help her get a better rhythm down. Any and all solutions more then welcome! I am very opened minded and want what is best for my family! I would also like tips on how to set up my home and some blogs that have pictures of maybe what a Waldorf home looks like. Thank you so much for your help.

Amanda

[zoebird]

i think you have your answers in regards to media. just let it go. in our house, it's for adults only and only after the baby has gone to bed. we don't own a tv at all, we use our lap top to watch movies and tv programs that we rent.

i can't speak to moving the little one to her own bed.

but, for bed time rituals, i would go like so:

our bedtime ritual takes about an hour--getting ready for bed (tidy, PJs, toilet) which takes about 20 minutes or so, then our candle/song ritual, a brief story (not a book, we tell a story instead), and he nurses down to bed between 7:30 and 8:30, usually between 7:30 and 8.

if i had older children, i would then turn toward them after getting the little one down, taking them through a tidy, change into the PJs and toilet (brushing teeth, etc), and then in for another candle ritual (do they share a room? that might help) for their age group (though they might like the same one as the little one), a story, and then lights out.

parenting part for bedtimes would take 2 hrs, but you would have from 9 until 10 or 10:30 for yourself, if you go to bed that late (we tend to like 9:30).

it's a bit more intensive form of parenting, attachment in the waldorf style, but it's actually really fun and rewarding. you find that you don't really miss tv at all, and not having it is fabulous. then, when you watch a movie or some such, it's really nice.

of course, some men do not like to give up sports. actually, a lot of people like to watch a lot of sports. it's not really our thing. so, you might schedule in for a partner some time to watch sports, but it should be outside the times of when children are awake.

[saabgirl88]

Thank you for your reply. I know tv must go and I am working on that. We are very guilty of watching a lot of tv in the evening and hubby isn't so keen on letting it go. Although he agrees it is to much and needs cut back and we need to spend more time with the kids.
I don't mind Emily being in my room. I have her playpen by my bed and every now and then she will sleep there. But due to health reasons I need her out of my bed. To be honest I wish she could stay, I have never been able to bond with any of my children in this way. She is the first to ever sleep in my bed and only because after surgery I couldn't get up an get her (then she stayed still, now she is all over the place) any how.
I just got the book Simplicity parenting and can't wait to get ideas from that. I dream of a happy, peaceful home.
As far as the boys, I feel for them as I know we tend to say the are big enough to handle bedtime by them self or they don't need us as much any more. I think i am putting way to much on them and I have a feeling this book will help me find solutions and help me see just what is going on and why they behave the way they do.
Can I ask what is the purpose of the candle lighting? I was telling my hubby about it and he ask why. I didn't have an answer except maybe it helped bring warmth and peace???
Thank you again for your answers.
Amanda

[zoebird]

it does bring warmth, and it's also an archetypal element. you're really dealing with something primal when you are working with real fire in this controlled way.

also, it creates a ceremony of what you are doing. we did everything before without the candle ceremony, and bed time would be rather rough. he wouldn't go do. we do the candle, and he's immediately focused. he knows what is happening, and he wants to be a part of it. If he doesn't fall asleep within half an hour, he blows the candle out, and then we stay with him for a few minutes while he goes to sleep. we are working on adapting that so that he can go to sleep without us being there, but that's been an interesting process for us and it's a whole other story.

now, DS expects his fire faerie time, and when we are out and about and he's tired, he will come up and say "fire faerie" in this sweet little voice. he is only two.

also, candle light is just nice and mellow, and bees wax candles are actually air purifiers. pretty sweet!

we actually use candles for a lot of things, it's very helpful for us.

[AngelBee]

[saabgirl88]

Thanks for the info on the candle. I am going to try that. What are other times you use a candle? Meal times? School times? Just trying to get ideas. I am reading Simplicity Parenting and loving it!! So far i am just on Ch. 3 but a real good read.
Last night was a huge step in the right direction. Even though Emily gave us issues. We did not turn on tv till after the boys went to bed. We read stories and had a family time and it was sooo nice!!! Even the boys enjoyed it and said it was more peaceful. I am so thankful!

Thank you for your help.

Amanda