Waldorf home and working full time

[wish]

I interested if there are other parents out there who try to do waldorf at home and school, yet also work full time?  We have one child who will be in Waldorf Nursery this year and a 1st grader in public school (who went to waldorf nursery).  I'm trying to keep as "waldorfy" home as possible, but it's tough when we aren't there that much. I'm trying to find ways to have healthy meals, rhythm etc but doing it in the hour we have together in the morning and the few hours at night.  For example, I find it very difficult to make nutritious homemade dinner when I don't get home until 5:30 and everyone is hungry. Anyone else out there working full time and still making it all work? Ideas?

[Alenushka]

Crock pot. Cooking on the week end and freezing thing up. Puting together an arcenal of 30 mins recipies. waking up early and doing some prep in the morning.

  I know it seems daunting but it is not rocket science and you can totally do it. Healthy does not mean complex and time consuimgn

A stew in a crockpot

frozen Lasagna you made a week before.

Chicken or tofu stir fry.

[honeybunmom]

I agree with Alenushka.  Although my husband is at home with the kids, he is now in school full-time, so, the food prep has kind of fallen back on me.  Yesterday morning I made a quiche before work; I took a roast out of the freezer last night that will make its way into the crock pot soon.  Crock pot chicken, followed by crock pot chicken broth and then a tasty chicken noodle dish prepared with the broth was on the menu two weeks ago.  One pot meals are what I'm all about . . . there is a tasty corn available at our local farmer's market in the summer that we love because we don't have to cook it!  Steamed veggies for a side are what I often turn to as well.  Glass dish, veggies, sprinkle of seasoning and pop it in the microwave.  I do evenings/bed time routine as well.  I just keep it the same and try to keep my patience, although I must admit I'm not always good at that.  I'm not that good at freezing stuff unless it's soup.  And we have a weekend rhythm that includes home made waffles and that changes somewhat seasonally to french toast or other baking.  Lastly, Friday night is pizza night.  I pick one up from WF on the way home from work.

[zoebird]

i agree. also, jamie oliver does great 30 minute meals that are super healthy and fresh -- honestly really great stuff.

when we are all home for that dinner time (we usually are not -- i work until seven for 3 days of the week, and thus on those days, Dh and DS eat together, and then i get home to finish the bed time routine), it's typically the candle ritual, some cut veggies and yogurt dip while the meal is being prepped (30 minutes!), and then we eat as a family. most of our meals take 30 minutes or less to cook/prep.

it works out nicely.

[sweetest]

I work as an attorney & dh is an enginer - we both have very demanding jobs, sometimes with long hours. We have found that the predictable night time routines help tremendously to add calm to our home when our work lives are hectic. Dinners are usually very simple. On the weekend I will spend a half a day pre-cooking: baking chicken, making soup , roasting veggies , etc. so that lunches & dinners are just a matter of reheating. Because we both work, the children are involved in the housework during the weekend. At a parent teacher conference I had with dd's kg teacher she asked what we do on the weekends- I really wanted to be able to say that we went hiking and to art galleries , but I told her the truth: we do chores. She had such an enthuastic response - that it was very good to take care of our house as a family, I left the guilt behind.

Also, I think my Waldorf homelife makes me better at my job. I am able to relax at home with peace and beauty - no tv, video games, etc.

[JudiAU]

Our kids are fairly good eaters, and they like whole grains and anything labeled "pasta." We do a lot of double batch cooking with small portioned out meals in the freezer. There are several different brothy soups to which we add whole wheat elbow macaroni. The trick is to freeze in exactly the right amount so that it doesn't feel like you are eating it forever. I make a new one ever weekend.

So, a soup that has onion, garlic, veg with a small amount of sausage and a lot of beans or "chili mac" which is ground grass fed beef with tomatoes and and cumin etc. Both get mixed with a little pasta. Or stews of various stripes. DH usually roasts a chicken once a week. Burgers crumbled into quiona with veg mixed in. Fast stir frys.

Our night works best if the kids eat before I get home. Ideally, they are getting into the bath as I walk in the door. That allows more play time, story reading, and a relaxed evening. I really hate not eating with them, really, but it makes for a much better evening for us all.