Waldorf Mama Roll Call - Page 3

[medeanj]

I went all Waldorf-y over the weekend when I donned a long flowery skirt, Deva top, birkenstocks (sp) and canvas apron for my twins' baking birthday party. DD kept grabbing my skirt and said, 'Flower! Flower! Flower!....'

[Popster]

Hello there Just wondering if I can join you here. I live in the UK (England) and we started on our Waldorf journey fairly recently. My eldest dd is 4 1/2 and has being in a Waldorf kindergarten for the past 4 months. We find it fairly tricky financially but we feel this is the best path to take for our children (I have 3, dd 4 1/2, ds 2 1.2 and dd2 4 months). We are still learning new aspects just about every day, and I am excited to have found such a valuable resource as this group where there is such knowledge and support!!

Zoe

[Deborah]

Hi Zoe,

Welcome to the forum. Do feel free to ask questions and raise concerns.

Deborah

[UllaBulla]

Stay at home Waldorf Mamma

Aloha,

I am a SAHM to my 16 mo old ds. I am a waldorf kindergarten teacher, and have taught in waldorf schools Seattle, Maui & Bangkok. We now live on the big island of hawaii. It would be great to have a group of waldorf mamma's to chat with,
lovely to meet you!

Ulla*

[Earth Angel]

Hi All!!!

My oldest (5, soon to be 6) has been in a Waldorf preschool/kindergarten for the last 2 years. We moved from the southwest to the east coast, and were really wavering between a new Waldorf school or homeschooling. We took my Ds to the May Fair at the new possible Waldorf school.....and he just seemed to feel so at home. He got that mystified look in his eye....ya know that look right??? Anyway, at that moment, Dh and I looked at each other and said, this is it huh!!!

So, we are for sure finishing out the kindergarten years at Waldorf, and then we'll decide if we go the homeschooling route for the grades. It is a financial issue for us as well. My mother and father are so generously giving us the opportunity to send Ds to these schools....but can't afford to do the same for my other Ds (only 2 now) understandably. Dh and I are most likely not going to be able to afford to do so either.....but there is a slight possibility. I just feel that if I'm going to send the boys through the grades....that they are going to go all the way through and not keep re-evaluating it each year. I kinda got off on a tangent there...sorry

Anyway....we LOVE waldorf ed and the gifts it has given our son and our family So good to "meet" all of you!!

[Eben'sMama]

Hello everyone!!! Great to see so many Waldorf families here!

My 4 month old son and I are starting the Parent-Child classes at Sacramento Waldorf next month. I am so excited! I have a background in early childhood development and infant-parent mental health and have had an interest in Waldorf education for years. I even considered pursuing Waldorf teacher training at one point--may look into it in the future again. I love the Waldorf approach because it addresses the developmental and educational needs of the whole child. I also like that Waldorf addresses the culture in which we live and offers support and guidance for building communities and families where children can blossom and thrive physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

I feel lucky that we live in Sacramento, which seems to have one of the largest Waldorf communities in the country, due in large part to the presence of Rudolf Steiner College, one only a dozen or so schools in the country where one can train to be a Waldorf teacher. Sac Waldorf is an amazing campus--24 acres of redwoods and fields on the bluffs overlooking the American River, with big, beautiful gardens and a small working farm with sheep, pigs, horses, chickens, etc., as well as a beautiful auditorium, pre-K to 12 classrooms, etc.

At home, we are trying to do more natural toys (wood, wool, etc.) as much as possible, and are trying to establish a more natural rhythm to our life as a family. Easier said than done, but we are working on it! Great to meet you all!

[LindaCl]

Welcome, Eben's mom!

Four months old! I didn't know there were programs for children this young, so I think that's fantastic.

I know that campus well...it's just gorgeous. Congratulations!

Linda

[Eben'sMama]

Four months old! I didn't know there were programs for children this young, so I think that's fantastic.

I was surprised, too! The Sac Waldorf website says the parent-child program is for children aged three months to three years. The group we are in is going to be comprised of babes 4 months to about 9 months. Should be fun!

[mistymama]

Originally Posted by LindaCl

Welcome, Eben's mom!

Four months old! I didn't know there were programs for children this young, so I think that's fantastic.

I know that campus well...it's just gorgeous. Congratulations!

Linda

Aww, that makes me miss Sac .. I grew up there, but now live in Alabama which is sooooo not very pro-Waldorf!

We just had our first week of Waldorf preschool and I can't say enough good things about our experience. My son is 3, he'll be 4 in November and he LOVES it. All he can talk about is school, how he wants to go back and this 3 day weekend is going to kill him. The parents are awesome ... I had no idea an entire community of parents were out there than think the same way I do .. it's so awesome to find!

Alex absolutely loves story time and the wonderful stories they tell, and most of their day is just spent playing, which is exactly what I want him to be doing. I feel that he is in as gentle and natural of an environment as if he was at home, and it's allowed me to go back to work almost full time with no regrets.

So far, our Waldorf experience has been nothing short of wonderful!

[proudmamanow]

Hi everyone!
I'm very excited to be able to join this group. Dd (16 months) and I will be joining our first Parent-Child group at our local Waldorf school in about 2 weeks. Both dw & I have long been drawn to Waldorf, and we are currently waiting to hear whether or not dw has been given a job at our local school, who are currently hiring! The school is only a 10 minute walk from our house, which is so wonderful. Money will definitely become an issue at some point, but I know my mom's dream was to send us to Waldorf school, so she may help out! I go back to work for the first time on Sept. 11th and I'm heartsick about that, but having this group to go to together on my 1 day off/week helps slightly. Keep your fingers crossed that dw will get this job and then maybe I can quit mine!

[eastkygal]

Hi everyone! I'm eastkygal, but have been transplanted to the city. In fear of my daughter living a life devoid of nature and wholesomeness (hadn't been able to find that in the city yet myself), I toured a Waldorf school. Just seeing what went on there brought tears to my eyes and hope to our life in the city. We will be starting the parent/child class on Thursday at our Waldorf school. I'm completely new to Waldorf philosophy though much of it I practiced already. I'm not familiar with Steiner's spiritual science, but I am planning to research it, and I'm sure will know more about it as I attend the parent/child class. DD is one and we have one in the planning stage. I'm so excited at this opportunity. The only thing I worry about is being able to afford the tuition when she reaches kindergarten and then when our second becomes school aged. The school is working on a sliding scale tuition so that may help us when the time comes. I've become a WAHM so that we will be able to save some for that time.
I will need support in the toy area. DD is bombarded with plastic noise making toys bought by her 3 sets of grandparents. They won't hear my "no". Also, I will say that recorded music will stay in our lives. Dh is an avid traditional mountain musician, and all types of music plays a huge role in our lives. Dh plays banjo, guitar, baritone, and other instruments, so dd will get that as well. TV is something that we do have, but not cable. We have it for PBS and movies - for mine and dh's viewing. We both find artistic and literary value in movies. However, I haven't let dd watch much TV and I'm working on helping her learn to occupy herself for longer periods, so the TV will be out of her life until she is of appropriate age. If anyone has any suggestions send them my way.

[Deborah]

Eastkygal,
Plastic toys are a challenge, indeed. Try getting the grandparents on the mailing list for some waldorf toy catalogs and send them wish lists for stuff you'd like to have for the little ones. You could also find some articles about the importance of open-ended play--not just waldorf--this is also something that mainstream folks know about child development. Realize that it will be a gradual process.

In the meantime, the inappropriate toys can go into the closet when the grandparents aren't visiting. Finally, it is important to be flexible about toys. My 3 year old grandson has several construction equipment toys, some plastic, some metal, because he simply adores them.

One waldorf book (confessions of a waldorf parent?) had a great story about a lecture by a waldorf educator, who was asked by a mother "What shall I do about my dd's plastic doll? She is so attached to it!" The educator responded: "Your daughter is redeeming the doll with her love." The way that children engage creatively with sometimes quite awful toys is a testimony to their love for the world and their developing imaginations.

Deborah

[browneyedsol]

Just checking in mamas! How is the year going for everyone?

We moved to BC for my teaching job, but we're back home again due to delays with a pesky work permit. It's good to be home, though. The leaves on my vine castle are splattered orange and red. Pumpkins are getting ready...

I'm excited for Martinmas, and I have lantern project ideas brewing. If you care to share lantern making ideas I'd be thrilled! I've done watercolor paper and colored wax paper. Also jars with beaded wire handles. Something new?

[Rhonwyn]

I have seen beautiful tin can lanterns that had patterns poked in them with ice picks. My youngest's last lantern walk had laterns made from papier mache on a balloon. The balloon was popped and a beautiful globe lantern was left behind.

I am not sure if most Waldorf parents are aware that lantern walks are a tradition of Martinmas. Martinmas is huge in France and Germany. At our school, they never mention St. Martin until 2nd grade when learning about saints. It wasn't until I asked about why we did the Lantern Walk in Kindergarten did I find out that it related to Martinmas.

[Kathy Fairy]

Hi, I'm Kathryn owner of The Silver Penny. My roots in Waldorf Education go back quite a ways! I was a public school teacher (Early K and K) for many years (many years ago) when I began researching, reading and learning about Waldorf Education. Luckily, at that time, the Kindergarten level was not as jammed with academic studies as they are now, so I was able to incorporate Waldorf ways into my classroom: open ended art projects that encouraged self expression; music, singing, and feeling the music through rhythm and dance; cooking; lots of free play using toys made from natural materials, etc.

After my DD was born, I stayed home and lived the Waldorfian life of an at-home mom. (When she was 2-years old, I wrote the book Earth Child, which grew out of my experiences as a teacher.) Later, because there's not a Waldorf school near enough to our home, I have always supplemented her public school studies with at-home Waldorf homeschooling. It was a perfect blend and has worked well for us.

As she grew older, the dollmaking and many craft-oriented activities we shared blossomed into a WAHM business for me. My DD will be graduating High School this year and I am confident that when she moves away next year to go to college, although I will miss her terribly, I will be happy, content and busy with our online store. This is our 8th year in business and every year it grows! I find running The Silver Penny a great place to express my creativity and share it with others.

I'm delighted that my DD has an interest in Waldorf Education and is seriously thinking about getting a degree in Early Childhood Education and going on to get training as a Waldorf teacher! I guess we think alike in many ways.

It's fun to read about you, too. Nice to meet you!

~ Kathryn

[maryjane]

Glad that this post got bumped. It was great to read everyone's intros. Our family is very new to Waldorf education. We just moved our 3 year old son into a nursery/pre-K program, after a miserable first month at another preschool. We live in Israel, so I will be curious to see how that impacts the running/approach of our school. (My understanding is that the school is Waldorf, not Waldorf-inspired.)

While it's still to early to judge, I can say that I see a real difference -- for the better -- in my son's disposition and manner just in the last week since he started at Waldorf. While some of the Waldorf ideas are a bit different to me -- and I may even be a bit uncomfortable, personally, with some of them -- I believe that this approach is absolutely the most suitable one for our son.

I don't know how our involvement with Waldorf will change and affect our homelife. We do permit media in our home -- TV, computers, music, etc. I don't see us eliminating that entirely, but I do think we will become more mindful about what and who is influencing our children.

[Suprakid1982]

hoi !

future (hopefully if i find a good school that also does pay well, due to one of my hobbies being an art collector which can be expensive ) preschool, kindergarten, nursery, or first grade waldorf teacher here

currently i will be finishing my bachelors in earlychildhood education by transfering to Pacific oaks college, a college which is VERY hands on and not like traditional schools, of which i belive has been the proponent for why i never really did good in them, they are also pretty much like Waldorf in that they do not go with grades etc. but look at what people can do and how that can be scaffolded to help with what they are working on.

i really got intrested in waldorf when i was reading about Rudolf Steiner and his connection with famed Occultist Aleister Crowley and that Steiner himself was one, now, i know the meaning of occult has nothing to do with devil worship or pretty much anyithing really religious, but really means hidden, things that require more thoght to be able to be understood etc. and it was incorporated into waldorf !! how cool is that

and i further got hooked when i read that waldorf education does not FORCE kids to learn, they guide ( correct me if im wrong) to help children find their own potential, and their empahasis on the arts( i am an artist myself ) creativity and everything else i love about being a teacher, ie being a mentor rather than a drill sergent.

i hope to get my training done at the waldorf institute up north. however id love to know if there are any places here in southern california where i can get my feet wet, specifically in the earlychildhood area

also im barely waldorf, in fact im half n half, due to the tv bit : and now im starting to see why its a good idea to keep it out.

theres LOTS more i love about waldorf, and so much more to learn


also besides being a manny(nanny) im also not only a full time student but also a substitute teacher at a co-op nursery school which i LOVE, im kinda picky on preschools because of some have treated me due to my gender ( parents and kids loved me, the staff treated me like i was some sort of ICK!! and it really hurt me ) i had toleave and finding work as a nanny wasnt easy but the families i work for are VERY good, and are like family to me now, but more steady work was hard to come by until i foud this place


great to be here and hope to learn more


cheers
panditha

[Rhonwyn]

Panditha, I think you might find that Waldorf is more accepting of male teachers. At least at our school, in the Kindergarten, they try to have one male teacher and one female. The grade school tries to have a balance of male and female teachers. Currently in the grades we have 3 men and 5 women class teachers. Good luck on your journey!

[JenniferC]

We are a rural waldorf-y family. We live 1 hour+ from a major metropolitan center that has a loosely formed waldorf community. No schools though . So we'll be homeschooling our dear children. We have built a natural/hybrid, off-grid home on 80 acres here in Canada (60 acres of trees), we keep lots of livestock of varying sorts, and our children love to help with them, read stories, listen to stories, go for walks etc. Our 3.5 year old is a painting maniac! and loves to craft.

Eventually we'd love to have other like minded families living near to us (even here in a community) but that has yet to be realized.

Lately I've been into exploring Anthroposophical Christianity .

[Suprakid1982]

Originally Posted by Rhonwyn

Panditha, I think you might find that Waldorf is more accepting of male teachers. At least at our school, in the Kindergarten, they try to have one male teacher and one female. The grade school tries to have a balance of male and female teachers. Currently in the grades we have 3 men and 5 women class teachers. Good luck on your journey!

ive seen and heard that sooo cool!! does your school have a website?and that really isnt a problem for me when it comes to applying at a waldorf school, the only thing that would be a problem would be salary when it comes to that, due to being a serious art collector(low brow mostly) and a collector of antique books(ie english literature, occult, etc.) as well as a car nut theres alot of money in volved not to mention finding a place to live(ie a house since i always wanted to own my own, ).

i know that i wont be starting a family (seriously dating/married/ then having kidsO until i gain at least one mark ryden orginal, a few rare aleister crowley first editions and a couple of my dream cars