[Thing1Thing2]

I just read the book "You are your childs first teacher". I think it was a great book and want to try implement the Waldorf style of playing with my 10 month old. Im a little overwhelmed and was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how I could get started.

We have a small house, and not much money for toys.. but I plan on buying an indoor slide or maybe a sandbox.

 

[SageR]

I think at that age the best thing you can do is try to develop some kind of rhythm for yourself. Try to have a consistent routine - not necessarily a scedule, but a regular order to when you do things. Get outside as much as you can. Start singing songs at wake up, meal times, and bedtime. If you don't do already, really limit your tv and computer time, especially when your baby is with you. If you don't do already, try to start making your meals from scratch, even if it's just simple stuff. Try to keep the house clean and uncluttered, and at a comfortable temperature.

As far as toys imo you'd do better to save your money to invest in preschool age stuff. My baby has a few toys but he would much rather explore the "real" world than play with them! There are some things I think are appropriate for any age, though - some playsilks, some nesting bowls, some simple wooden blocks. You can make wool felt balls very easily and the materials are not expensive.

But really, just bring you lo where you go and let him/her interact with those things. When I do laundry I give some to ds to "play" with - sometimes I'll play peek a boo with a wash cloth. When I cook I give the baby a pot and wooden spoon. If I need him really well occupied or safe I will put him on my back in the baby carrier, and as I work I tell him what I'm doing. When we got outside I put him right down and let him go, making sure to keep stuff out of his mouth. Ime interaction is far more important than materials for babies and toddlers. It's easy to get caught up in all the beautiful toys but they're really not neccessary and can even be a distraction sometimes.

 

[melamama]

I agree that rhythm is the #1 thing you can do to get started. A solid rhythm will make mothering so much easier.

I like all the ideas above from the pp. Singing is great, even for gentle transitions if you can familiarize them with a special song--there are songs for putting mittens on, taking walks, nap/bedtime etc. then you don't have to over talk to the child.

There are so many beautiful and expensive W. toys, but you don't need to buy any of them. Especially for a child under three. A great book to find is Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke. The gives examples of which toys are good for which ages, and then there are directions on how to make them. It is great for the children to see you doing handwork (actually any sort of work of the day) The most favorite of all my children's toys are the ones that are handmade.

Examples for toys for the first year are: soft cloth (cotton or silks), cradle doll (simple knotted doll), felt ball, wooden spoon, blocks of wood with rounded corners, strong basket, empty box with lid.

I would focus on getting outside every day. It's the being in nature that is so powerful. Once the child is a little older it is the physical movement in nature that they need so much of--walking, skipping, hopping, climbing, digging, etc.

 

[bendingbirch]

I think with a 10 month old you really don't need a lot of toys, just as someone else mentioned. And you can really make a lot of toys from the Toymaking with CHildren book.
The main thing as others have mentioned is moving toward a rhythm for your family, lots of outside time (when the weather is nice you and your baby can even nap outside!)....The other thing to think about with Waldorf is the notion of being firmly entrenched in your home, so thinking about how you want to handle errands and that sort of thing is important thinking work. Donna simmons has quite a few blog posts on her blog at Christopherus regarding Waldorf and the baby, and I have some posts on my blog as well.
It is a wonderful journey, and the good news is within this first seven years, you have lots of time to grow into things....

 

[Thing1Thing2]

thanks for the advice! i will let you know how it goes!

(nak)