Many people are initially attracted to Waldorf due to the “gnomes and fairies” aspect (or repelled due to this!), the nature aspect, the emphasis on handwork….What would you say that these are the things to be least concerned with for making your home and your family a successful place for Waldorf homeschooling?

Please consider my list of things to think about in preparation for or in conjunction with Waldorf homeschooling:

1. Prepare your soul – do your own inner work to gain confidence for this journey.  If this is the right decision for your children, for your family, then this will carry you through the not-so peaceful days.

2.  Create your space – you do not need a lot of toys!  A Nature Basket, Table or Shelf would be nice, and a space to create art and have movement and tell stories.  A storage cabinet would be nice – I like the wardrobes from IKEA myself.  For Grades children, a table would be nice and you can never have enough blackboard space for a Grades child!

3.  Look at your rhythm in relation to sleep and meal times – when do you get up, when do you go to sleep, do your children have set rising times and asleep times?  When do you eat and how is food prepared and cleaned up?  How is the house cleaned?

4.  Look at your family culture – what do you all do together as a family?  What screen time goes on (computer, TV, otherwise) for ALL members of the household?

5.  Look at your outside time – does the family hike, farm, garden, do yard work, have animals to take care of?

6.   How does the home “feel”?  Loving, warm, joyous or tense and strained?  How do we model speaking to one another for our children, how do we show each other thoughtfulness, generosity, compassion, humor?

These things are much, much more important than having a bunch of wooden toys around your home!  Think about these questions, work with the answers, meditate on these thoughts and see what comes to you.

Love,

Carrie