Here are some great links this week to make you stop and think. Let’s all be the change we wish to see, advocate for our children, and keep the momentum I see happening in so many places at the grass-roots level in different states keep going. This is how change often happens in the United States. Be the change!
Do American parents have it backward? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-grossloh/have-american-parents-got-it-all-backwards_b_3202328.html
This article is a MUST-READ for all parents of small children. Children do need rhythm, repetition, time to be outside, time to play in an unstructured manner. They do not need lessons, or rigid adult-created games. The adult is there primarily to “un-stick” play and to guide, to provide help for the ideas the children create, to have the environment and the rhythm in place. Read more about the differences between what the differences between academic and play-based preschools bring here: http://www.janetlansbury.com/2012/06/dont-let-your-preschoolers-forget-how-to-play/
It is a dream, a wish for all children to have a play-based school or home experience (and in a farm or forest school setting would be wonderful too) until academics begin in the first grade. It is so important for these children to have positive social and emotional skills as teenagers and young adults, and the beginning is here in play-based programs.
In this vein, here is a study out of Germany about free play and its impact on now grown adults. Stop overscheduling your children is the main message here! http://www.psmag.com/navigation/books-and-culture/value-unstructured-play-time-kids-81177/
This is a beautiful post by Elizabeth Foss about the real work of life. I couldn’t agree with her more: http://www.elizabethfoss.com/reallearning/2014/06/the-work-at-home.html
Many blessings,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
Great articles. I love Janet lansbury and her blog. I was wondering if you could help clarify something for me; during a week we might visit one or two playgroups, get out to nature a few times and have a family day either at the sea front or zoo. We stopped ‘classes’ ages ago and spend a lot of time at home. I believe in child led play but I must admit I feel like a lazy mum as im watching my kids play in between housework (which I try to include them in). If theyre both happy playing alone it feels wrong that I can just sit there, maybe read a book or do something I enjoy like drawing or cross stitching whilst they play. Maybe this is because of a belief that mums should be doing things with their children especially if their stay at home mums. Is it right that if my children are playing and ive done the housework that I can sit with them and relax or do my own thing whilst being available to them?
Metalmama,
I am thinking..this might be a blog post. In the Waldorf School, the teacher would still be doing handwork or some other purposeful work that is/can be physically seen. I think in the home environment we can often morph into telephone, screen or book..which is not really that adult presence the kindergarten teacher seeks to bring. So, my thought would be to make sure what kind of things you are doing in front of them, even if your housework is done. 🙂
Hope that helps spur some thought for you; take what resonates with you,
Carrie
Thank you. I think it would be great to read a post about a general day from a stay at home mum with toddlers and babies and whay they get up to. It can be hard to know what to do so we’re not always entertaining our children but so we’re not feeling like we’re just leaving them to it.
I liked Elizabeth Foss’ s article. Until I started learning about attachment parenting/waldorf/homeschooling I had no interest in blogs but thats all I want to read now. Shame some people just dont see the importance of making a great home.
Metalmama,
Search rhythm in the search box on this blog. Plenty of posts will come up. Also, depending on the age of your children, I have posts about “Waldorf in the home with your (one year old, two year old, three year old, four year old, five year old,) etc. Here is one example: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/08/22/waldorf-in-the-home-with-the-five-year-old/
Hope that helps,
Carrie
that elizabeth floss link doesn’t seem to be working?
Hi Bugorama
I think Elizabeth was trying to move her blogs to a new platform so it was working earlier today but may be in the midst of moving right now. Not sure. Thank you for letting me know as I will add a note that the link may be broken and to check back.
Blessings
Carrie