Author Archives: Carrie

More About Knitting and Other Handwork Within the Waldorf Curriculum

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Many of you are familiar with Steiner’s famous quote regarding “thinking as cosmic knitting”.  Indeed, knitting is an important part of the Waldorf Education experience.  However, handwork comes in many other ways within the curriculum both as a separate “class” in the grades but also as a skill within a Main Lesson at times as well.  

Perhaps seeing a scope and sequence of handwork within the grades through high school will spark some ideas for your own homeschool.

The book “Will-Developed Intelligence” outlines the following handwork emphasis for each grade:

Kindergarten (and yes, there will be a separate post on this coming up):  Handwork begins with outdoor play; with the gathering of natural materials and building, with modeling in sand and snow and mud; fingerplays; playing with bits of fairy wool; making simple toys.

Grade One:  Making slip knots and finger knitting, knitting:  casting on, knit stitch, casting off;   hand sewing of knitting projects as needed with yarn

Grade Two:  Knitting: casting on, knit stitch (and yes, I know some schools introduce purling here; some handwork teachers have discussed saving purling for Grade Three).  “Will Developed Intelligence” mentions starting crocheting in Grade Two, but I am truly unsure how common this is as I have heard about crocheting more in connection with Grade Three.

Grade Three:  Knitting, casting on, knit stitch and purl stitch; “Will-Developed Intelligence” mentions starting the year with simple sewing;  perhaps crocheting if that has not been introduced before

Grade Four: Cross stitch with mirror picture designs;

Grade Five:  Knitting with four needles:  socks are usually made; knitted stuffed animals may also be made; woodworking is generally taught from Grade Five through Grade Twelve.

Grade Six:  Making a stuffed animal; making of dolls and puppets with experimentation in embroidery

Grade Seven: Make a garment to wear with hand sewing; the study of how embroidery enhances clothing; making of their own pattern; slippers may also be made

Grade Eight:  Use of a sewing machine; learn to use bought patterns; intricate braiding and belt making; sewing details on costumes and hats;

 High School

This is the sequence my local Waldorf High School uses:

Grade Nine:  Basketry, Blacksmithing, Ceramics, Quilting  (also drawing, painting, music for Fine Arts)

Grade Ten:  Ceramics, Jewelry Making, Spinning, Woodworking (also drawing, drama, sculpture) for Fine Arts)

Grade Eleven:  Bookbinding, quilting, veil painting, weaving (also photography, sculpture, for Fine Arts)

Grade Twelve:  Batik, Stained Glass making (also drama, film, oil painting, sculpture for Fine Arts)

Hope that helps put knitting into a context of handwork for all the grades.  Posts on handwork in the Kindergarten and observations for knitting in the Early Grades to come.

Peace,

Carrie

Coming To Waldorf Late

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This is a great post on the topic from Melisa Nielsen of A Little Garden Flower; you can listen to this series on her Gnome Home Radio Show and also see this blog post where she details exactly what you will need for the grade you are coming into:

http://waldorfjourney.typepad.com/a_journey_through_waldorf/2009/10/coming-to-waldorf-late-1.html

Several important things for people to realize when coming into Waldorf late:

A Grade One child should be seven for most of Grade One, a Grade Two child should be eight for most of Grade Two and etc.

The academic level of your child is important, but that is NOT how we pick grades within the Waldorf curriculum.  The curriculum speaks to the AGE of the child, not the academic level.  The academic level can be adjusted up or down, but the Grade One child needs fairy tales, the Grade Two child needs the fables and archetypal Saints and Heroes block (these are not taught within a religious context but an archetypal context to show the duality of man), etc.

Consider what lives within you.  There was a recent debate on Melisa’s list regarding whether or not Native American Tales belonged within Third Grade or Fourth Grade.  There has been debate as to whether Old Testament Stories should be solely within Third Grade or within both Third and Fourth Grade. (Donna Simmons ended up putting a block of Old Testament Stories in her Fourth Grade Curriculum and she outlines the reasons why here: http://christopherushomeschool.typepad.com/blog/2009/06/ot-stories-again.html). 

Consider how to make things your own.  Many folks celebrate the Jewish festivals in collaboration with their Third Grade Old Testament Stories (and remember, these stories are taught within an archetypal example of Man and Authority – something  a child going through the nine-year-old change will deeply connect with!) but you do not *have* to do this.  I actually am not certain this practice started until recently….  I personally have not decided if I am going to expand this way during our Third Grade Year or not, but the lucky thing with homeschooling is that we have the choice to decide! 

The point is,  though, that in general you will come to  trust  the curriculum and how it so beautifully meets the developmental needs of the child.  Read Steiner for yourself and make things your own, but also trust that the tales of each grade will meet your child no matter what academic level your child is. 

Many people come to Waldorf thinking it is outside nature time, all knitting and handwork, gnomes and fairies and protective bubbles; or they come to Waldorf late and think a fifth grader needs to hear fairy tales because they missed that!  No, we work with the child where they are…get to know the curriculum and what each grade has to offer to your child to optimize their development. 

Much love and many blessings,

Carrie

The Baby Update

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Well, our little guy is now two weeks old!  Time flies!  In one week he gained 26 ounces so as  to now be 1 pound, 3 ounces above birth weight and he also grew a half an inch.  Obviously, nursing is not a big  problem for him.  🙂

We wanted to thank everyone for your well wishes!  It is so much fun to have a baby in the house again!  I will try to post another picture soon!

Love,

Carrie

The Baby’s Intense Need For Mother

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The baby has an intense need to be with its mother throughout the early years.  In traditional terms, the biology of the baby and, in anthroposophic terms, The Madonna Cloak, deems this to be so.  The baby and mother are one.

Many breastfeeding mothers talk about wanting to give their baby a bottle so “Dad can feed the baby and be involved.”  I understand mothers wanting their partners to be involved, and I especially understand first-time mothers who may be viewing this bonding experience between father and infant as something that needs to occur right away.  And I agree that too many attached mothers forget that the baby is attached to the family, not just the mother.

However, just like everything under the sun, there is a time and a place and a way.  Dads are wonderful at taking care of mother while she does the job that only she can do – nurture their baby at the breast.  Dads can cook and clean and help with the older siblings.  Dads can help bathe the baby, do diaper changes with the baby, walk the baby around, sing songs to the baby and hold the baby after the baby has nursed.  Dad can establish connection with the whole family!  Dad can feed the baby solids when that time comes.  (If you have questions regarding that, please see this insanely popular post: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/03/11/starting-solids-with-your-infant-and-picky-toddler-eating/). Dad truly does not have to feed the baby a bottle to be connected!

After three children, my husband now sees this newborn period as a time to  nurture me and our older children.  He is involved with the baby in terms of holding, walking the baby around and other tasks, but he also shrugs his shoulders and says to  our little guy, “ Especially when you get a bit bigger, what a wonderful time we are going to have together!”  He recognizes that in this early period, there is a connection between mother and child that is paramount.  He also recognizes the critical role of fathering for both boys and girls, but knows that right now the needs of the infant are best met at the breast.  For more about mothering and fathering, please see this post:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/01/23/the-necessity-of-mothering-and-fathering/

I have heard many first- time mothers talk about the changes in their marriage and relationship with their spouse  having a baby  causes.  I have written many posts regarding this,  and here is one of the most popular ones for your reading pleasure:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/11/17/using-your-first-year-of-parenting-to-fall-deeper-in-love-with-your-spouse/

You do not have to leave your baby behind in order to nurture your marriage. If you only have one baby, you can work toward having a special dinner and a movie cued up for when your baby goes to sleep.  You can have great conversation while your baby nurses.  If you have older children as well, many attached families are still comfortable with being together at home after the children are in bed.  If an attached couple with multiple  children does feel the need to “go out”, many times the older children  may stay with a trusted relative or friend, but the baby comes with the mother. This is not my personal choice for babies due to my Waldorf leanings, but at least we see respect  for that biological and cosmic unity in this scenario.  Perhaps protection from assaults on the senses can occur if the mother and father either celebrate being together at home or somewhere quiet!

At this point, I personally am committed to being home for at least 40 days if not a bit longer.  I am so thankful to my husband, family and friends who are supporting me in this endeavor.  I know the baby appreciates it as well.  🙂

Think about how you can meet the needs of the youngest member of your family today.

Love,

Carrie

Requests For Stories

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Hi All,

I am happy to share resources with everyone as to where to find certain Kindergarten stories!  However, some of these stories are copyrighted and therefore cannot be shared; you would have to buy the book that the story is from.   I am a writer, so I do feel strongly about protecting other people’s works and ideas.

I know many of you have tight resources, and I try to point out any public domain stories that are suitable but some of the Waldorf favorites are still copyrighted. 

Two Kindergarten resources one might like to consider for Autumn, that you would use year after year, includes Suzanne Down’s Autumn Tales (wonderful stories, including Witchamaroo and Little Boy Knight and many others) and Let Us Form A Ring, which has circle times for all seasons in the front and such tales as A Halloween Story (aka, The Naughty Little Hobgoblin!) and The Pancake Mill and Spindlewood in the back.  You could also consider going to Suzanne Down’s website, http://www.junipertreepuppets.com/ and signing up for her newsletter – a free story and puppetry idea will come right to your email inbox!

Please ask where to find your stories and I will help the best I can.  With limited resources, another thing to consider is checking out book reviews.  Lovey over at the Lovey-land blog  http://www.lovey-land.blogspot.com/  often has book reviews, and I just wrote some book reviews for the Christopherus website:  http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/early-years-nurturing-young-children-at-home.html  If you scroll down on the right hand side you will see a section entitled, “Book Reviews”.

Cheers,

Carrie

No Replacement For Good Parenting

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There is so much talk these days regarding the great lessons that team sports and other classes can teach a child.  My oldest child is eight now, and the question of outside activities is starting to come up; activities for learning how to get along in a group, work as a team within a group, and for the social end of things because  having friends and even a best friend is important at this age.

My husband and I were talking about this issue the other night, and he commented something very interesting to me.  He said, “Well, it seems as if many parents want to use these team sports and classes as a way to parent their children but in reality there is no substitute for good parenting.”

Wow!

Scouting, team sports, karate, and all the many other activities a child could be doing  is a supplement, not the main course.  To many of you out there, you may be thinking, well, of course!  However, once a child is in school much of the day away from the home, and then in other classes or sports for part of the day, and then perhaps home with homework, there may be less time for parenting than one imagines.  The parent may possibly be shoved into the role of “time facilitator” or “manager of events”  for their child rather than “parent to help guide child through life in these teachable moments.” 

Good parenting takes quantity time.  If you and your child have a decreased amount of time together, chances are that there will be less teachable moments that come up.  You may  have to work harder at connection within the blur that is each day that rushes by. 

If your child is school-aged but still under the fifth or sixth grade level, I would advise you to seriously look at what commitments you and your child have outside of school and to think about limiting those engagements.

I think it is very important for school-aged children who are not homeschooling to have ample opportunity to actually be at home.  The younger school-aged child still needs to be firmly entrenched in the family.    It is also important that the school-aged child has plenty of time to work on practical life skills that tend to get squished out by homework and extracurricular activities.  Every child should be learning how to clean house, cook meals, grocery shop, sew, knit, fix things around the house and on the car as they get older, and garden.  Boys and girls alike!

Team sports, classes and other activities have their place for children, but let’s not confuse the lessons these activities teach with the necessity of good parenting.

Peace,

Carrie

Breastfeeding, Fertility and Sexuality

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I am always amazed that many women do not understand the impact of breastfeeding their child on their fertility and sexuality.  Here are some quick general notes I recently threw together.  Hope it is helpful!

Sexuality:

  • Some women report less sexual desire after the birth of their baby – taking care of a baby is intense work, and many women feel so much love and connection to their infant that the baby can consume much of the mother’s emotional energy. The couple may also be adjusting to being new parents and having less time alone.
  • Some women report they feel heightened sexual feelings while breastfeeding.
  • Masters and Johnson’s 1966 study pointed out that many breastfeeding mothers are more comfortable with their sexuality and are more anxious to resume sexual relations with their mate when compared to women who formula-fed their infants.
  • Low estrogen levels associated with breastfeeding can cause severe vaginal dryness and tenderness. Mothers can try water-based lubricants or also talk with their health-care professional  estrogen-based prescription creams or suppositories.
  • Lovemaking may stimulate a let-down
  • The father’s feelings are important. Unlike the mother, his hormone levels have not changed, and he may feel hurt and confused by lack of sexual interest from his partner. Mothers also may feel fatigued and “touched out’ by the end of the day. Open communication is important!
  • You do not have to “get away” from your baby in order to have a fulfilling relationship as a couple.  🙂

Breastfeeding and Fertility

“If all breastfeeding were to stop, within a year there would be a 20 to 30 percent rise in the birthrate world-wide.”

The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM):

A Mother has LESS than a 2 percent chance of getting pregnant if

  • A mother’s menses has not returned (no vaginal bleeding after the 56th day after birth)
  • The mother is not supplementing regularly OR going longer than four hours between feedings during the day OR longer than six hours during the night

AND

  • The baby is less than six months old.

THE KEY TO SUPPRESSION OF FERTILITY THROUGH BREASTFEEDING IS FREQUENT NURSING DAY AND NIGHT!!

Breastfeeding increases the likelihood that the mother’s first menstrual cycle will be anovulatory (Not preceded by ovulation), but the longer a mother’s menses are delayed by breastfeeding, the more likely she is to ovulate before her first menstruation. Even after menstruation returns, breastfeeding can reduce fertility. A woman’s own body chemistry also influences when menses return.

 

CONTRACEPTION Compatible with Breastfeeding:

  • LAM
  • Natural Family Planning  – classes available through Couple to Couple League
  • Barrier Methods –  do be aware spermicides can enter into a mother’s milk though no problems in babies have been documented and barrier methods with spermicides are considered compatible with breastfeeding
  • IUD (copper); for progestin IUD see below
  • Sterilization – hysterectomy does NOT affect breastfeeding
  • Progestin-Only Methods – seen as compatible with breastfeeding, although in my work over the years many mothers have reported they felt their milk supply dropped with progestin-only pills
  • Norplant maintains a lower level of hormones circulating than with the mini-pill, whereas injected contraceptives such as Depo-Provera result in higher circulating levels of progestin. Other time released progestin only methods include the vaginal ring, progestin IUDs, injected and implant. Timing of introducing these methods is still controversial – six to eight weeks is suggested by the WHO task force. No negative effects to the baby from the hormones (mainly studies have been done on the mini-pill)  have been found so far, and research has followed these children for up to 17 years.
  • Estrogen containing methods – decreases milk supply and duration of breastfeeding. It is recommended by the WHO Task Force that babies be at least six months of age before considering these methods. There are no case reports of long-term effects of estrogen on breastfed babies. 

Putting It All Together: Day 20 of 20 Days Toward Being A More Mindful Mother

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Wow, we are at 20 days!  I want to thank all of you who read this series and worked with some of these things in your own homes and families.  I am curious to hear feedback from you all as to what you observed, learned or felt.

A reader from the UK writes how she worked with this series of posts, and I thought it was a brilliant idea myself :):

“Here is what I have decided to do:
I have been printing out each day to use the following morning in my quiet time, when my brain is at its best (!) I got behind on this with my family being sick & ended up with my print outs here there & everywhere, so have decided to wait until you have finished the series, Carrie, then have the pages all spiral bound & work through it, day by day. I am going to include lots of blank sheets at the end of each day, for my own notes. I think this is something I could do every year or so. What a wonderful resource. Thank you Carrie”

Thanks for the idea, Lynn!

One way that I personally pull all of the different elements together that were mentioned in these posts is through my  daily inner work, prayer and meditation on each child.  I think of these areas and try to ascertain if each child is receiving what they need at this time, what they need so they can be uplifted, what areas are challenging for this child.

I know many of you who read this blog do not homeschool or use Waldorf education.  However, I do find for our family that the curriculum of Waldorf education really does dovetail with all of the developmental stages and expectations mentioned in this series and really assists me in helping my children.

Many blessings to you all!  I would love to hear your experiences and what was valuable to you.

Peace,

Carrie

Tools for Gentle Discipline: Day Number 19 of 20 Days Toward Being A More Mindful Mother

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This series is almost done!  I can’t believe it, can you all? Hopefully you gained a few insights, a little inspiration, to carry you forward in your parenting. 

Today we are going to talk about a difficult topic for many of us:  the use of gentle discipline.  Children need to function in this world, with other people.  The question becomes how we gently bring them into ways that will assist them in connecting with other people, how to teach them compassion and how to be kind, and what behaviors are accepted in our society.

One of the main things that seems difficult for many parents these days is setting boundaries in a gentle manner.  It seems difficult for many parents to see their child as separate from themselves.  Your child is not you!  They have different feelings about things than you, different ways of looking at things…and it is up to you, the parent, to help guide your child.

Do you have boundaries for yourself?  If you personally do not have any boundaries, it is going to be difficult for you to teach your children to have boundaries in a gentle way.  The culmination of all of the twelve senses in Waldorf parenting and education is the Sense of Individuality, of I and Thou.  This does not fully develop until the later teen and early twenties, but the foundation of this sense is being laid with your children right now.  And this is a sense that many children need assistance with; some children are crawling on top of their parents’ heads (I have literally seen this), some children are so far away and distant.  This is an area with the explosion of sensory processing disorders in children that we are seeing more and  more difficulties with.

If we set boundaries, how do we do it gently?  Children under the age of 7 do not need direct consciousness brought to the occasion, (although six-year-olds can do with more direct statements), but here are some other tools:

  1. Humor
  2. Rhythm
  3. Finding the need beneath the behavior (without asking your three or four year old – you really can probably figure out if they are hungry or tired)!
  4. Structuring your environment
  5. Modeling what you want your child to imitate
  6. Movement of the body
  7. Fantasy and imagination and pictorial imagery when you speak to your child
  8. “Time- in”   – see this post:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/11/20/why-should-i-consider-time-in-instead/
  9. Singing and verses
  10. Doing things together
  11. Being right near your child and assisting what needs to be done
  12. Having a space to draw, throw a ball, etc. to diffuse emotion
  13. Plenty of outside time (yes, this is a disciplinary tool!)
  14. Distraction!
  15. Looking for the positive intent behind your child’s behavior
  16. Finding the good to praise
  17. Holding your child and loving them
  18. Filling up the child’s “love language” or emotional bank account before things go crazy!

I am sure many of you can think of so many things to add to this list!

Use your quiet confidence as to what is right in gentle strength,

Carrie