A Rant: What Every Parent Should Learn From Children With ADD/ADHD

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I was searching more and found this on the website of the Center For Disease Control, based here in Atlanta:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm  You can click here to read the full report, and I think EVERY parent should read this whether their own children have ADD/ADHD or not.  This is part of what this report says:

Prevalence and national population estimates of parent-reported ADHD diagnosis were calculated and compared by selected sociodemographic characteristics (Table). In 2003, approximately 7.8% (4,418,000; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4,234,000–4,602,000) of U.S. children aged 4–17 years had ever had ADHD diagnosed. ADHD diagnosis was reported approximately 2.5 times more frequently among males than females (Figure 1). Prevalence of reported ADHD increased with age and was significantly lower among children aged 4–8 years compared with children aged >9 years (Table). The greatest prevalence was noted among males aged 16 years (14.9%) and females aged 11 years (6.1%). The prevalence of reported ADHD diagnosis was significantly higher among non-Hispanic, primarily English-speaking, and insured children. Moreover, prevalence rates were significantly higher for children in families in which the most highly educated adult was a high school graduate (or had completed 12 years of education), compared with children in families in which the most highly educated adult had a higher or lower level of education. ADHD diagnosis among males was reported significantly more often in families with incomes below the poverty threshold (<100%) than in families with incomes at or above the poverty threshold. Rates of reported diagnosis among females were not significantly different across the three levels of poverty. Prevalence varied substantially by state, from a low of 5.0% in Colorado to a high of 11.1% in Alabama (Figure 2).

So let’s look at what we can gleam from above, maybe I am reading too much in between the lines, but you all can leave me a comment and tell me what you think!  So, from above it appears:

  • Being male is a risk factor.  I think this goes back directly to how our society handles raising boys, and how being boy almost is looked at as a liability by many in society  (not so consciously and consciously!) that I have written about before (but can’t seem to find the exact post in my almost 700 posts!  Bah!).  But here’s a post to start you off: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/06/27/boys-boys-boys/ . Also, here is an interesting article about the “rough and tumble play” boys engage in:  http://www.movementforchildhood.com/play.pdf
  • Children over the age of 9 are more frequently diagnosed….I wonder if this is related to lack of meaningful rites of passage, this whole metamorphosis of the children ages 9-12 being “tweens” and not children, the whole prolonged adolescence that occurs in our country.  I wrote a bit about that here:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/06/30/rite-of-passage-parenting-four-essential-experiences-to-equip-your-kids-for-life-heading-up-to-the-nine-year-change-and-beyond/   and here is a good article regarding the phenomenon of “teening” from the Movement for Childhood website: http://www.movementforchildhood.com/teening.pdf. 
  • Greatest prevalence was among “non-Hispanic, primarily English-speaking, and insured children.”  So what does that mean?  The incidence would be higher if we included children that were not insured and could afford to “get diagnosed”?    Or does it mean there is something cultural in the way non-Hispanic, primarily English-speaking parents who have insurance look at childhood behaviors that cause them to seek a medical opinion?  Are there true differences according to ethnic background? Genetics? What do you all think? I don’t know the answers on this one.
  • Prevalence rate was related to a parent’s level of education.  See above.  Males were more often diagnosed amongst families who live below the poverty level.  Female rates of diagnosis were not different across different levels of poverty.  What is this caused by?
  • Prevalence varied by state.  Does this have to do with access to doctors who are knowledgeable, could this have to do with rates of obesity and amount of time spent in nature from state to state?  I remember reading Colorado has one of the most fit and outdoor, active populations in our country. Alabama does not.   Again, what do you all think? 

Obviously, ADD/ADHD has been around for a long time.  I think the etiology of something like this would obviously be multi- factorial.  No, I don’t think ADD/ADHD is anyone’s “fault” per say, although I do think a society that starts children so early in academics and expects children to sit still and write, a society that is taking away recess and children learning experientially, a society where children’s free play is disappearing, is headed for trouble.

So do I think parents, teachers, concerned neighbors and friends could do things to help?

Why yes, yes I do.

1. I think all concerned adults, whether we have children or not, should take a hard look at an educational system that pushes academics before age six and a half or seven.  In many countries around the world, including China and Japan and Finland and other countries whose children do much better in later testing than our children, school may “start” at any early age but no academics are touched.  Why do we have the model we have today?  When in the 1940’s first grade was a half day and six-year-olds napped, how did we get to where we are?

Here are some lecture notes from a lecture regarding boys that Kim John Payne gave:  http://www.thechildtoday.com/files/Boy_O_Boy_Calgary

A NY Times article on taking play seriously:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17play.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin

Ideas for different difficulties with the twelve senses/movement: http://www.movementforchildhood.com/keys.pdf

We should be lobbying our lawmakers and policymakers to take a good look at this, and we should be supporting organizations that are looking at this such as Alliance for Childhood (http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/)

2.  I think we should be pushing our children to spend time in nature.  You can read Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods:  Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder.”  Here is his website:  http://richardlouv.com/

3.  We should be helping parents make critical choices surrounding the usage of media and computers for small children.  Here is the “Media and Children” section from the Alliance for Childhood website:  http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/media

4.  We should be helping children eat a health diet with foods as close to a natural state as possible.

5.  We should be helping parents to not over-schedule and rush children with extra classes and lessons.  For those of you who have read “Simplicity Parenting”, you can join The Circle or find a group here:  http://www.simplicityparenting.com/forsimplicityparents.html

From a Waldorf perspective:

  • Marsha Johnson had a list recently on her Yahoo!Group:  waldorfhomeeducators@yahoogroups.com
  • Do try the FREE audio over at Christopherus regarding Waldorf as a therapeutic education:  http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/bookstore-for-waldorf-homeschooling/audio-downloads.html
  • Do look more into the “Movement for Childhood” website I listed so many times above.
  • Warmth!  Warmth for the chest area, hats, socks, warm clothing!
  • Rhythm!  Rhythm is very important.  There are so many articles on rhythm on this blog.  Here is one to start: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/12/01/cultivating-rhythm-the-inner-work-of-advent/
  • You, the adult,  being present and not over-loaded.  Inner work for you!
  • Be home together – cut out all the running around for forty days and see if that helps.  Run YOUR errands at night without your children. 
  • Get rid of all screens for forty days and see if there is a difference.
  • The things mentioned above – diet, sleep, spending hours each day in nature (I personally recommend at least three or more)
  • Cut down the amount of STUFF in your house dramatically and see if that doesn’t also help with sleep, rest and behavior. 
  • Sensory issues?  Other things that may be mistaken for ADD/ADHD but are really something else or something contributing to what is going on?  Sometimes in those cases, I do think a therapist (The RIGHT Therapist, if you can find one!) can be helpful. 

Just some ideas; please,please, take what resonates with you.  YOU are the expert on your own family!   I am sorry this has turned into a small novel!

Please leave me your comments below and help other mothers out!

Many blessings,

Carrie

Recent Studies Regarding Treatment for ADD/ADHD

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So, continuing on with our look at studies published and available through PubMed regarding ADD/ADHD and outcomes, we are looking at a few studies today regarding more “natural” treatment methods (from the medical/research perspective).

Here is the first one, for the younger crowd:  “Treatment of Preschoolers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” out of Duke University Medical Center.  The thing I found most intriguing about the results of this article, which was a review of the current treatment literature for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers, is that “ Parent training studies show consistent behavioral improvements reported by teachers and observers as well as parents, with evidence of clinically significant improvement in ADHD symptoms for up to 2 years.”    The other interesting quote I found was the author’s statement that:  “There is evidence to support the benefit of immediate-release stimulant medication for up to 1 year; however, effects do not seem to be as large, and some of the side effects may be greater than for school-age children. With regard to nonstimulants such as atomoxetine, there are literally no controlled outcome data for children with ADHD who are younger than 5 years of age. Overall, a great deal remains to be learned about the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in this age group.”

Has anyone out there had experience with parent training for dealing with children with ADD/ADHD?  What did that look like, and how did it work for you and your family?  Please do leave a comment below and get the word out to other families if this was helpful to you.

Moving on to study number two, out of the University of British Columbia :  “Nutritional status of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a pilot study”.   This study with a small sample number essentially showed that  children with ADHD showed a predisposition for low zinc and copper status in ADHD.  I also found another preliminary study that talked about the need for a randomized clinical trial of “micronutrients” as a way to improve mood and impulsivity in ADHD, but I cannot find which study that was to quote it verbatim for you all.

Study number three:  “Children with Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park.”  This study is from the University of Illinois in Urbana and looked at 17 children diagnosed with ADHD.  The children, ages 7-12, walked in a park, downtown, and in a neighborhood. The study found that “twenty minutes in a park setting was sufficient to elevate attention performance relative to the same amount of time in other settings. These findings indicate that environments can enhance attention not only in the general population but also in ADHD populations. “Doses of nature” might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool in the tool kit for managing ADHD symptoms.”

These studies may at least provide a starting point for parents to dialogue with their health care providers and discuss treatment options that can assist their children from a holistic perspective.

On another holistic note, I recently saw this book for sale by Aviva Jill Romm and  Tracy Romm entitled: “ADHD Alternatives:  A Natural Approach To Treating Attention Deficit  Hyperactivity Disorder”.  Here is a link to it on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/ADHD-Alternatives-Approach-Attention-Hyperactivity/dp/1580172482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284851852&sr=8-1.    I was wondering if anyone out there had read this book, and if so, what did you think?  Please leave a comment below!

Many blessings,

Carrie

“Why Does It Have To Be Me?”

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Today my sweet little five- and- a –half -year old looked up at me through a tear-stained face and wailed, “Why does it always have to be me?  Why can’t it ever be big sister?”

Poor little thing; she has so far fractured a finger, nearly garnered a concussion yesterday falling off a swing, cut open two other fingers in a bicycle accident, and knocked the bonding off her front tooth this afternoon.  Needless to say, it has been a rough week for her!

How many times have we said this sort of sentiment in our lives, in our own parenting, in our own homeschooling?  That wrestling with God when we ask burdens to be lifted, burdens that we know we don’t feel confident enough to rise up to face.  “Why me?  I don’t want this path.  I don’t want this journey.  Please just take it away from me, and give it to someone else.”

You all know this scenario of parenting:

We are gliding, and then we trip.

We are rising and succeeding and then we fail.  Perhaps we fail miserably.

We so often forget that the gift of parenting and of homeschooling is in the striving.  There is no perfection, just the journey.  I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.”

Isn’t that so true?

How are you going to grow today as a parent, as a wife or partner, as a neighbor, as a friend?

How are you going to set the tone in your home to include peacefulness, reverence, awe?  How are you going to handle your children and meet them not only where they are but uplift them to the next level?  How are you going to love your spouse, your children and most of all, yourself?

What is your plan for parenting?  Do you have a Family Mission Statement?  It is that time of year to review, renew, strengthen our inner reserves as we head into this time of Michaelmas.  It is one of my favorite times of the year.

That question of “Why Me” really can become one of your favorite questions if you can focus on the striving and the progress.  “Why Me?”  can become “Of course it is you, my Beloved. Who else would it be?  Who else has these lessons to learn and this journey to make?”

Love your children and live big today,

Carrie

Some New Studies About ADD/ADHD

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Many of you know one of my favorite things to do in my free time (uh, hah!) is to go to PubMed and look up medical studies on whatever catches my fancy of the moment.  Lately, I have been trying to understand even more about ADD/ADHD.  Even though I have treated many children with this challenge from a physical therapy perspective, even though I have had adult friends diagnosed with this condition, I really wanted to understand what was going on in the medical research world about it all.

Here are some studies that caught my eye, and I wanted to share them with you all. 

Here is the first one, entitled “The Delinquency Outcomes of Boys with ADHD with and Without Comorbidity”.

This study was done out of the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University.  It essentially examined the “the association between childhood ADHD and juvenile delinquency by examining data from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS), a follow-up study of individuals diagnosed with ADHD in childhood (ages 5-12) and re-contacted in adolescence and young adulthood for yearly follow-up .”  There were 288 participants with childhood ADHD and 209 control subjects.  The study’s findings suggested that “ boys with ADHD-only and ADHD + ODD also appear at a higher risk for later offending.” 

The second study I found was  entitled “Bipolar disorder co-morbidity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” and came out of the neuropsychiatry department of La Scarpetta Hospital in Rome, Italy.  The study of 173 participants plus 100 healthy control subjects found that children with ADHD present a higher risk for developing a “superimposed bipolar disorder.”

The third study I found was this one:  “Self-Regulation of Emotion, Functional Impairment, and Comorbidity Among Children With ADHD” out of the University of North Caroline Greensboro.  According to the authors of this study, this study “investigated the role of self-regulation of emotion in relation to functional impairment and comorbidity among children with and without ADD/HD.”  This study  found that nearly half of the children “affected by AD/HD displayed significantly elevated levels of emotional lability versus 15% of those without this disorder.”  The authors stated that these findings “lent support to the notion that deficits in the self-regulation of emotion are evident in a substantial number of children with AD/HD and that these deficits play an important role in determining functional impairment and comorbidity outcomes.”

So, whilst these studies are dire-sounding, I  think the medical community is researching some important links between ADD/ADHD and the challenges these children face in social interaction and in dealing with emotions and mental health.  These could be things that parents of children with ADD/ADHD would want to be aware of in order to discuss them further with their health care team.

But, I certainly couldn’t just this topic with these studies without remarking on any possible hope……In my next post, I want to share some of the studies I found regarding more natural treatments of ADD/ADHD. 

Do any of you out there have children that have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?  Would you like to share any comments in the comment boxes below?

Hold those children close and love them,

Carrie

Running Yourself Ragged?

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I see many mothers this time of year really running themselves ragged with taking their small, preschool-aged children to “things” – museums, group play dates, the zoo, music and gymnastics and dance classes…And the mothers are exhausted and stressed out trying to get their children out the door!

I know this is not popular opinion, so please do take this and meditate on it (even if this idea totally irritates you for this moment!) and see if anything about it resonates with you! I think small children under the age of 7 need rhythm and being home, especially if this under -7 child is your oldest child.  Those of us with babies and older children lament that the little ones have to come along to things – when your preschool aged child is your oldest, you have options!   Trust me, there will be plenty of time for “field trips”, classes, lessons and other things as your child matures, and these things will mean much more to them at that time.   I have written many back posts on this!

Here are some things I think are important for small children:

  • A strong rhythm of in-breath and out-breath, ie, quiet times and more active times.
  • Learning how to do lots of practical things around the house with cooking, cleaning, washing, gardening, baking.
  • Having lots of time in nature.
  • Having lots of time to help prepare for festivals, holidays, religious celebrations. Surrounding yourself and your child with your deep spiritual beliefs.  If you don’t know what those are, now is the time to figure it out! 🙂
  • Having unhurried time.  Time to sleep and to rest, which a child cannot do if they are rushing around.
  • Doing activities that stimulate the imagination and limiting adult stresses.
  • Parents who are doing inner work in the five things that every parent needs:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/03/29/five-things-every-parent-needs/
  • The Laws of Childhood: https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/07/23/carries-laws-of-childhood/

These are the years that you will not be able to get back, and it is important to meditate mindfully upon what is best for your family.  Please do!

If you need some back post help, here are a few that you may want to read or re-read and think about:

Many blessings to all of you!

Carrie

A Rant: In Pursuit of Perfectionism

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I told a dear friend the other day that I don’t want to be perfect; I want to be ME!  There really is no perfection in parenting, in life, in homemaking; there is only the journey.  I am so tired of seeing wonderful mothers beat themselves up day in and day out over not being perfect.  Not only do we not have to be perfect, but why do we WANT to be perfect and pass this striving for “perfection only” onto  our children, especially onto our daughters?

Yes, there are certain truths in parenting and in life to work with.  I believe that.  Some of you have asked if  I am perfect! Hah! No!  The people who know me in real life can only attest to my utter lack of perfection!  And, if you look at the “About” section you will see I started this blog because there were so many things I needed to learn regarding parenting that I didn’t want anyone else to also feel like they had to re-create the parenting wheel.  So I share what I have learned, what I think, what I value here and you can decide if it resonates with you or not.  Decide if it fits with your family or not.  Be mindful and make your choices wisely, but please do not punish yourself for the learning process that the journey holds. 

This blog entails the journeys of so many different families.  I have said this before, that honestly this blog is about less than my own personal parenting journey; it is about the journeys of the  thousands of families I have worked with , observed, counseled, assisted and loved.  I love children.  All of them.  I have worked with so many as a neonatal physical therapist, as a pediatric physical therapist, as a lactation consultant, as a homeschooling consultant, as a worker in church programs, as a friend, a neighbor.  I have worked in the inner city, I have worked in the suburbs.  Those difficult children no one else likes?  Those are the ones I like.  The ones no one wants to deal with because of their special needs, their challenges, their attitudes?  I love those children the best.    I can tell you what I have seen work for so many different families with so many different types of children from birth through age twenty-one.  And yes, those teenagers were also some of my favorites!  I see the precious gift that all of them are.

So why, as parents, as mothers, as the people who set the tone in our homes, do we waste precious time with these beautiful children  feeling guilty, feeling inadequate and stewing about things gone?    I have literally seen wonderful mothers who have taken the  one “wrong” thing they think they did and let it color their past parenting history, ruin the present moment and tarnish the future that has not even arrived.  One bad moment does not a terrible mother make! 

I am not suggesting you throw peaceful parenting out the window – not at all!  I am suggesting you have ideals, I am suggesting you continually strive and work to be the best parent you can be!  But most of all, I am suggesting that you accept yourself as human.   I am suggesting that you have more fun in your family and worry a whole lot less.

Sometimes I feel as if I am running; so much to do and not enough time here on earth to do it all…… If I could do one thing in my life outside of my own journey with my husband and children,  it would be to change on a major scale across this country HOW families view their children.  I want to help mothers especially.  I want to help mothers create a mindful family life, to convince them to have realistic expectations for their children and to help them understand what those might be, to help them in their striving to be gentle parents, to help them  understand the preciousness of this time and how to really connect with their children.  I want them to understand how to set the tone in their own homes, how to hold the space for these tiny beings who are learning, and how to do it with joy!

Hold an image of yourself in your mind’s eye as being the mother you want to be; imperfections, flaws and all!  Those things, all of it, is what makes us who we are!  Hold your children close!  Tell them you are glad the storm of anger passed and let’s all get our hands busy and nurture each other and our homes!   Let’s show compassion for one another when we are just human!  Let’s laugh and have joy and have fun together!  No wallowing in the weaknesses, just do better next time!  Life is so short, it is so fleeting, just love one another!

Many blessings on you all tonight,

Carrie

Bullying!

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I read an interesting mainstream article the other day (and which mainstream magazine it was in, I cannot remember), but the article was talking about the massive rise in incidents of bullying across the United States and possible reasons for this increase.

One thing that was mentioned in the article that I found very interesting from both a Waldorf perspective and a homeschooling perspective is that researchers believe a contributing factor to bullying is that children no longer spend their free time playing in groups.  Instead, children have nearly all of  their free time scheduled in team sports, classes.  Recess has been all but eliminated at many schools.  In essence, there are no chances for children to get together and play and learn how to interact acceptably within mixed aged groups in creative, free play.  

I have been privileged to work with thousands of families over the years and observe children in a variety of situations surrounding school, places of worship, groups in hospitals, homeschooling groups.  Have you ever watched a truly mixed-age group of children play?  If you have the wonderful and unique opportunity to observe a group of children of vastly different ages all playing, you can see how the younger children are on the outskirts and fringes of play mainly just  watching, how the range of older children help organize the play, and how the children all work together to solve conflict.  Unfortunately, there is not too much of this going on these days.  In this day and age, it tends to be all children of one age playing together.

However, in this day and age there is another skill and piece of this group/free play to consider.  Children these days really get very little constructive practice with conflict resolution at the family level.  They are busy running around with activities and lessons and carpools.  Many children no longer have large families with multiple siblings or huge extended families with many cousins to take these first steps toward group play and conflict resolution.  

So, it is my opinion that naturally small children under the age of 7 do not know how to  “work it out” unless this has been modeling and demonstrated over time for them and that in the past there is no way a group of small children would be playing without the older children of the family or village involved.   There is no way these tiny children would be so responsible for their own play!  And now, these tiny children grow up and become older, larger, bigger children who still have no idea how to interact socially without things being dictated by a coach or someone else.  They missed the beginning foundation!

So, these play dates where  mothers are huddled in a corner talking and the children are running wild and free often do not work out well.  Parents need to be around to show how to take turns, how to show compassion, and how to solve conflict.  I have talked about this frequently on this blog; you can use the search engine to search back posts. 

The other piece is that if children are constantly rushing around, there is no time for the parent to demonstrate how to look carefully at an animal or insect close-up, there is no time to help the neighbor down the street who needs it, there is no time to drive the four hours to grandma after she fell and help take care of her house (since grandma does not live in town near her children in our society anymore).  These are the experiences that build compassion and understanding for the growing child.

I think there is another that the mainstream article did not mention that is contributing to the rise of bullying:  the rise of children who have sensory processing problems and challenges such as  ADD/ADHD.  These children may be bullied simply because they cannot read another child’s social behavior.  You can see the US Government Fact Sheet regarding bullying and children with special needs here:  http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/adults/tip-sheets/tip-sheet-24.aspx

One thing this fact sheet points out is that children with ADD/ADHD are not only more likely to be bullied themselves,  but that they are slightly more likely to bully their peers.  The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has a fact sheet here:   http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying  If your child is a bully, professional help is needed.  Children who identify themselves as a bully in the middle school years are four times more likely to have a criminal conviction by age 24, according to a study cited in this article here:  http://www.education.com/magazine/article/what-to-do-if-your-child-is-a-bully/

Two other factors that also seem to me contributing causes for bullying include lack of rites of passages and the inability of children these days to have flexibility and resiliency.  Kim John Payne has tied lack of cultural rites of passage to bullying for older children in this interesting article here:  http://kimjohnpayne.com/files/SocialInclusionArticleCalgary  I talked about the importance of rites of passage when I reviewed this book:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/06/30/rite-of-passage-parenting-four-essential-experiences-to-equip-your-kids-for-life-heading-up-to-the-nine-year-change-and-beyond/

Kim John Payne also talks about the importance of slowing down, reducing clutter in the environment and other ways to help children lay good foundations for health but to increase resiliency.  You can refer to his book “Simplicity Parenting” for more information as to how to build resiliency in children.  You can see my review of Kim John Payne’s book here:  https://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/12/26/favorite-waldorf-resource-2-simplicity-parenting-using-the-extraordinary-power-of-less-to-raise-calmer-happier-and-more-secure-kids-by-kim-john-payne-and-lisa-ross/

Some parents believe that homeschooling will eliminate bullying from their children’s lives.  I do not think this is the case.  Bullying can occur even in homeschool groups!  Homeschooling children are not immune, and parents still  must be vigilant and involved.  Homeschooling involves being with your children 24/7 and sometimes parents really want to take a break at a homeschooling event – but this may not be the place!  Your children still need your help!  Parents must show their children how to slow down and have compassion for other people and animals.  Parents have a big job.

I would love to hear your experiences regarding bullying, social inclusion and issues related to this – leave me a comment in the box!  This post has many links, and a lot to think about, so I am going to leave this post up for a few days.  Thank you all!

Many blessings,

Carrie

A Review: Autumn Tales by Suzanne Down

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The funny thing about doing reviews is that I can tell you what I like or don’t like about something, but those may not be the things YOU like or dislike.  So, like everything else on this blog, please filter it through the fact that you are the expert on your own family and you will find in your heart what works best or does not work best.  Find what resonates with you!

Onto the review!  This is a paperback, spiral-bound little book of about 38 pages or so entitled “Autumn Tales:  A seasonal collection of poems and stories to be a helpful resource for teachers and parents.”

This book begins with 11 pages of verses that cover all the things one would see or associate with fall:  leaves, wind, farm animals and worker archetypal characters, geese, Harvest moons, pumpkins, spiders, witches for Halloween, apples, acorn fairies, ponies, Michaelmas swords and taming dragons, lanterns, Jack Frost, scarecrows and more!  The verses would be especially wonderful for ages 3-6, and perhaps you could even stretch them into using them for the grades or using the suggestion of movement from a verse for Form Drawing or  poetry or handwriting practice for the grades after the children learn the verses orally.  (yes, there is that oral work to handwriting to reading practice again!) .  I also like the idea of taking these verses and using them as a basis for your Nature Table or even taking the verses and crafting a fine story out of them.  For example, there is a sweet verse about a spider and a mouse living in a warm, snug little pumpkin house all winter that would be easy to make into a longer story.

The stories themselves are: Harvest Moon Magic, Piper’s Wild Plum Pie, How Witchamaroo Became the Pocket Witch (this story is a Halloween tradition in our house!  Who does not like Witchamaroo?), The Star House (great for visits to the apple orchard to pick apples), The Apple Elves, Star Kisses, Mother Earth’s Children, Little Boy Knight (a Michaelmas tale for young children), Why Trees Turn Color in Autumn, How Corn Came to the World, The Wise Ant  and Autumn Bear.

The stories themselves would most likely appeal to the four to six year old crowd, although a three-year-old could follow “Autumn Bear”.   I find many of the stories delightful myself as an adult, so again, I think it would all depend how you decide to work with them and bring them into gardening or seasonal traditions. 

There is one page at the back of the book with some simple patterns for a maple leaf, a pumpkin, a red apple and a mouse in order to make some finger puppets.

If you are interested in learning more about this book, please see this link over at Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts:  http://junipertreepuppets.com/books/

I had the great fortune of once attending a workshop with Suzanne Down; my secret dream is to one day go through her puppetry arts training.  Ah, the big dreams of life!

Many blessings,

Carrie

Posts I Am Enjoying

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Hi All!

Here are a few things I am enjoying from around the Web:

  • NobleMother’s series on John Gottman’s book, “Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work”:

Take a peek at this post and follow along: http://www.noblemother.com/2010/08/day-1-creating-a-marriage-that-rocks/

What are you all looking at on the Web?

Many blessings,

Carrie

Aww, Shucks.

Posted on by
7

This has been a week of people acknowledging the work that goes into “The Parenting Passageway” blog and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone.

This blog, specifically this post on Children and Chores (https://theparentingpassageway.com/2010/08/15/more-regarding-children-and-chores-in-the-waldorf-home/), was mentioned in the September 2010 E-zine by Simplicity Parenting author and expert Kim John Payne.  You can sign up to receive the free monthly E-zines here:  http://simplicityparenting.com/forsimplicityparents.html

I also was one of the blogs voted on and recognized over at The Waldorf Connection as Number Two of “The Best Waldorf Blogs” here:  http://thewaldorfconnection.com/uncategorized/waldorf-homeschooling-best-waldorf-blogs/

It is my fervent hope whether you are a parent seeking simplicity, a parent of small children or older children, a homeschooling parent or a parent whose children go to school, that you will all find something helpful here in this space.

Thank you all again so very much.

Many blessings,

Carrie