We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

Although we don’t always pay much attention to culture, it’s always there. It holds us, sustains us, and informs the way we act, feel, and think about the world.How do we intentionally craft a family culture that reflects our values? How do we practice those values every day with our children? And how do we continue to hold true to these values as our family grows and individual needs change?LifeWays’ online course - ‘Creating Your Family Culture - An Elemental Approach’ offers very down to earth and yet imaginative ways that guide you as you create your family’s culture.  Working with the elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, you’ll create ways of living that considers and envelopes each family member in shared values in a positive way that includes life-affirming practices.To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.WebsiteInstagram

What is Family Culture?Although we don’t always pay much attention to culture, it’s always there. It holds us, sustains us, and informs the way we act, feel, and think about the world.How do we intentionally craft a family culture that reflects our values? How do we practice those values every day with our children? And how do we continue to hold true to these values as our family grows and individual needs change?LifeWays’ online course - ‘Creating Your Family Culture - An Elemental Approach’ offers very down to earth and yet imaginative ways that guide you as you create your family’s culture.  Working with the elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, you’ll create ways of living that considers and envelopes each family member in shared values in a positive way that includes life-affirming practices.To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.WebsiteInstagram

Many of us, as we become parents, have some idea of how we do NOT want to discipline our children.  Then the children begin to arrive, either as our own children or the children in our care or classrooms, and we may find we are not as certain about what we WILL do when challenging behaviors arise.  Rarely is there one tool that solves all situations.  But one tool does stand at the foundation of all discipline tools that are meaningful and appropriate toward the sacred nature of our children.  That is love.  In the LOVE approach to Discipline with Loving Awareness, Cynthia Aldinger shares eight aspects of child guidance derived from the word LOVE as an acronym.  They are Listening, Laughter/Humor, Order/Clarity, Objectivity, Versatility, Vulnerability, Energy, and Enthusiasm, and each of these topics has a number of tools to consider.  In this conversation with Cynthia, we will hear about a few of these tools and the online course where you can explore more.To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.WebsiteInstagram

Many of us, as we become parents, have some idea of how we do NOT want to discipline our children.  Then the children begin to arrive, either as our own children or the children in our care or classrooms, and we may find we are not as certain about what we WILL do when challenging behaviors arise.  Rarely is there one tool that solves all situations.  But one tool does stand at the foundation of all discipline tools that are meaningful and appropriate toward the sacred nature of our children.  That is love.  In the LOVE approach to Discipline with Loving Awareness, Cynthia Aldinger shares eight aspects of child guidance derived from the word LOVE as an acronym.  They are Listening, Laughter/Humor, Order/Clarity, Objectivity, Versatility, Vulnerability, Energy, and Enthusiasm, and each of these topics has a number of tools to consider.  In this conversation with Cynthia, we will hear about a few of these tools and the online course where you can explore more.To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.WebsiteInstagram

Time in a natural outdoor setting has so many benefits for children: fostering wonder, encouraging natural observation, building resilience and health, nourishing the senses, and promoting relationships. Recent events have led many early childhood professionals and parents to explore the possibilities of offering expanded outdoor opportunities. With the strengthening power of fresh air and the elements of nature, more time outdoors can be an elixir for adults and children! Sign up for the Learning in Nature online course. Mary O'Connell has been working with the Anthroposophical care of young children for almost 20 years!  In 2002, she opened the very first LifeWays Early Childhood Center in Milwaukee where she served as the director for 13 years. Currently, Mary is the Board president of LifeWays North America, she is the training coordinator for LifeWays' extensive onsite and online programs AND she travels and teaches in some of these programs. Mary has taught teachers, caregivers, and parents all over the U.S. and internationally. In 2010, Mary co-authored Home Away From Home: LifeWays Care of Children and Families with Cynthia Aldinger, and in 2018 she authored Observing Young Children - A Tool for Meaningful Assessment.  Most recently, Mary started a non-profit farm education program at Paradise Farm in West Bend, WI where she and her colleagues provide outdoor, farm-based education to children and adults.To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.org. Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.WebsiteInstagram

In our last episode with Cynthia Aldinger we heard how LifeWays was founded.  We have Cynthia with us again and we’re excited to hear about the principles and practices of LifeWays.  LifeWays was born out of the need to address the care of young children.  We live in a time where many young children are in full-time care, LifeWays created a model for addressing the needs of the whole child through a strong foundation in anthroposophy and child development.Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, Anthroposophy helps build strength through self-development and through striving to be “worthy of imitation”.  It is through focusing on our internal environment that we are first and foremost able to create a warm, loving environment.  Cynthia, tell us more about this LifeWays principle which she calls Self as Curriculum.Cynthia Aldinger received her Waldorf teacher training certificate at Emerson College in Sussex, England.  She served fourteen years on the board of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America and was a founding teacher of Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Wisconsin.  Cynthia is the author of Life is the Curriculum and co-author of Home Away From Home, and she presents throughout North America and internationally, as well as through numerous online courses. A mother and grandmother, Cynthia’s passion is the preservation of the playful spirit of childhood and helping to create environments that provide the comfort, security, and activities found in a healthy home.Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy, developed by Rudolf Steiner at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.  It is a path of knowledge or spiritual research.  Anthroposophy strives to bridge the divide between the sciences, the arts, and the religious strivings of human beings and build a foundation for a synthesis of them for the future. Anthroposophy also holds an impulse to nurture the life of the soul in human beings and in society. Simply put - Anthroposophy means "Wisdom of the Human Being."To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel BirchWebsiteInstagram

In this first episode of season 2, we have invited Cynthia Aldinger, founder of LifeWays North America to tell the story of the founding of LifeWays. She has been dedicated to the work of creating childcare centers that nurture young children in healthy ways as well as training for teachers, parents, and caregivers.  LifeWays also offers numerous online courses for parents, teachers, and caregivers.Cynthia Aldinger received her Waldorf teacher training certificate at Emerson College in Sussex, England.  She served fourteen years on the board of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America and was a founding teacher of Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Wisconsin.  Cynthia is the author of Life is the Curriculum and co-author of Home Away From Home, and she presents throughout North America and internationally, as well as through numerous online courses.A mother and grandmother, Cynthia’s passion is the preservation of the playful spirit of childhood and helping to create environments that provide the comfort, security, and activities found in a healthy home.Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy, developed by Rudolf Steiner at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.  It is a path of knowledge or spiritual research.  Anthroposophy strives to bridge the divide between the sciences, the arts, and the religious strivings of human beings and build a foundation for a synthesis of them for the future. Anthroposophy also holds an impulse to nurture the life of the soul in human beings and in society. Simply put - Anthroposophy means "Wisdom of the Human Being."To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.orgMusic is Glacier Bells by Daniel BirchWebsiteInstagram

Take a journey into a Waldorf home to learn about structuring a rhythmical day. Explore what the benefits are and how and where to start when developing a routine that is good for the whole family.To discover more about We Nurture visit wenurturecollective.comWebsiteInstagram

Join Chinyelu Kunz and Molly MacDonald for an in-depth conversation on why inner peace, beauty, and goodness are especially needed in these challenging times.  In this episode you will gain tools and tips to support daily life with your young child! About our Guest, Molly MacDonald: Molly found her way to Waldorf Early Childhood education through her work in special education.  During her work in special education, she was able to integrate a child with learning differences into a small mixed-age class in a private school where the teacher was a Waldorf teacher.  It was under the guidance of this teacher that Molly learned that education could be gentle and she was inspired.  Over the years, she has worked with friends in creating a community parent and child program, handwork groups, community festivals, and study groups. Molly found her way to River Valley Waldorf school six years ago and worked as an assistant in the Kindergarten.  Later she moved into parent-child work and now teaches children ages 2 to 3 in the nursery program.To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

Join Chinyelu Kunz in this episode to experience a day at Rosebud Garden, Kimberton Waldorf School’s pre-kindergarten program for 2 to 4-year-olds.  From the outside play yard, garden, and forest to the classroom environments, daily rhythms, and activities, you will gain a deeper understanding of what makes Waldorf Early Childhood education Waldorf!To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

Create your intentional family by connecting more deeply through family rituals. Creating healthy rituals brings enthusiasm, anticipation and joy to each day! Rituals not only add significance to our daily rhythmic activities they strengthen the ties that bind us as a family and children lovingly embrace the special touches that we intentionally create in daily life. It's a journey into developing ways to nurture and care for our family and ourselves - it's a form of self-care! Rituals are the antidote to the stresses in our world so what better time than now to create your family's own rituals! Join us to learn more about creating healthy rituals!To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

In this episode, we will explore how we can cope with big adult emotions when anxiety overwhelms us. We'll give some tips to getting grounded and how through our in-breath and out-breath we can discover how to calm ourselves and our children. How can joy turn our days around, we'll also explore this together!To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

Join Chinyelu Kunz and Molly Brett as they talk about the Senses. Waldorf Education addresses healthy human development from many perspectives and points of view and knowledge of the 12 senses are critical to understanding healthy human development. One of Rudolf Steiner’s many contributions is the understanding that we actually have 12 senses and after birth, they all require further development. Not only do the senses unite the inner and outer world in each one of us but they also make it possible for us as individuals to interact with others in healthy ways as well as be fully grounded in our bodies. It takes a long time for the senses to develop and there is a scaffolding of sorts that takes place as the Foundational, Middle and then Higher senses develop from birth to age 21. The development of the 4 Foundational senses, which are the Sense of Touch, the Sense of Life, the Sense of Self Movement, and the Sense of Balance, takes place during the time from birth to 7 and their healthy development is critical to the further development of the other senses. Join us as we begin the journey to understanding the 4 foundational senses. The Sense of Self Movement The Sense of Self Movement also known as Proprioception, informs us of where our body is in relation to one another - how? by the contracting and stretching of muscles and by compression of the joints. It also gives us a sense of our orientation in space. Proprioception is our body’s awareness of our muscles and joints. When we move our body, information about where our body is in space is made aware to us on a physical level. As Waldorf Early Childhood teachers, we recognize that young children need more movement - self-directed movement. More self-directed movement not only strengthens the young child’s proprioceptive sense but also speech development because there is a connection between speech and movement. Children who have lots of time for movement - several hours each day - often have fewer speech problems. As Waldorf Early Childhood teachers, we are also finding that children are spending more and more time watching television, using computers, iPads, and iPhones and that these experiences diminish their opportunities to play freely inside and outside. Supporting your young child’s movement development right from infancy, as they learn to roll over, sit, crawl walk, run and climb, supports them in their development as they build on their ability to speak, read, write, and beyond. Self-movement is essential to the young child’s developing body. Join us as we explore the Sense of Self Movement, ways to strengthen it as well as what gets in the way, and what signs to look for when your child needs support.To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

Join Chinyelu Kunz and Molly Brett as they talk about the Senses. Waldorf Education addresses healthy human development from many perspectives and points of view and knowledge of the 12 senses is critical to understanding healthy human development. One of Rudolf Steiner’s many contributions is the understanding that we actually have 12 senses and after birth, they all require further development. Not only do the senses unite the inner and outer world in each one of us but they also make it possible for us as individuals to interact with others in healthy ways as well as be fully grounded in our bodies. It takes a long time for the senses to develop and there is a scaffolding of sorts that takes place as the Foundational, Middle and then Higher senses develop from birth to age 21. The development of the 4 Foundational senses, which are the Sense of Touch, the Sense of Life, the Sense of Self Movement, and the Sense of Balance, takes place during the time from birth to 7 and their healthy development is critical to further development of the other senses. Join us as we begin the journey to understanding the 4 foundational senses. The Sense of Life The Sense of Life is felt inwardly especially when our body is out of balance or not functioning well. Are you hungry? tired? in pain? restless? When we have these experiences then our sense of life lets us know that our body needs nurturing so that we can return to health and harmony. We cannot rely on our young child to tell us when something is off-balance in their body or doesn't feel quite right. We can see it in their behavior! Meltdowns, irritable and grumpy moods, crying, lack of interest, negotiating, obsessive and compulsive behavior as well as other behaviors that give us clues. In this episode we'll talk about the sense of life, ways to strengthen it as well as what gets in the way, and what signs to look for.To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram

Join Chinyelu Kunz and Molly Brett as they talk about the Senses. Waldorf Education addresses healthy human development from many perspectives and points of view and knowledge of the 12 senses is critical to understanding healthy human development. One of Rudolf Steiner’s many contributions is the understanding that we actually have 12 senses and after birth, they all require further development. Not only do the senses unite the inner and outer world in each one of us but they also make it possible for us as individuals to interact with others in healthy ways as well as be fully grounded in our bodies. It takes a long time for the senses to develop and there is a scaffolding of sorts that takes place as the Foundational, Middle and then Higher senses develop from birth to age 21. The development of the 4 Foundational senses, which are the Sense of Touch, the Sense of Life, the Sense of Self Movement and the Sense of Balance, takes place during the time from birth to 7 and their healthy development is critical to further development of the other senses. Join us as we begin the journey to understanding the 4 foundational senses. The Sense of Touch. As we experience ourselves and the world around us through touch, it is through these experiences that we develop an awareness of where our body ends and where everything else begins. We begin to experience boundaries. Touch can be viewed as the balance between our inner world and outer world and it is experience through the body’s largest organ, the skin. We’ll explore how the sense of touch is the foundation for the other senses.To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.orgWebsiteInstagram