We Nurture: Recent Episodes
We Nurture Collective
This parenting podcast empowers parents on their journey by exploring what it means to nurture and be nurtured with mindfulness and presence. Listen to learn how you can best meet your child’s developmental needs as your child grows and develops while cultivating a nurturing, joyful home life.
Parenting wakes us up, sometimes in jarring ways especially when we begin to be more aware of our actions and behavior. In fact, it can sometimes be a surprise to us. It can be frustrating, scary, confusing and leave us feeling helpless. When we become conscious of our behavior, our words and actions we see that we actually have a choice, we can choose to raise our consciousness and live in alignment with the person we’re striving to become. Being conscious brings us closer to making the changes that we want to see in ourselves.
In this episode, I dive into talking about 10 ways you can parent with greater consciousness. The 10 ways I focus on are;
- Becoming conscious of your behavior, words, actions, and gestures.
- Working on self-development.
- Working on your personal challenges and triggers.
- Modeling behavior you want to see in your child.
- Creating healthy home rhythms.
- Slowing down and simplifying daily routines.
- Communicating clearly and limiting choices
- Being intentional with your words & limiting adult information
- Listening with interest
- Having Compassion and Empathy for your child’s big feelings
There’s a lot that I cover in this episode, including where I describe a foundation that’s needed for the young child’s healthy development.
I hope you’ll join me!
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You're in for a real treat in this episode!
Listen in to my in-depth conversation with guest Catherine Read, PhD author of 'The Genius of Home' - Teaching Your Children At Home With The Waldorf Curriculum.
Catherine and I met about 30 years ago when we attended a Waldorf Playgroup at a Waldorf school in Southern California and then after moving across the country we reconnected again on the East Coast when we both moved at different years to Pennsylvania. Catherine and I share immense respect for the Waldorf method not only for the curriculum but also for how it provides wise guidance for healthy family life and a way of living.
Catherine shares her experience homeschooling her two children with the Waldorf method and how this awakened her to her own self-development and how the child awakens to the world as well as the development of consciousness during childhood. Catherine also shares how she approached homeschooling her two children and so much more!
Whether you're thinking of homeschooling and/or want incorporate the Waldorf method or way of living in your home, listening to this episode is a great starting point.
I'll be going deeper into conversation with Catherine in my upcoming webinar with her on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 1:30 - 2:30 pm EST. All who register will receive a Replay.
Register for our upcoming webinar: Homeschooling the Waldorf Way
When: April 29th at 1:30 EST (all registrants will receive the recording)
The Genius of Home
Learn more about Catherine’s work here
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**Boundary expectations are connected to how parents choose to raise their children. The way you both think, the decisions you both make are informed, consciously or unconsciously, by what you both value and perhaps even more so, the personality traits you want to see in your child. But you both will not know what characteristics or traits are important to you unless you both talk about it. Because it takes being sensitive to each other’s perspective, communication is key. It's the best way to build a bridge of understanding and it means being sensitive to each other's perspective.
In this episode, I talk about three important steps to take and I give step and step advice to build a bridge that will help you and your spouse or partner come together with greater understanding. It's not only with boundary expectations that you will have differing opinions, there will be other aspects in parenting that will challenge how you communicate and this is why creating a foundation for how to communicate is so important.
Listen to hear more!**
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Young children thrive in the ordinary, to them it's reliable, predictable and feels safe. There's less anxiety, less overwhelm, less to be nervous about especially when the ordinary is nourished by a healthy rhythm.
**It can be hard to slow down, be present and fully embrace ordinary moments and ordinary days. How you wash the dishes, do the laundry, sweep the floor, set the table; these and more can make you feel like you're not seen and perhaps this is what makes simple, ordinary moments and days so hard.
In this episode I offer advice as well as inspiration for finding joy in ordinary days. I also tell my story of how I embraced ordinary days as a first time mom.
Here are two episodes from Season 4 that offer more on this topic.
The Key to More Joyful Days with Your Child (part 1)**https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-nurture/id1481862269?i=1000528963100
The Key to More Joyful Days with Your Child (part 2)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-nurture/id1481862269?i=1000529682364
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For young children sleep is a sacred time that needs to be protected. Sleep is often a vulnerable time for young children and when they need us by their side. In this episode, I talk about what **it means to nurture your child’s sleep as soul care. How slowing down life supports a child in "digesting" their day and also in being able to let go of the day in order to fall asleep.
I touch on emotional overload and overwhelm and what happens when we view sleep as a holistic experience.
Join me for a different, perhaps wider perspective on how to help your child have better sleep.**
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Over 30 years ago when I was first introduced to Waldorf education I heard about the immense value of observing my children and how it would help me know them better.
This concept was new to me as a valuable parenting tool. I was intrigued and decided to try it out. In this episode, I share what I learned from observing my children. I also talk about a good starting place should you choose to practice observing your child as a way to know them better.
I'm so glad you've joined me!
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Why do rhythmical meals work? And What are the benefits?
It's no surprise that young children do best when life is consistent and dependable. They feel safe when life happens in the same way over and over and even in the same order. They want daily life to be reliable and this is one reason why rhythmical meals work. When your rhythm includes a rotation of weekly meals that your child can count on then mealtimes are more likely to go smoother. Creating a rhythm with meals will also create more harmonious family mealtimes.
Listen to hear the other benefits of rhythmical meals!
In the episode, I give some healthy snack suggestions as well as dinner ideas. I dive a little bit into seasonal eating and offer some inspiration for meal planning.
If you're intrigued and want to explore rhythmical meals in your home, we have created a FREE printable to help you get started. All you need to do is subscribe to The Journal (there's no cost to subscribe) and you'll be on the list to receive the printable.Subscribe here
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**Being a parent is so rewarding but also hard. There’s so much that you need to surrender to much of which you were not even aware of before having a child. Finding balance in daily life is definitely one as well as balancing your needs with that of your child’s. It’s really a constant challenge.
What does the heartbeat in your home feel like?
Do you have clear intentions for your family's lifestyle?
Is there a rhythmic heartbeat in your home?
Join me in this episode for advice and tips that will reduce overwhelm and help you navigate balancing daily life.
I've created a beautiful and unique Seasonal Family Rhythm Planner to help guide you in intentionally crafting a rhythm that aligns with the heartbeat you want for your home. The Rhythm Planner guides you step by step in creating a rhythm that will bring more balance to your days! Visit wenurturecollective.com to learn more or purchase your copy.**
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Welcome back to the We Nurture Podcast! We are so excited to announce that Season 7 will be starting next Monday. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the first episode.
Subscribe to our newsletter, The We Nurture Journal, to be notified when the season has begun and to receive updates throughout the season!
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Spending time outdoors is real food for the soul, real food for the senses, as it nourishes the young child’s senses. Spending time outside helps your child breathe deeply and be better regulated.
Nature reduces overwhelm and eases tension. It will bring your child to a calm peaceful state. One of the great benefits of being out in nature is that it also gives your child time away from screens, and makes it possible for them to intimately reconnect with themselves.
Join me in this episode as I talk about the Foundational senses, outdoor activities that strengthen these senses and how you can create an outdoor play area in your own backyard with toys that you curate that will interest your child and encourage them to spend hours in play outside.
It’s Seasonal Thursday and I’m so excited to have you here today. Welcome to the We Nurture Podcast with me, your host, Chinyelu. Today, I’ll be talking about the benefits of creating a summer seasonal table for you and your child. Waldorf Education calls it a nature table and it is all about creating nature scenes that reflect what is happening outside in nature, during that season. I’ll speak to you about how a seasonal table opens up opportunities for creativity, engagement, bonding, communication, connection and care. It is a natural way to encourage outdoor play and it allows your child to connect with nature in a personal way, as you let them go about their explorations. A seasonal table is all about engaging your child’s senses, as well as strengthening your bond with them through an activity that you can do together. Bring along your child-like wonder as you tune in for this one.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Being drawn to the ‘why‘ of a summer seasonal table/nature table as a young mother new to Waldorf Education.
- Encouraging an interest in and respect for the natural world.
- Helping your child learn about nature in a personal way, developing a caring attitude for the earth.
- A natural way to encourage outside play.
- How your child can get a deeper experience of exploring the world around them.
- Placing focus on allowing your child the opportunity to investigate and explore like a scientist.
- The importance of play with objects from nature and further developing the sense of touch.
- Why flowers matter and how to arrange them with your child.
- The most important aspect of creating a seasonal table: being together with your child.
- Introducing seasonal foods/recipes to your child and having them help you prepare that meal.
- Crafting with natural objects and materials.
- Having a crafted tree as a grounding presence on your seasonal table.
- Ideas on how to start a seasonal table and where to place it in your home.
Etsy
We Nurture Collective
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The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
**Welcome to a new episode on The We Nurture Podcast! Today is Inspirational Wednesday, and I will be talking about five Waldorf-inspired practices that I believe will help you cultivate a more balanced, nourishing lifestyle for your family (and for you too!). No matter your parenting situation, looking after little ones is no easy task. While focusing on the five practices, which are self-care, rhythm (one of my favorites!), daily routines, family values, home life and connecting with nature, I will help you understand how to cultivate balance when you live intentionally! While looking at sleep times, mealtimes, and play times, I help you understand how to better meet your child’s needs. I also give you some tips on creating simple, nurturing, doable, and nourishing self-care practices for when life feels like an overwhelming balancing act.
Key Points From This Episode:**
- A new perspective on how to view balance in our lives.
- Why parenting requires so much energy.
- Five Waldorf-inspired practices to cultivate in day to day life.
- 1: self-care (creating simple, nurturing, doable, and nourishing practices).
- 2: rhythm (sleep times, mealtimes, and play times).
- 3: daily routines (building with intentionality to restore a sense of balance).
- 4: family values (the tools you give your child, defining your family story, and creating healthy values).
- 5: home life and connecting with nature (a place of security, safety, and cultivating a sanctuary).
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nurture on YouTube
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Stories help children process life challenges and we can use stories to help manage behavior that has become disruptive or developed into a negative pattern.
Stories are healing and when you use language that conjures up picture images you can guide your child to a calm state especially when they're having a difficult time with change whether it's a change in the rhythm or routine or a bigger life change.
**I have found that telling stories that you create in the moment or plan ahead can really help to calm a young child help them feel secure. In the early years, children do well when we use descriptive language; picture language as I like to call it. By picture language I mean words that describe an event in a way that the young child feels like they're stepping into a story.
There's more in this episode on this topic. Listen in and you'll also hear two stories that I tell, both spontaneously created, as examples to inspire you.**
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Mindful Monday, and I will be discussing why giving a child a timeout doesn’t work. Timeouts, which are ineffective and punitive, never serve their intended purpose. While delving deep into the topic, I explain why we need to change our perception of dealing with negative behavior, and how by doing this, we create an opportunity to support our children, connect with them, and build a relationship. I try to help you understand the importance of being present when your child reflects and processes their behavior, how to teach your child emotional regulation, the ways to guide them with your own strengths and boundaries, and how timeouts cause our children to create beliefs that they are worthy of punishment. Plus, I give you suggestions and helpful strategies on what to do instead of timeouts, how to acknowledge why you desire to send your child to timeout, and the importance of giving your child autonomy and choice. I hope you can join me!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How to change our response to our child’s negative behavior.
- How to figure out what our child is trying to communicate when they have negative behavior.
- Helpful strategies to use when dealing with a child’s misbehavior.
- Understanding what the flawed goal of timeout is.
- Why we need to be present when our children reflect on their behavior.
- How we help our children with emotional regulation by being present.
- Why our children need to feel comforted and guided when they are presenting negative behavior.
- The lessons to teach our children when they are processing their feelings.
- How to reflect on why you are sending your child to timeout.
- The power of giving a child autonomy and choice.
- How to incorporate the outside when you’re dealing with misbehavior.
- The importance of reflecting on your child’s negative behavior.
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nurture on YouTube
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Q&A Friday, and I am going to be talking about how to manage bedtimes when you have children of different ages. I am going to talk about the power of healthy, daily rhythms and having a holistic overview of the day. Before I get deep into today’s episode, I recap the six foundations of a healthy rhythm and give some quick examples of how to make sure you achieve these. Then, I will help you understand the effect a busy day has on the tiredness of your child, and I will draw on my own experiences to give you tips, tricks, and advice on how to juggle managing bedtime routines. I help you understand how to let go of the day and make peace with what has been, in the hopes of finding harmony tomorrow. From reading books before bed and having early dinners, to managing bathing and showering routines, this episode is helpful for parents and caregivers with children of all ages!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Chinyelu discusses why she was at home with her three children (of all different ages).
- The power of a healthy, daily rhythm and having a holistic overview of the day.
- Talking about how different emotions are expressed at the end of the day, normally at bedtime.
- Why children can become clingy at the end of the day.
- How to have a harmonious bedtime.
- The link between the end of today and the beginning of tomorrow.
- Investing in a front carrier for your baby.
- Why you should have early dinners, and how to create a bathing/showering routine.
- Why you should read books (and the different kinds of books to read) before bed.
- How you can put your day to rest and give yourself peace during bedtime.
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Seasonal Thursday, and I am going to be chatting about how to create, and maintain, a nourishing, balancing summertime rhythm to nurture your child and family. We all know that the summer season is notorious for unplanned, changing activities. So, when reflecting on our rhythms, we need to focus on creating predictable and consistent routines that will support our child's ability to self-regulate, have a sense of normality, and support their sense of wellbeing. I discuss the three essential cornerstones of support (sleep time, mealtime, and playtime) and how they promote a healthy daily rhythm. I will help you recognize when your child is expressing, their feelings of being unsettled and overwhelmed; whether it is through behavior or actions, and how to approach and implement a balanced routine to get them back to feeling their best. I hope you tune in to hear my personal summertime rhythm guide, which includes estimated times of the day, for creating a sustainable and supportive rhythm!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How the summer season brings a change in rhythms.
- Creating predictable and consistent routines.
- The foundation of rhythm and the three cornerstones: sleep time, mealtime, and playtime.
- How to help your child self-regulate, have a sense of normality, and support their sense of wellbeing.
- Understanding your child’s negative behavior (and boundary-pushing) as communicating feelings of being unsettled and overwhelmed.
- The major role of balancing your day-to-day life
- The power of slowing down (and expanding) the activities we do with our children.
- A framework for creating your summer rhythm.
- Sleep time: the correct number of hours for restorative sleep.
- Mealtime: helping keep the system in balance, nourishment, and blood sugar regulation.
- Playtime: nourishing cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being and language and communication skills development.
- The power of being in nature during your summer mealtime.
- A summertime rhythm guide, based on times of the day, for creating a nourishing routine.
Sleep Foundation
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
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The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Did you know that when your child plays with a toy, they actually build a relationship with the toy and the material that the toy is made from can affect how they play with the toy. It’s important when we are intentional about the kinds of toys or play materials that we give to our child. Does it have warmth? Does it invite your child to play? How does it feel? How does your child engage with it? These are all good questions to ask.
Just by watching your child, you can see how much their toys stimulate their imagination, their curiosity and approach to exploring their world. Children learn about their world through play and the toys and play materials that they use are a medium for this exploration.
**The less formed a toy is the more room there is for your child to imagine and create their own ideas. Open-ended toys give children freedom to create and because they aren’t fixed they can be used in any number of ways.
Join me in this episode to learn more!**
**Today on Mindful Monday, I will be talking about the four temperaments as a tool to better understand your child’s personality. By understanding temperaments, we, as parents, can meet our child's needs in a more effective way. The four temperaments, which can be defined as traits and characteristics, are known as air (sanguine), water (phlegmatic), earth (melancholic), and fire (choleric).
“Although each temperament has specific qualities, we can expect that every one of the qualities will be seen in each individual.”— Chinyelu Kunz [
I talk about how, although each person has one or two dominant elements, qualities of each temperament is present in everyone. I advise on how to recognize, observe, experience, and manage each temperament in your child. Plus, I offer a guide to understanding how to bring all four elements into balance and harmony. I hope you will join me for this episode!**
Key Points From This Episode:
- The power of understanding your child’s personality.
- The four temperaments and how they relate to the four elements.
- How Waldorf uses the temperaments as a tool to bring children to balance.
- Exploring how each element can present itself in children.
- A perspective from a Waldorf teacher and Waldorf mother.
- How to support our children by understanding and recognizing their characteristics as a part of their elements.
Books on Temperaments (short list)
Between Form & Freedom by Betty Staley
Children and Their Temperaments by Marieke Anschutz
Authentic Parenting by Bari Borsky & Judith Haney
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nurture on YouTube
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
In this Q & A Friday Episode , I’ll be talking about Self-Care for Stressed Parents.
This question was asked on our instagram poll when we asked parents to submit their questions for Q & A Friday on the podcast. It received a lot of votes which made it the clear choice for this episode.
**If you would like to ask a parenting question you can submit it on Instagram @we (underscore) nurture on Mondays during season 6!
Listen in as I guide you through how to acknowledge your stress, process stress triggers, and even potentially prevent stress altogether. You’ll learn the negative effects of high-stress levels and how you can recognize this through your elevated emotions.
When your self-care practices make it possible for you to have a deeper understanding of why your stress exists, this helps you understand ways to heal yourself.
However, you need to remember that your stressors and emotions are valid, even if they make you feel like you are an incapable or imperfect parent. With examples such as going for a walk, having a bath, and resting when your child does, you'll begin to understand how you need to nurture the parts of yourself that needs it the most.
I hope this episode will inspire you to dig deep and start your daily self-care practices today!**
Listen to hear more and learn ways to reduce your parenting stress!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The knockdown effects of high-stress levels.
- Recognizing the beginning stages of elevated stress levels.
- The implications of emotional disconnection.
- The feelings of regret at the end of the vicious stress cycle.
- How to determine the origin of your stress.
- Examples of emotions that trigger stress.
- Different practices to incorporate into your day-to-day life to alleviate stress.
- The deepness that should take place during your self-care practices.
- Examples of self-care practices that nurture the parts of yourself that need to be nurtured.
- Different parts of self: emotional, social, physical, sensory, intellectual, creative, and spiritual.
- How to achieve personal growth while you’re on the journey of reducing your stress.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nurture on YouTube
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
In this episode, I talk about Forest Bathing, the benefits and why it's a healthy activity.
W**hat is it about forest life that draws us, heals us, and brings us joy?
What does it mean to bath our senses in the atmosphere of the forest?
In the forest, nothing is asked of us so we find ourselves listening, observing and noticing what’s around us. We relax. And when we are in a place where we can calmly take in our surroundings, particularly in a forest where our senses are bathed, we become peaceful just by the very fact that our body is in a restful state and that we’re breathing more deeply.
Join me as I take you on a journey through the forest to experience how and why it's healing for the senses and the soul.**
Key Points From This Episode:
- Understanding what forest bathing is.
- The health benefits of forest bathing.
- Why I built a forest at a Waldorf pre-school program.
- Why forest life heals and nurtures our emotional well-being, physical bodies, and soul.
- What it means to bathe our senses in the atmosphere of a forest.
- How to craft and cultivate a simple and better forest experience.
- Nature as a powerful antidote for sensory overload and challenging behaviors.
- The ways children absorb experiences and how to use this to foster healthy development.
- The four foundational senses as our child’s sensory building blocks.
- How to observe your child in a forest bathing experience.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture Instagram
We Nurture Instagram
Association for Healing Education - Article - Observations Based on the Lower Senseshttp://box5157.temp.domains/~healipj6/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/12sensesahe.pdf
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nurture on YouTube
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
As parents, we know how important play is for young children. For the young child, play and learning are one and the same. Through play, children try out their ideas and develop new capacities at their own pace and in their own timing.
It's been said that the most effective way for a young child to be educated is to let them learn through play at their own pace. - To let them learn when they are ready and interested.
**The types of play that I’ll focus on is based on research that was used as a tool for assessing whether play in early childhood programs was providing adequate opportunities and materials for all types of play. Although this research came out of this need, it’s also a useful tool for us as parents to know if we are providing the variety of play that our child needs and if they have access to different types of play in the program they attend.
Listen to learn more!
Here are a links to Alliance for Childhood articles
Crisis in the Kindergarten - Why Children Need to Play in School**https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d24bb215f3e850001630a72/t/5d389f785f713d0001a33797/1563991929109/Summary+Crisis+in+Kindergarten_8-page_summary.pdf
Alliance for Childhood - Importance of Play
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED485734.pdf
12 Key Types of Play
https://images.shulcloud.com/1039/uploads/docs/Resource-Bank/Parent-Resource-Bank/Twelve-Key-Types-of-Play.pdf
**Welcome to another inspiring edition of Blossoming Tuesday on the We Nurture Podcast.
Today, I talk about how to nurture your child’s ability to self-regulate. I highlight three stages of learning - supporting self-regulation, co-regulating, and achieving self-regulation that, when nurtured, builds your child’s ability to regulate. You’ll come to understand what role your triggers, as a parent, play in your child’s self-regulation journey. I share insights on the importance of breathing, talking, seeking help, and, of course, the undeniable benefits of play. Finally, I take a detailed look at the importance of self-regulation in children and adults alike. Tune in to listen and please share this episode with family and friends.**
Key Points From This Episode:
- The three stages of learning that build your child’s ability to self-regulate.
- Stage 1: Supporting self-regulation.
- How to be a calm, nurturing presence for your child.
- Stage 2: Co-regulating.
- Stage 3: Achieving self-regulation.
- Why understanding your triggers as a parent will help your child’s self-regulation.
- How children develop self-regulation through self-directed play.
- The reasons why self-regulation is essential.
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today on Mindful Monday, I will be chatting about the effects of screen time on our young ones. I'll open a dialogue around why screen time should be limited for younger children. I'll talk about how I raised my children, the research and resources I used, and the methods of observations that better equipped me to create and maintain a screen-free home. While acknowledging that this is a difficult task, I'll give advice, tips, and powerful questions to ask ourselves which will help listeners to better observe and perceive the ways children behave and interact when having screen time. From understanding important cognitive, sensory, and physiological nervous system developments in our children, to the power of boredom and nature, I talk about how to take on the challenge of minimizing screen time in your homes to improve all aspects of your child's life. I'll talk about how chronic stress, overstimulation, and concentration barriers can be combated with simple play-oriented, movement-centered, grounding techniques. I hope you can join me to feel empowered to tackle minimizing screen time in a world that revolves around screens!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A brief look at my personal parenting style with regard to screens.
- The age at which I introduced screens into my children's lives.
- Discussing the development of a young child’s brain with respect to certain age markers.
- The developmental processes a brain misses out on when a child is having screen time.
- Why I avoided screen time when raising my children in their early years.
- The importance of children feeling and processing their boredom.
- The effects of screen time on children's cognitive, sensory, and physiological nervous systems.
- How screen time can affect your child’s focus, attention span, and sleep.
- A scientific understanding of a child’s developing brain.
- Three critical questions you can ask yourself when making decisions around children’s screen time.
- How to look out for and pay attention to the negative effects of screen time.
- 10 key points from Dr. Dunckley’s book, Reset Your Child's Brain.
- The power of observing your child.
PDF Reset Your Child's Brain - A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Build Social skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time
Reset Your Child's Brain by Dr. Victoria DunckleyWhat Do We Really Know About Kids and ScreensThe Case for Screen-Free ChildhoodAssociations between screen-based media use and brain white matter integrity in preschool-aged children
Today on Q&A Friday, I talk about how to mindfully navigate resistance and aggressive language in our children. With no simple one-size-fits-all approach, I guide you in understanding that each situation requires a personal tailored response: one that is in the best interest of your child. You'll learn the importance of a child being able to express themselves, and how to look beyond their behavior with kindness and empathy for underlying issues that they may be trying to express. Discover seven reasons that can cause resistance and aggressive language, which include being overwhelmed, the inability to express emotions, mimicking their personal experiences, and changing communication styles. Plus, you'll get some suggestions to navigate this behavior, from creating consistent home rhythms to holding boundaries, remaining calm in resistant situations, and acknowledging major developmental milestones. I hope you’ll join me for this informative and encouraging episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Navigating your child’s resistance while considering potential underlying causes.
- How allowing your child to express themselves builds connections and strengthens relationships.
- A list of seven things to consider when understanding resistant behavior.
- Suggestions on how to combat resistant behavior.
- Why adults must make bigger decisions and let children choose between two smaller choices.
- How being overwhelmed can mirror being resistant.
- The ways an adult can support their child through situations that trigger resistance.
- What the Waldorf Education system defines as the individuation process.
- The healing power of telling stories.
- How to tame, work with, and deal with aggressive language and behavior
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
“Gardening isn’t just an activity that we do. In so many ways, it shows us the essence of the cycles of life, from the seed to the aging, dying plant.” Today on Seasonal Thursday, I’ll be talking about a Waldorf inspired approach to gardening with young children. Once again, I will invite you to place yourself in the young child’s world of feeling instead of knowing, experiencing instead of overthinking. I'll take a look at the importance of nature in early childhood before taking a deep dive into ‘the willing phase’. Then, onto gardening, where you’ll learn how to plan your garden and decide what to plant, making sure that you have the right tools, as well as the importance of designated gardening clothes, and so much more! And, of course, you’ll get some ideas for fun gardening activities, some of which are there to extend the experience beyond just gardening. Make sure to tune in and come grow with us.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Living into an experience, instead of thinking your way through it.
- How ‘feeling‘ is more important than ‘knowing‘ for the young child.
- The importance of nature in early childhood.
- Waldorf Educations’s three phases of the growing child, paying closer attention to ‘the willing phase‘.
- Planning your garden and deciding what to plant.
- The importance of organic seeds/food.
- Making sure that you have the right tools.
- How to create a separate play area for your child.
- Another reminder that children play themselves into life.
- Some fun gardening activities for children aged 18 months and older.
- The importance of having the right clothes and why distinctively different clothes for gardening matters.
- I talk about how to keep it simple.
- Little things that you can do to add to the experience, beyond just gardening.
- Creating a small, personal garden bed for the slightly older child.
Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Inspirational Wednesday, and we will be chatting about the power of cooking with your child. In this episode, I share personal experiences I had with my mother, my experience as a Waldorf educator, and experiences with my children in their early childhood years. I use all of these experiences to guide you through the benefits of cooking and preparing food with your child. From social-emotional and cognitive development, building self-esteem, promoting hand-eye coordination, and creating an awareness of their senses, the list of benefits seems endless. You'll begin to understand how, by allowing your child to participate in the kitchen, you'd can create lifelong memories, foster positive relationships, and cultivate a connection to the natural world. My aim is to provide comfort in the face of this potentially daunting task, and encourage a shift in your mindset to move away from your potential fears of mess and imperfection. I hope you can join us for this informative and advice-filled episode!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Children’s interest in adults’ day-to-day tasks.
- A look at my childhood in Nigeria as the beginning of my relationship with food.
- Cooking as an early childhood experience is integral to the Waldorf curriculum.
- The holistic perspective of nourishment as an experience that promotes a healthy relationship with food.
- The importance of children being immersed and included in their surrounding environments.
- Accepting that including your child in cooking may be messy and be imperfect.
- How cooking nurtures your relationship with your child and builds their self-esteem.
- How helping prepare food promotes pre-maths thinking and helps build hand-eye coordination skills.
- How cooking develops language skills, social-emotional and cognitive development, and problem-solving skills.
- Age-appropriate considerations to make in the kitchen.
- Recommendations on how to ensure your child’s safety while preparing food.
SEASON 6 EPISODE 17
Do you feel like your home needs more calm? Well, get ready for some peace at home as we welcome you to another episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today, on Blossoming Tuesday, I talk about activities that you can do to ground and calm your child. Behavior is something that needs to be carefully considered and in this episode you'll learn how your child’s behavior determines which calming activity best suits their needs. You'll also discover just how important it is to identify your child’s individual needs. You’ll come to know why the ‘time of day’ makes a difference in your child’s behavior. There are four foundational senses that we are made aware of and there is a calming activity that speaks to each one of them. I talk about about warmth as a calming essential, water as therapy, and the benefits of creating a little fort for your child. Make sure that you tune in to find out how you can bring calm to your home!
Key Points From This Episode:
Things to notice about your child’s behavior.
- How behavior determines the necessary calming activity.
- The importance of identifying the ‘need’ of your child.
- What different types of calming activities look like.
- Why time of day is an important factor to consider.
- How sense is important when choosing the right calming activity.
- Looking at the four foundational senses.
- Four calming activities that relate to the senses.
- Grounding experiences for the imbalanced child.
- Why warmth is used as a calming essential tool.
- How water is akin to therapy.
- The importance of cozy nooks and blanketed forts for you.
You'll find our recipe for Homemade Warm Lavender Scented Play dough in today's instagram post.
Link to Waldorf Play Frame
https://www.sarahssilks.com/products/fire-playframe-bundle?variant=42079509840053¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjw46CVBhB1EiwAgy6M4jpZiKJPWINizpEOOKFV3d-RHH8Czi0NN5EnAjysTxqqeipc8oVpUxoCJFwQAvD_BwE
Link to Waldorf Play Stands
https://www.ababy.com/itempage.asp?itemid=15833&tracking=fgle1&utm_source=fgle1&utm_medium=fr&utm_campaign=datafeed&qitemb=c-96498&campaignid=9606035912&adgroupid=100421842073&adid=425121019637&gclid=CjwKCAjw46CVBhB1EiwAgy6M4sAABxl-lAnd4e_R6IZKPYK3UKS-xY-VjMCBGZef26Cum8JO7CBVyRoCdGQQAvD_BwE
Welcome to another exciting edition of Mindful Monday on the We Nurture Podcast! In this episode, I’ll be talking about the importance of letting children know that there is goodness in the world. Life is hard, so children need to know that even in difficult times, goodness does exist. You'll learn that parents need to protect our children from our adult fears and anxieties and that we, as adults, need to be a model of happiness that our children can look up too. We come to understand that fear can make a child shut down and that we shouldn’t expose them to news and other adult content while they are still young. We should, instead, shower them with love and positivity. Positive affirmations can help your child develop a sense of being safe. And, we can positively affirm that today’s episode is not to be missed!
May **this episode encourage you and help you to discover hope and joy in life everyday and that you'll find the strength and courage to show your child that there is indeed Goodness in the World!
Key Points From This Episode:**
• Why it is important for children to know that there is goodness in the world.
• Why children need to be protected from adult fears and anxieties.
• The way Chinyelu’s childhood experiences of war formed her beliefs!
• Discovering ways to be a model of happiness for our kids.
• How to help your child develop a sense of safety.
• What it means to meet the world with warmth and an open heart.
• How to create moments of stillness.
• The importance of positive affirmations.
Long ago, in a tiny house at the edge of the forest lived grandmother.
Grandmother loved to spend her days in the garden tending to the flowers. She grew more than she needed so she could share with the birds and small animals that came to visit. Grandmother had a tiny root cellar beneath her house where she stored her carrots and pumpkins in the winter and in the summer it was cool. in the summer. It was where she always went when there was a storm and she needed to be safe.
“This protection story was written for the children of Ukraine. It is in loving memory of my beautiful grandmother who passed away last winter, a first generation Czechoslovakian farmer with Ukrainian ancestry. Her name meant “one who comes from where the wild roses grow.” And in gratitude to my Ukrainian friends whose light and beauty sustained me for 10 years when I was away from home. There is nothing more important than home and kin.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author
Darla Barrows was born and raised on a small family owned dairy farm in the Driftless region of the Midwest. She and her family recently moved back to the Driftless to be near her parents who have turned their 70 acres of farmland into prairie flower conservation. Darla holds a degree in ASL Interpretation and Transliteration from Saint Paul College and is a graduate of the Birth to Three Program at Sophia’s Hearth in Keene, New Hampshire. Darla first began teaching Parent and Child classes twenty years ago in ASL before becoming a Waldorf Parent and Child educator and running her own program in Canada for nearly a decade. Darla is a mother, a gardener, and works as the Online Programming Coordinator for Sophia’s Hearth.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, I talk about my parenting experience with bossy and aggressive behavior. I discuss the importance of having unconditional love, compassion, and empathy as a way to understanding how our child's behavior stems from their internal fears and desire to control (because of their fears).
In sharing my personal story my hope is that it will help you if you are facing this kind of behavior. If you think my story and advice might help a family member or friend, please share it with them. Throughout the episode, I challenge you to shift how you view aggressive behavior to see that what your child is actually needing, is actually asking for is you. They’re asking for your unconditional love, your compassion, your empathy, your understanding and your kindness.
Key Points From This Episode:
- My personal experience with bossy and aggressive behavior
- The power of judgment-free observation.
- A consistent approach to moving through the locked aggressive feelings of a toddler.
- How to understand your child’s behavior with unconditional love and empathy.
- How to support all your children when one is hurting from the actions of their sibling.
- Remodeling aggressive actions to become respectful communication and healthy interactions.
- The main goal when dealing with challenging behavior.
- The importance of a parent’s kindness, empathy, unconditional love, and compassion.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Today, the We Nurture Podcast is all about making your child blossom like a spring flower! We have the added pleasure of being joined by health and beauty coach, Jolene Hart.
Jolene speaks about the importance of getting your child into the rhythm of eating with the seasons from an early age. And that it’s possible to make healthy eating fun for them!
Tune in to hear Jolene's advice and tips from her own personal and professional experience. Key Points From This Episode:
- Jolene’s most important food recommendations to include in family meals.
- Making healthy eating, vegetables in particular, fun for children.
- Detoxing: why this is not a scary concept but one to be embraced.
- A bit about Jolene’s research process.
- How you can cultivate a foodie curiosity in your own home.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jolene Hart Website
Jolene on Twitter
Eat Pretty: Nutrition for Beauty Inside and Out
Eat Pretty Live Well - A Guided Journal
Eat Pretty Everyday - 365 Daily Inspirations
Shine On
Ignite Your Light
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Today on Inspirational Wednesday, I'll show you ways in which you can nurture your child's confidence and I'll share the value of raising a self-confident child, how to achieve this, and how a child’s early experiences lay the foundation for their life. For a child to be self-confident, they need to be given the freedom to experience new things in their world of “play“ and you, as their parent, need to allow them the opportunity to be governed by their own will. Moreover, parents need to practice what they preach, as children learn as much from observation as they do from activity. Make sure you tune in to hear how you can raise a self-confident child!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Self-confidence is developed and driven by the child’s own will (impulse and desire to do what interests them).
• Nurture your child’s will by giving them opportunities to help in daily life activities.
• Give your child plenty of time for unstructured play.
• Engaging a child’s will harnesses their inner strength and thus builds their confidence.
• As a parent, work on your own self-confidence.
• Mindfulness of your words and actions that are directed at your child.
• Being a strong role model for your child to imitate.
Once upon a time, in a green meadow dotted with wildflowers, there was a cozy earthen hollow that went deep into the ground. This is where a family of groundhogs lived. Every morning they climbed out of their hollow and ate handfuls of yellow dandelions and red clover. But it was not enough food for little groundhog because he was always hungry. So the family scurried to Farmer John’s compost pile to look for good food to eat.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author
Chinyelu Kunz, is the founder of We Nurture Collective. In 2020, after 25 years as a Waldorf early childhood educator, her growing passion to support parents of young children, on a bigger platform, led her to leave classroom teaching. She created the parenting podcast, We Nurture which was quickly followed by The Stories for Children podcast. She loves writing stories for children and hopes to do this more in the future.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today on Blossoming Tuesday, I am continuing the discussion of how to understand your child's drawings. I'll explain the importance of being patient with your child and allowing them freedom of expression as they transition through their developmental stages. You will begin to understand that something as simple as the ability to draw a circular shape, sun-ray shapes, dots, and lines sees a child go through many processes and developmental stages. We start to understand the significance of drawing as allowing a child to begin their exploration of their path to self-discovery. We follow along as Chinyelu explains how drawings can represent ego-consciousness, self-awareness, and cognitive connections. We are left with many examples and interpretations of the meaning behind drawings. Tune in to understand how to use these interpretations to better understand your child!
Today on Mindful Monday, I will be exploring what it means to cultivate a habit of mindful eating. You will learn, through my personal stories and tips, what wholesome food is and how to introduce it into your children's lives. First, I'll begin with the understanding that food needs to be seen as much more than just what we eat. I will guide you through what a good relationship with food looks like and how to foster this in your children. Secondly, I will share insight into the healing properties and connections that come with being present in all aspects of your food purchasing, preparation, and eating. I will then share tips on how joy, gratitude, and experiences shape the way your child will grow up thinking about food. Tune in to explore all the ways you can help your child connect with wholesome food!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Understanding Chinyelu’s inspiration behind the book, Farmhouse Manna.
- A background of her relationship with food and her love for cooking and gardening.
- The importance behind our intentions when preparing and eating a meal.
- Exploring what it means to feel our soul senses.
- How children develop life skills by participating in meal preparation and food shopping.
- The power of observing our child's reactions and behavior towards different foods.
- Rhythm, repetition, and joy allow a child to develop a positive relationship with food.
- Minimizing pressure around finishing food
Today is Q&A Friday on The We Nurture Podcast and our Instagram followers voted for todays topic on how to end non-stop begging. First, I’ll discuss why begging is a learned behavior and the importance of teaching your child to accept your decision. I also discuss why suppressing your child’s emotions is not helpful for establishing healthy communication. Next, I’ll talk about how you can calm yourself and really listen to your child and then I’ll go through some steps you can take to help your child stop begging. I’ll look into three examples of how you can help your child learn to wait before discussing three things you can avoid doing in a begging situation. Finally, I’ll discuss the role you may be playing in modeling this learned behavior and encourage you to self-reflect in order to help your child learn how to wait. Tune in to end your child’s begging today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Why begging is a learned behavior.
- The importance of teaching children to accept their parents’ decisions.
- The importance of allowing your children to express their emotions and not suppressing them.
- Establishing healthy communication.
- Some steps to help you stop your child’s begging.
Today on Seasonal Thursday, I'll discuss how to create spring rituals as a way to refresh, restore, and reconnect. Spring is known as a time for an evaluation of what we should keep and let go of, mindfully connecting to areas in our life that need focus. I'll explore how these rituals are a way to inspire fresh ideas and shift focus in the home, body, and soul. During today’s episode, you will learn how to implement a slow and intentional daily practice and the benefits it has for a child’s well-being. With the goal of creating self-care, love, and joy, you'll understand how consistency and predictability are key to nurturing your child's growth. Don’t know where to start? Tune in to learn simple and effective techniques to create mindful and engaging day-to-day practices.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The positive outcomes of using spring rituals for refreshing and restoring your home, body, and soul.
- How you and your child can nurture areas of your day-to-day life with valuable intentions.
- How cornerstones and healthy rhythms promote balance in a child’s life.
- Exploring the importance and benefits of creating rituals.
- How rhythm, reverence, and rituals lead to peace, calm, and joy.
- Incorporating spring rhythms into your rituals to promote reconnection to increase a child’s wellbeing.
- How to use each day to focus on individual rituals.
- Four examples of simple, consistent rituals to create and shape your own daily practice.
- Rituals that nourish your body.
- The importance of mindfulness when creating new rituals for your child.
Trust is the foundation of all relationships. Today on inspirational Wednesday on the We Nurture Podcast, I am helping you find ways to build a trusting relationship with your child. First, I’ll discuss why trust is so important for the development and blossoming of children and look at what happens when there is no trust between children and parents. I’ll then talk about how to build trust with your child in the early years of infancy and toddlerhood before discussing how keeping your word and building a healthy rhythm builds trust. Lastly, Ill delve into a few other ways to build trust and look into some signs that your child trusts you. Tune in to be inspired to build a trusting relationship with your child!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Why trust is essential for children.
- What happens when there is no trust between parent and child.
- How to build trust with your child in the early childhood years.
- The importance of thinking before you speak as a parent to build a trusting relationship.
- How a healthy rhythm or structure to the day builds trust.
The ability to understand your child's drawings gives you a new perspective into their own, private world. Today on Blossoming Tuesday, I explore drawing as a process of developing interconnections and expressing emotions through different shapes and images. I'll describe the positive exploration, expressive, and anchoring processes a child goes through by drawing. I will guide listeners through the sequences and phases of development to give a glimpse into the growth of a child's individuality. I will talk about how to better understand the beginning of a child’s thought, separation of their inner and outer world, and development into their own human being. Drawing is a unique experience through movement and impressions, and it allows us to follow along with a child on their developmental pathway. Tune in to discover why you should not ask a child to explain their drawings, but rather attempt to understand a child through their drawings.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The positive, explorational processes children go through while drawing.
- A look at children's developmental stages in relation to their drawings.
- Looking at the early phase, middle phase, and late phase of children’s development.
- The importance of a child’s experiences of drawing with no need for explanations.
- How a sense of individuality and being human emerges through a child’s drawings.
- The connections between the phases of a child’s drawings and their phases of play.
- How to understand and follow the journey of the shapes and images your child draws.
- Explaining different theories and potential meanings of different-shaped drawings.
Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast.
We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.
There was once a little bunny rabbit named Billy who lived in a burrow with his mommy, daddy and brothers and sisters. The burrow was very snug for the bunny family and as the baby brothers and sisters began to grow bigger, it became rather squashy. Billy was the youngest and the smallest of the family and he found it most squashy of all. One day Billy had an idea that would keep him from being squashed all the time.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author - Jill Tina Taplin
Jill Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother. Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community. Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby. Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world. In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
After a full day of work, school, or daycare, you and your child may have been apart for many hours. Today, on Mindful Monday, I'll share some strategies for reconnecting with your child at the end of the day. Firstly, I discuss how important it is to reconnect with yourself before you reconnect with your child. Next, you’ll learn a simple breathing exercise to help you do so and I'll discuss how important it is to slow your thoughts down in these moments. Lastly, you’ll discover four ways that you can reconnect with your child through physical touch, by creating rituals, and more. I hope you’ll join us!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The importance of reconnecting with yourself before reconnecting with your child.
- I'll offer a breathing exercise to help you reconnect with yourself.
- How important it is to slow your thoughts down.
- Four ways you can reconnect with your child.
Today is Q&A Friday on the We Nurture Podcast, and I will be sharing tips on how to create a Waldorf atmosphere for your children at home. I'll discuss the foundation of the Waldorf education system and how you can begin to create a similar atmosphere in your home. You’ll learn how important it is to develop yourself as a parent, as well as how rhythm contributes to the Waldorf atmosphere, and I'll delve into what it means to embody a space before listing the three most important rooms in a house and what you can do to create a Waldorf atmosphere in them. Lastly, I'll list some helpful tips to turn your home into a Waldorf education-inspired space, so make sure to join me to make the most out of this incredible philosophy within your home!
Key Points From This Episode:
- A few foundational insights into the Waldorf philosophy
- How you can begin to create a Waldorf atmosphere in your home.
- The importance of self-development in creating a Waldorf atmosphere.
- How rhythm supports the creation of the physical space.
- Kitchen: something to stand on to include your little ones in cooking and cleaning.
- Family room: organize toys in baskets or shelves to develop an orderly way of thinking.
- Bedroom: a less busy room that creates a peaceful and restorative environment.
- Tips to help transform your home into a Waldorf-inspired atmosphere!
Have you ever noticed changes within you as seasons change? Well, your child feels those changes too! Today is Seasonal Thursday on the We Nurture Podcast and I am talking about changes in your child during Spring. First off I'll discuss how spring affects children’s movements and growth. I also delve into how temperature changes can affect health and what your body craves in terms of nourishment from food. I then discuss how a child’s rhythm changes during spring as well as why it is so important to have a consistent rhythm to make your child feel safe while allowing it to be flexible. I'll give an example of a spring rhythm. Next, I talk about in-breath and out-breath activities as well as some ways to connect with the energy of spring. Lastly, I talk about how important time spent outside is for development and nourishment during this season. Join me for the full episode to learn more about how spring rhythms can be used to nurture your child.
Key Points From This Episode:
- How spring affects children’s movements.
- How spring affects your child’s growth.
- The way in which the changes in temperature can affect your child’s health.
- How your rhythm changes during spring.
- The importance of rhythm for nurturing your child.
- How we bring together a rhythm that’s predictable, consistent and still flexible.
- The importance of sleep time for children.
- An example of a spring rhythm.
- Examples of in-breath and out-breath activities.
- The importance of movement for children.
- Some ways to connect with the energy of spring.
- The importance of being outside during spring
Watch the video version on Youtube
For this episode of Inspirational Wednesday, we are unpacking the important concept of setting boundaries with your child. You can expect to hear all about how to create and hold healthy boundaries, with a focus on kindness, connecting, and love. It should come as no surprise that boundaries are absolutely necessary, as they help to build trust and put your child on the path towards a manageable adulthood. In this episode we look at boundaries from two different angles; firstly giving three points of consideration before setting up a boundary, and then the three steps that you can implement when holding and reinforcing the limitation you have put in place. Listeners will come away with some great practical tips for certain scenarios, as well as a few reminders about what it means to model healthy behavior, so make sure to join us to hear it all!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Implementing a proactive approach to creating boundaries instead of a reactive one.
- Using a loving and kind approach to setting boundaries with a child.
- The importance of a child's age, development, and personality when setting boundaries.
- Why consistency is so vital in determining the efficacy of a boundary.
While it is true that all children develop at their own pace when it comes to speech, there are ways you can nurture their development. Today on Blossoming Tuesday I talk about how you can support your child’s speech development to help them blossom. I discuss how language develops from birth to preschool age and I break down the first five years of speech development. I also explain how important it is to understand that your child’s communication abilities may not parallel their emotional age until age seven and I give tips to help with speech development and explain the connection between language and movement. I discuss games and activities that can support speech. Finally, I explain the importance of solo play to assist in language development. Tune in to We Nurture Podcast to help your child’s speech blossom!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing today’s topic: Speech Development.
- A brief overview of how speech develops from birth to preschool age.
- Year one: crying and the dangers of letting them cry.
- Three to six months: laughing.
- Six to nine months: two-syllable words and understanding meaning.
- 12 to 18 months: imitating sound and pitch.
- 18 to 24 months: two-word sentences.
- Year two: naming things and the dangers of correcting your child.
- Year three: multiple words, even sentences with lots of words, asking why and the use of “I”.
- Year four: complex sentences.
- Year five: good vocabulary and complex sentence structure.
- The importance of understanding your child’s emotional age.
- Tips to help with your child’s speech development.
- The connection between movement and speech development.
- How reading, songs, and nursery rhymes help with language.
- How rapid movement games and household chores support speech development.
- The importance of allowing your child alone time to digest what they’ve learned.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Join me in the first episode of season 6 as I talk about how you can resolve conflict of needs (your's and your child's) through understanding and connection. The focus of this episode will be on parenting with loving kindness instead of fear, fear that is communicated through threats.
When you parent with loving kindness, your relationship with your child strengthens. Although, it will take time, in fact years of consistently meeting your child’s needs in loving kind ways, there are steps you can take that will guide you. I'll mention these steps in the episode. Key Points From This Episode:
- The focus of Mindful Mondays.
- Introducing today’s topic: parenting through love instead of fear.
- The opposite of parenting with loving-kindness: threats.
- The negative effect of fear on a child.
- An example of a scenario where you can choose to parent with kindness.
- The importance of understanding why your child has a negative response to an instruction.
- Some helpful steps to parent mindfully.
- Step one: pause to reflect and gather yourself.
- Step two: connect then connect with touch.
- Step three: validate your child’s feelings.
- Step four: hold a boundary if needed.
- Step five: connect and comfort.
- Step six: restate the boundary if needed.
- Step seven: follow through with loving words and actions.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
We Nuture on Spotify
We Nuture on Pinterest
We Nuture on Apple Podcasts
Chinyelu Kunz on LinkedIn
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Welcome back to the We Nurture Podcast! We are so excited to announce that Season 6 will be starting next Monday. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the first episode.
Subscribe to our newsletter, The We Nurture Journal, to be notified when the season has begun and to receive updates throughout the season!
This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. It is a story "about the wonder of rain and water - written to encourage children to drink water instead of asking for sweetened drinks every time they are thirsty. The story was inspired by an intricately carved Chinese scene set in a glass box, with mountains and valleys and two white cranes feeding in the grasses by a curved wooden bridge."
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
Therapeutic Storytelling by Susan Perrow
Published by Hawthorn Press
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
It’s Springtime and Ruby Robin tries to wake up her friends Gracie Squirrel, Harley Hedgehog and Rusty Chipmunk to tell them that Lady Spring has arrived but they all want to keep sleeping. Then Ruby Robin has an idea.
Ages 2 - 4
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
Thirty sunsets and a moon - volume one
A collaborative project by Ashley J. May & Jessica Lewis Stevens
“This is a sweet tale I love to share with children. Especially my own children. It is a tale of everyday childhood wonder, rooted in their own family histories. A testament to the power of oral tradition and intergenerational storytelling to bring two small boys into the arms of their grandparents, in spite of the oceans and heavens between them. It really comes to life with the addition of puppetry such as a story doll, a woolly butterfly and a shining crescent moon hanging from a string. Little stones, leaves and bits of nature are the perfect finishing touches for this Ramadan tale. But, it’s just as beautiful told to children at bedtime or while seated on your lap.” Ashley J. May
We recommend this story for all ages!
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcast
We utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.
This Chinese fairy tale beautifully describes how four friends think of each other even on the coldest winter day.
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcastWe utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale
Valentino and the Rainbow Hearts
Valentino, the Valentine fairy woke up sneezing and sick just five sleeps before Valentine’s day. There was still so much work to do to get ready for Valentine’s day. What would Valentino do?
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
About the Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Welcome to the We Nurture Stories for Children podcastWe utilize the power of storytelling to encourage language development, inspire moral growth, and enliven the imagination. We hope you enjoy the timeless activity of getting lost in a good tale.
Rosy's Valentine's Day Cards
Valentine’s day would soon be here and Rosy was so excited that she could hardly wait. She decided to make Valentine's cards for her Mamma and Pappa and her friends too! After her Mamma found the crafting box Rosy set to work making cards for Valentine’s day.
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
About the Author - Chinyelu Kunz, Founder of We Nurture Collective. In 2020, after 25 years as a Waldorf early childhood educator, my growing passion to support parents of young children, on a bigger platform, led me to leave classroom teaching. I created my parenting podcast, We Nurture quickly followed by The Stories for Children podcast. I love writing stories for children and hope to do this more in the future.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
A tale about a little girl who wished for a little friend to carry in her pocket. She finds a little gnome living under a mushroom and takes him home with her. The little gnome turns out to be quite cheeky and discourages her from helping with chores at home until the fairies come with their twinkling light which tickle her fingers and soon her hands helping.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author - Connie Manson
“Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so we never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as a teacher in a classroom, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how strongly the children connected with the puppets!
The journey continued after beginning my Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of nurturing stories, and a puppet storytelling style adored by children. Starlite Puppets was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.”
Discover more about Connie and her work at starlitepuppets.blogspot.com
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Long, long ago there lived a man whose name was Bishop Nicholas. Like so many people today, Bishop Nicholas cared for people near and far and always helped those in need. One day he heard about some people in a far away land who needed food and so he called for his helpers to gather food so that he could take it to the hungry children and their families. A beautiful story that reminds us to help those in need.
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
A traditional Waldorf Advent story
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
You’ve probably heard this said before - Choose your battles and save your energy for bigger behavior instead of battling over every minor issue and to let the minor issues go and focus on what’s most important to you. In today's episode, I'll be talking about how to work with your child during difficult moments. I'll suggest different scenarios and give step-by-step guidance on how to respond!
If you have a parenting question, submit it here on our website, or on Mondays on our Instagram @we_nurture.
Welcome to Season Thursday! Today I'll be talking about how to bring more light into your home this winter season. I'll share some inspiration and ideas for how to bring more light into your home and deepen your child's experience of the season.
Head to our Instagram @we_nurture to see the winter craft idea mentioned in today's episode!
This birthday story was written for young children to offer a soul nourishing story that describes the journey from heaven to earth. A journey that in the end fulfills little angel’s wish to be with her family on the earth.
Although it’s written in the feminine, “she” can easily be changed to “He”.
Link to written version of this story
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7 years
About the Author - Chinyelu Kunz
Chinyelu Kunz is the founder of We Nurture Collective.
In 2020, after 25 years as an early childhood educator, her growing passion to support parents of young children led her to leave classroom teaching. She created her podcast, We Nurture, to answer the call for help that parents need. We Nurture has grown into a collective and expanded its online presence to include @we_nurture on instagram.
We Nurture offers a rhythmic + holistic lifestyle approach that transforms family life. A lifestyle approach that supports parents in nurturing their child’s healthy development to unlock their potential while supporting parents in cultivating a nurturing, joy filled home-life!
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Being in a calm space makes it easier to calm yourself, and the same applies to children. Today on this Inspirational Wednesday, Chinyelu addresses holistic home ideas that nurture the body and soul, and how you can bring these into your home. We hear how a busy home can make us and our children feel overwhelmed, and how you can identify these problem areas. Find out the 12 senses that are at the foundation of the Waldorf school ideals, and how they are influenced by our environment. We dive into the four foundational senses (touch, life, self-movement, and balance) and discover tips and tools to soothe each of them by adapting the home environment. Tune in to find out why a home is not merely the objects in it, and remember to always be kind and nurturing to our family and ourselves!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
The 12 Senses Article
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Today on Blossoming Tuesday, I will be focusing on some changes and the transformation that takes place in the 6th year. In your child’s sixth year you’ll begin to notice some changes that might surprise and even challenge your parenting in different ways. You’ll need to be understanding of and sensitive to the transformation that’s happening in your six year old. And Just as they are experiencing an inner transformation that happens as they approach the end of the 7 year childhood development phase, you’ll find that a transformation in the way you parent might also need to happen.
This Chanukah story tells the miracle that happened in the land of Israel long, long ago. The miracle of light that burned for eight days in a magnificent lamp is celebrated as Chanukah. This story, appropriate for even the very youngest child, is told in a simple way.
-The rhyming part of this story was written by Sara Briggs, New York City
-The story that comes after was written by Chinyelu Kunz
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Welcome back to mindful Monday! Today I'll be talking about mindful ways to Nurture the practice of Gratitude in your home. Tune in to learn about different ways that you can authentically create gratitude in your home with your children, as well as the power of creating a gratitude practice.
There's a printable of Mealtime Blessings that goes along with this episode. You'll find it on our website - wenurturecollective.com. Here's the link; https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f3acf17ad525662863d2190/t/61a4d496ef4c07476c036562/1638192312074/Mealtime+Blessings
A delightful tale about Honey Bear who invites his friends over for a meal. Honey Bear decides to make them soup using his secret soup recipe.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6
About the Author - Christy Klincewicz
This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.
The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”
Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.
To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Thanks for joining us on Q & A Friday! Today’s question is - “I’ve heard that saying Good Job isn’t helpful so what can I say instead? In today's episode, I'll answer this question as well as explain why not to say "good job." I'll also give examples of scenarios and offer tips on what to say instead!
If you have a parenting question for one of our Q & A Fridays, you can ask it on Mondays on Instagram or anytime on our website. I then select one question a week to answer on the podcast.
Article by Alfie Kohn
Making simple crafts with your child is the perfect way to brighten your home as the transition from Autumn to Winter begins. In this episode, I’m excited to share 4 crafts that you can make with your child during this transition time. These crafts are also developmentally wonderful because they help to strengthen eye-hand coordination as well as fine motor skills!
You can download the crafting guide here
The guide contains a list of all the supplies, instructions, and photos.
Visit our website here
In today's episode, I'll be discussing how to nurture your child's creativity. Creativity is something that sparks on the inside and Creative genius isn’t something that you can teach your child but what you can do is provide the right environment for it to germinate, grow, and to flourish. How you build this foundation for them impacts their connection to their body, to their thinking, and their inner self.
**Yesterday, on our website, I shared a Waldorf inspired birthday story that I wrote. In the story the little child who is journeying to the earth receives gifts from the sun, moon, and stars before crossing over the rainbow bridge to be born on the earth. The gifts received before birth are seeds that are planted in us to connect us with our creative genius - our purpose. This is where the creative genius of each child lies and to be able to recognize and connect to these gifts, once here on earth, is what you can help nurture in your child.
Click here for the story**
Tumbleweed is a fairy with no wings but she’s able to fly with her loyal pet Raven. In the autumn, Tumbleweed and her friend Primrose gather all Mother Earth’s root children and help them into their nighties and beds for a long winter’s sleep. Then one little root child discovers that Pasha, the littlest root child is not in his bed and the search begins.
We recommend this story for ages 3-7
About the Author Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
On todays episode, I'll be talking about how children are developing at age 5. In your child’s fifth year you’ll notice big changes as well as a lot of growth in their thinking, their capabilities and in their play. If you have a 5 year old or a soon to be 5 year old, this is the perfect episode for you!
To download the birthday story printable, click here
Taking good care of yourself means that you'll need to become aware of the areas in your life that you need to nurture more. Areas that maybe you've overlooked or perhaps even neglected.
If you're finding that this time of year is asking you to give more attention to your self-care or has you questioning your self-care practices and how to take better care of yourself you're not alone.
Listen to hear why your self-care is a valuable practice to begin now, how it affects you as a parent and how it affects your child. In this episode, you'll hear about 5 areas that you will want to give attention to as you begin to mindfully Take Good Care of Yourself!
Download the Printable
In today's episode, I'll be answering a listener's parenting question: Any Tips and suggestions for adapting from one to two children. Tune in to learn my strategies for adjusting to more children, and how to navigate this exciting time.
Thank you for joining us for Seasonal Thursday! One todays episode, I'll be offering information and inspiration for ways to deepen your child's experience of autumn. I'll be sharing some amazing recipes to make this fall with your family as well as some simple activities to do with your family that will deepen the mood of the season.
Welcome to Inspiration Wednesday! On todays episode, I'll be talking about what to do when your childs behavior brings up fears about your parenting. As parents, we can so easily fear our child’s weaknesses. Our fears can at times overtake our rational thinking while negative thoughts increase our fears - “What if my child never stops this behavior?” “What if I’m not able to help them learn?” “What if the behavior gets worse?” “What if they never listen to me?” So many “what ifs” can pop up for us. And could it be that when our child misbehaves that it triggers fear in us because it could be seen as a reflection of our parenting. I'll be discussing how to deal with these fears and more in this episode!
Little Wind Fairy love Bluebird’s song and she wants to sing a song of her own but she doesn’t have one. Bluebird tells her that perhaps she lost it while flying about, so she goes in search of her song.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6
About the Author - Christy Klincewicz
This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.
The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”
Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.
To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today on Blossoming Tuesday, I'll be focusing on the 4 year old and the shifts that happen during that time. I'll give tips and insights into where your child is at developmentally and how you can best support your growing child at this wonderful age.
Connect with us on instagram @we_nurture! If you love this podcast, please rate, review and subscribe because this helps us reach more parents!
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Stories for Children Podcast
Cultivating simplicity in your child’s life helps them to be in touch with their true feelings and be more purposeful in their actions. Today on Mindful Monday, we discuss a few mindful ways that you can cultivate simplicity in your home and life, providing your child with a greater sense of inner peace and calm. We cover everything from simplicity in order and the benefits of crafting healthy home rhythms, to simplicity in limiting exposure to adult information and screen time. Tune in to find out what you can do to simplify your child’s inner and outer world, creating the space for you to breathe and for your child to blossom.
A beautiful and tender story about a little girl named Lorenza who dearly misses her grandmother who has crossed the rainbow bridge. One autumn morning, Lorenza was feeling sad because she wanted to see her grandmother again. Mother Earth sees Lorenza walking in the forest and goes to help her so that she can once again feel her grandmother’s light in her heart.
We recommend this story for ages 4 - 7
About the Author - Maria Fernanda Wetzel
Maria is originally from Ecuador and has been living in Chicago for 20 years. She was a public school teacher for 10 years and left the public school system when her daughter was a toddler. She found Waldorf when she was looking for a preschool for her daughter and fell in love with the Waldorf parent-child program. Maria started her journey in a Waldorf school as an assistant and currently she is working as a mixed age early childhood lead teacher. Maria loves her job and hopes to continue growing. In her free time, she loves to cook, read and run.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Thanks for joining us on Q & A Friday! Today’s question is “What’s behind Angry outbursts and how to repair with your child." In todays episode I'll give tips and strategies for dealing with angry outbursts in the moment and how to prevent them from happening in the future. Listen to today's episode to hear about ways that you can be in control and also repair after an angry outburst.
Today on Seasonal Thursday, I’ll be talking about Togetherness in the Autumn and ways to nurture your child’s soul senses. In this episode, I’ll talk about the soul senses and how with your awareness of them you can discover ways to nurture these senses in autumn. This is for your child and you! As you nurture your child’s soul senses you’ll experience how this brings more togetherness in your family which will result in more presence and more gratitude for what makes life more meaningful. Tune in today to learn how to nurture togetherness this Autumn!
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Stories for Children Podcast
Today on Inspirational Wednesday, I'll be talking about ways that you can thrive intentionally as a family. Thriving intentionally begins with intentionally creating your family's culture. There are five key areas to begin thriving intentionally that I discuss in this episode. Those areas are predictability in your rhythm, communication to build trust, connecting to build a strong relationship, setting Boundaries, and your family’s values. Tune in to hear how these five areas can set you on the right path to thriving as a family.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Today on Blossoming Tuesday, we focus on the three-year-old’s language development and developing imagination, as well as their inner desire to play with other children and have friends. We provide insight into how you can guide them in their play interactions, and support them as they develop social skills. This is an extremely formative time that comes with many challenges. Your three-year-old is experiencing “the emergence of self” for the very first time, and is acting from a place of sympathy and antipathy. Join us for an enlightening discussion on the fundamental developments of the three-year-old, and what you can do to provide your child with the safe anchor that they need, as they continue to blossom.
Connect with us on instagram @we_nurture! If you love this podcast, please rate, review and subscribe because this helps us reach more parents.!
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Stories for Children Podcast
Pit-a-Pat, a little pumpkin Gnome and his spider friend It-a-Bit love to play together everyday in the pumpkin patch or at It-a-Bit’s house. In the Autumn, Mother Pumpkin needed Pit-a-Pat’s help to prepare the pumpkins for Halloween. Pit-a-Pat decided to play with It-a-Bit and then he caught the sniffles. Oh, dear, how would he ever finish preparing the pumpkins?
We recommend this story for ages 3-7
About the Author - Christy Klincewicz
This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.
The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”
Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today on Mindful Monday, I’ll be talking about the mood and energy of each day and how harmonizing with it supports your daily and weekly rhythms. Have you noticed that on some days it’s harder to get certain things done while on other days everything goes so much smoother? If you’ve experienced this, then you might just find that having awareness of and working with each day’s mood and energy to be helpful. Tune in today to learn more about working with each day's energy to create a smoother weekly rhythm!
Download the Six-Step Action Guide here
Welcome to We Nurture Podcast’s Q&A Friday, where each week we answer questions that you submit to our Instagram page or website. This week we answer the question “What parenting books or authors do you recommend, for discipline and the early years?”. Tune in to hear the top seven books Chinyelu recommends, and which chapters in each most resonated with her. Chinyelu also breaks down why discipline and the early years cannot be separated, and the importance of paying attention to your child’s daily experiences. Join us as we dive into how discipline affects both the child and the parent, and what you can do to ensure you discipline your child in the most nurturing way. Find out how your self-discipline and your upbringing can both affect the way you discipline your child. Finally, remember that you are your child’s first teacher! Don’t miss out on this information-packed episode.
Discovering Joy in Parenting: The First Seven Years
Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children
With Stars in Their Eyes: Brain Science and Your Child’s Journey toward the Self
Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community
The Soul of Discipline: The Simplicity Parenting Approach to Warm, Firm, and Calm Guidance- Toddler to Teen
Stress-Free Parenting in 12 Steps
Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
As we move into autumn, with longer shadows and colder mornings, we become more naturally inclined towards coziness. Let this be a pathway for your love and connection with your little one to grow deeper and warmer too. In today’s Seasonal Thursday episode, we are looking at mothering, coziness, and warmth in autumn! There are many things you can do to create a feeling of warmth in your home, from physical actions and words, to delicious sensory vegetables and food experiences. You can also invite a nourishing connection to the earth by creating a dedicated nature corner in your home, and share the magic of tending to this corner together. We also dive into mothering your little one’s physical warmth, why their growing bodies scientifically need us to care for their temperature, and the importance of practical morning layers. There are tons of cozy suggestions and wonderful ideas for you to try, so begin your autumn adventure and snuggle into the love by listening in today!
To help you get started with creating your family’s nature corner, we have a limited selection of nature dyed silks to get you started. You’ll find them on the website linked below.
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on FacebookThe Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
We all want to parent our child with consciously and intentionally, but this is so much easier said than done. Today's episode on this Inspirational Wednesday is the elusive but crucial topic of confident parenting. We start with some reflective questions about what parenting style you learned from in your upbringing, and move into some specific qualities that we can use to help us strengthen our parenting style to one which feels safe for and child. Next, we explore ideas around what it means to own your role as the parent, how to have clarity and security around decisions, and how insecurity can cause anxiety that the child might act out in other ways. I share my favorite quote from Scott Noelle, who gives some extraordinary and very sound advice on the concept of not asking questions when we know the answer. This is a very important topic and I'm so glad you could join me today. Press play and let's dive in!
It’s a blustery autumn morning and Tiny mouse is looking for a cozy warm house. Mother Earth finds him, picks him up and puts him in her cozy apron pocket but Tiny mouse quietly hops out when he sees an acorn too good to pass by. Mother Earth goes into her house, shuts the door and doesn’t know that Tiny mouse isn’t in her apron pocket. Oh, dear! How will Tiny mouse find a cozy house?
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6
About the Author - Christy Klincewicz
This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.
The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”
Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.
To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit www.rockinghorsestories.com
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today on Blossoming Tuesday, we speak about two-year-olds and highlight some of their developmental leaps and challenges. We discuss a few of the different ways in which your child is developing and how you can support them during this time of really big change. In this episode, you’ll find some wonderful insight into your child’s needs, and how creating rhythms will help to make this a time of joy for both you and your child. Coming to understand your two-year-old better, you’ll love seeing how they blossom, and you’ll look forward to what each day reveals about who they are becoming.
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Season 4 Episode 4: “How do Develop Healthy Sleep Rhythms for your Child”
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Self-discipline is such a powerful tool because disciplining your children begins with disciplining ourselves, which is why today’s Mindful Monday topic is self-discipline and why your words and actions matter. We open with the comforting truth that we need to forgive ourselves as we strive to do and be better parents and you’ll learn how to shift your focus to yourself because learning begins at home. Mindfulness allows us to be less caught up in our own thoughts, and by giving your child your presence, you can be present with yourself. During this episode, you’ll find out how to move towards this in order to offer the appropriate response to each moment, discover the tools to help you to nurture self-discipline and tune into yourself, and how to invite self-observation into your daily life in order to develop this. Listen in today!
Welcome to Q&A Friday! Today’s question comes from a mom of a six-year-old and a two-year-old who is struggling to create a calm experience around the table. Family mealtimes can be challenging and chaotic while your children are young. During today’s episode, Chinyelu shares insightful, actionable tips on how to create an intentional ritual around the dinner table to facilitate boundaries, teach manners, and create engagement and connection between all the members of the family. Most importantly, setting the tone for a meaningful, calm experience rests on your words, actions, and gestures. We hope you join us today to hear more.
Autumn is an important time of year, signaling the period when we start to bring the harvest in from our gardens and shift our thoughts and plans towards cosiness and warmth. Connecting with nature deepens our relationship with the seasons and, when we bring nature into our lives and homes, it enlivens not only our own but also our little ones’ experience of the seasons. Today, on Seasonal Thursday, we discuss the transition into autumn and some of the ways you can bring this special season into your home. From collecting leaves and flowers to reciting verses together and including your children in the meaningful work of caring for the home, there are many gentle ways to help young children cope with this transition and create rituals that feed their soul life with joy. Tune in today to learn more!
Festivals, Family and Food
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Head to over to our website wenurturecollective.com to download todays printable on mom guilt.
Mom guilt comes in many forms. You might feel like you are not doing enough, that you are making the wrong decisions for your child, or even as if you are just not parenting in the “right” way. Today, on Inspirational Wednesday, we offer you some practical advice to help you overcome mom guilt and be the best parent you can be for your little ones. From honoring your emotions to leaning on your community and using your truth as an anchor, there is so much that you can start doing today to care for and nurture yourself just as much as you care for and nurture your child. Make sure to tune into this inspirational episode to learn more about taking those first steps!
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Mom Guilt Worksheet
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and The Great Storm
A sweet story about a little girl who lived in a cozy cottage with her grandmother. One afternoon, she went to her grandmother and asked what she could do because she was tired of her toys and puzzles and books. Well, her grandmother sent her on a journey to find a little red house with no doors and no windows and a star inside.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author - Connie Manson
“Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so we never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as a teacher in a classroom, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how strongly the children connected with the puppets!
The journey continued after beginning my Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of nurturing stories, and a puppet storytelling style adored by children. Starlite Puppets was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.”
Discover more about Connie and her work at starlitepuppets.blogspot.com
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Head to our website wenurturecollective.com for todays free printable on the essentials to help your child blossom.
Whether your child is at home with you, in daycare, or in a school program, there are essential
needs that they require each day for them to truly blossom. Today, on Blossoming Tuesday, we unpack some of these early essentials and, in the coming weeks, we focus on ages two to seven, taking a closer look at each of these developmental stages, what behaviors to be aware of, and how best to support your child through each stage. In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to manage your own anxiety so that it doesn’t impact your little ones, the power of simplicity, and the importance of creating healthy rhythms at home, especially when it comes to sleep, play, and boundaries, plus so much more.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Early Essentials Printable
Simplicity Parenting
We Nurture Collective
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The Three Little Dears and The Great Storm
Welcome to Season 5!
Head to today's our website wenurturecollective.com to find the worksheet for today's episode.
As a parent, reacting or responding to our children on a daily basis holds immense power; it can serve to either build their self-esteem or tear it down. In turn, this can either positively or
negatively impact our own sense of self-worth as well as our relationship with our child. That is why mindful parenting is such a valuable practice, and every Monday for this season of the We Nurture Podcast I am going to be focusing on this topic. Mindful parenting refers to the act of bringing your conscious attention to what is happening, rather than letting your emotions take control. In today’s episode, I’m going to talk you through some of the key strategies that you can use on your parenting journey in order to become more mindful.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Episode Worksheet
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm
Sammy Spider loves to dance. He loves to turn, twist, twirl, tap and do the tango. Sammy’s parents want him to weave blankets for Mother Earth’s children instead of dance but Sammy doesn’t want to weave. One day, Ruby Robin delivered a letter from Mother Earth asking Sammy’s family to weave blanket for the root children’s winter sleep and Sammy is sad because all he wants to do is dance. How long will it be before Sammy can dance again?
We recommend this story for ages 3-7
(This story is not available in written format)
About the Author Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Welcome to the We Nurture Podcast, I’m Chinyelu.
I’m excited to tell you that I’m currently working on new content and a new format for season 5 which will be daily episodes!
Each day of the week, I will be releasing a 10 minute episode starting with Mindful Mondays, Blossoming Tuesdays, Inspirational Wednesdays, Seasonal Thursdays, and Q+A Fridays. The episodes will be filled with parenting tips, advice, and inspiration. I’ll be covering topics like “how to parent with respect,” dealing with mom guilt” and “building your confidence as a parent.”
My goal is to support you in your parenting journey with tools that will guide you on your own unique path!. I hope that you make We Nurture’s Season 5 episodes a part of your daily routine!
Follow us so that you don’t miss the beginning of Season 5 and all the exciting episodes that we’re creating just for you!
Please Rate and Review the podcast on Apple podcast or your listening platform as we’d love your support in helping us spread the word about We Nurture!
This delightful story is about Little Munchkin and her quest to find a home before winter arrives. Although she spends her days helping Mother Nature’s children, like the butterflies and lizards, summer has gone and winter is on the way so it’s time for Little Munchkin to find a new home that she can snuggle into. “This story, (writes author, Susan Perrow) is positive encouragement that the almost impossible can be achieved”
You can find this story in Healing Stories for Challenging Behavior by Susan Perrow; Published by Hawthorn Press - www.hawthornpress.com
Additional stories for children in books authored by Susan Perrow and Published by Hawthorn Press can be found in Therapeutic Storytelling and Behaviour Tales.
Ages 3 to 6
Clarabell lived in a small cottage by the sea and every morning she collected seashells by the shore. One day, Clarabell closed her eyes and made a wish. She wished to have her very own star. A little star heard Clarabell’s wish and started its journey down to earth.
We recommend this story for ages 3-7
About the Author - Christy Klincewicz
This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.
The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language. I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth. Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”
Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Once there was a forest where a great many birds made their homes and during the day the young birds played together with their friends. One day danger came to their forest and all the birds had to stay in their nests and could no longer play together.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author - Stephen Spitalny is a writer, early childhood consultant and kindergarten teacher. He offers insight into early childhood development and into various aspects of the young child. Stephen offers individual consulting, lectures and courses for parents and teachers around the world since the early 1990s.
He has taught at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School since 1990.
Stephen’s first book, Connecting With Young Children: Educating the Will, was published in 2011. Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children and What's the Story: Storytelling as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After were published in 2015. He has written numerous articles for various journals and magazines and book collections. His work has been translated into several languages. Visit chamakanda.com to learn more about Stephen and his work.
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
The story of The Three Little Deers and The Great Storm captures the young child's imagination. This therapeutic story was written for children to offer a sense of courage and triumph. The story is about three young deers who wander away from their home in the forest and when a great storm comes, they discover that they have the courage to find their way back home to their mother.
Now Available for Pre-order - the companion book for this story is now available on wenurturecollective.com
Written by Chinyelu Kunz
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 6
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
The setting is summertime and this is a simple story about the life of a caterpillar. Follow the journey of the caterpillar as he looks around for something to eat and inches through the grass, up hills and down hills, climbing over and under sticks.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 5
About the Author - Kristen McArthur is a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher at Alabama Waldorf School in Birmingham, AL. Although she is relatively new to teaching, she loves stories and made this story up to tell her kindergarten class one year during summer camp. They enjoyed it, so she wrote it down! In this version, Kristen decided that the caterpillar would turn into a moth as butterflies get all the attention!
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Daisy and Dilly are two Mama ducks that live in a beautiful little pond with all their ducklings. One day, they notice that their ducklings have grown so much that there’s not enough room in the pond or enough food for everyone. What can they do?
We recommend this story for ages 2 - 7
About the Author - Anja Toddington
Anja moved to the UK from Germany nearly 30 years ago and she currently works as a Kindergarten teacher and early years manager at South Devon Steiner School in the UK, - this is her 14th year at the school.
The school is in a very rural and beautiful area, which provides the perfect inspiration for writing stories about animals, nature, and elementals. Anja wrote this story many years ago as a transition story for a group of nursery children where some of them were moving up to the Kindergarten class that she would be teaching while others were staying in the Nursery with her assistant who became the Nursery teacher.
Please visit www.southdevonsteinerschool.org to learn more about Anja's school!
To discover more about We Nurture, please visit wenurturecollective.com
A very sweet tale about a hedgehog named Pete who lived in a garden. One day, Pete falls asleep in the gardener's basket. He wakes up and discovers that he’s on a journey!
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
About the Author - Jill Tina Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother. Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community. Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby. Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world. In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Tobias is the talented tailor of the Kingdom of Timberlap. He lives alone with a timid mouse named Mabel. Although they never speak to each other, they help each other. One day Tobias is so ill that he cannot he cannot finish sewing Princess Rebecca’s dress and Mabel mouse comes to his rescue.
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Slow and Steady Tammy is about a turtle who wishes to be a heroine. One day, when a thunderstorm left Sally Spider and her many little children clinging to a branch, Tammy Turtle found being slow and steady made her a heroine after all!
Author: Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, I answer parenting questions that a few We Nurture parents sent to us some weeks ago. From time to time on We Nurture Instagram we ask you about parenting challenges that you would like support with and I answer them on the podcast.
Questions answered in this episode:
- My 4-year-old screams and throws things during tantrums. Is that normal?
- Tips and suggestions for potty learning?
- How can I cut down or just get rid of screen-time for my 3-year-old?
- My 3-year-old plays with food at mealtime. What should I do?
- How can I help my daughter who is feeling anxious?
If there are parenting challenges that you're facing and need support, I'm here to help you figure out the root cause and give you clear, practical solutions to implement. You can sign up for a parenting coaching session on our website www.wenurturecollective.com
Simon Spider lives with his mother and father at the bottom of a giant ash tree the home of Periwinkle fairy. Simon is waiting for the day when he will be able to spin beautiful, useful things like his mother and father can. The one day he helps an elf.
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
We recommend this story for ages 2.5 - 7
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Every child is unique, which means they will each have different preferences and different ways of operating in the world. However, something that is true for all children is that rhythm and routine create a sense of safety and security, and are incredibly beneficial to a child's wellbeing. In today’s episode, which is part 2 of the previous episode (go and have a listen to that one first, if you haven’t yet), Chinyelu runs through an example of what a day in the life for you and your child could look like if you put some simple daily rituals into place. Chinyelu shares many wonderful ideas for creating consistent daily rituals that will not only benefit your child but you as well. From your first interaction in the morning, through lunch, to your final moment with them in the evening; each one plays an important role in establishing your child’s foundation and their relationship with you.
IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
- How to create rituals around each part of the day + examples
- How you can implement pauses in your child’s day, and why you should.
- Benefits of giving your child 30 minutes of your undivided attention in the morning, from Chinyelu’s personal experience.
- The importance of practicing self-care, which is something parents often forget to do.
- … and so much more!
Amir loves his cat Leyla. Every night Leyla snuggles with Amir in his bed and every morning they wake up together. One day, Leyla goes missing and Amir cannot ind her, even when his dad’s Hossein and Josef help him search the whole house.
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie
Ages 3 - 7
Rituals are acts that we come to with love and reverence. They become part of our daily rhythm when they are consistent when we can depend on them, and it’s this rhythmic approach that can be so valuable in guiding your child through the routines you establish each day. This episode is part one of two episodes on the topic of rituals and rhythms. Today, we explore how creating rituals can not only add significance and joy to your daily rhythmic activities but how they help reinforce the ties that connect your family. Listening in, you’ll hear some examples of the rituals that you can introduce and cultivate in your home, including lighting a candle at mealtimes, and why consistency and structure are key. Tune in today!
IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
- Why rituals are important for young children
- The importance of creating rituals and why consistency is key
- Ideas for your personal morning ritual as well as your child's
- What your breakfast ritual might look like
- … and so much more!
Grandfather had a beautiful garden where he grew lots of vegetables and flowers. He loved working in his garden. One day a big storm came and knocked down the flowers in the garden beds and even blew leaves off the trees. Grandfather had to find the courage to tidy up his garden and make it beautiful again.
Ages 3 - 6
About the author
Jill Tina Taplin was born and brought up in the UK, graduated from university with a degree in philosophy and was busy until her early 30s as a gardener, house builder and mother. Then she joined a group of parents founding a Steiner Waldorf school in the north east of Scotland, near a spiritual community. Soon she found herself working in the kindergarten and discovered that was where she really wanted to be. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Scotland and Devon until 2008 when family reasons brought her to a new part of the UK with no Waldorf school nearby. Since then she has expanded her interest in working with adults - students, teachers and parents – through working as a kindergarten mentor, workshop leader, adult education tutor and writer. She has completed an MA in Education (Steiner Philosophy) and now has commitments to support Steiner Waldorf early childhood training mainly in several countries around the world. In addition to magazine and newsletter articles, she is co-author of Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach, published by David Fulton
From the book, Thirty Sunsets and A Moon, a collaborative project by Ashley J. May & Jessica Lewis Stevens
Here is a tale about a flock of birds that embark on a soul moving journey. An adaptation of Farid al Din Attar’s “The Conference of the Birds”, deeply inspired by the wisdom of my motherline and two little boys who believe they can fly. I tell this story each summer. Sometimes, I tell it all year long--adding tiny new details along the way as my children grow more and more curious about the childhood memories of my grandmother, and her mother, that I hold dear to my heart. It’s best told under the shade of your favorite tree with jugs of honey lemonade for sipping, and the sweetest little hoopoe puppet flying about on a stick.
Author - Ashley J. May You can discover more about Ashley and her work on Instagram @mayashleyj. Ashley J. May is a mother and ethnographer living on the unceded Tongva lands commonly known as Los Angeles, CA. She is the Founder and Project Director of The Grassroots Morning Garden Project that aims to liberate families and organize parents and their children around spaces of freedom through a co-constructed model for holistic, nature immersive parent and child groups, community-engaged research, public scholarship, and collective care.
Her graduate training is in research and evaluation--specifically in early childhood and community care contexts. She has over 20 years of experience in education and holds a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit from the California Department of Education. She is a member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for the History of Children and Youth.
Ashley infuses the beauty of Waldorf philosophy, feminist pedagogy, and culturally sustaining, place-based informal educational practices into her work and home life while interrogating places of expansion and opportunities for transformation in order that we are in right relationship with the families and communities we serve.
We recommend this story for ages 3 and up
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, guest Meagan Rose Wilson and I discuss the physiological impacts of screen time and how to implement a gentler approach with your children. Meagan highlights the importance of not vilifying media and helping children understand when it’s appropriate to use it as a tool in life. We cover all this and more in today’s exploration of questions on how to manage screen time for your family, so make sure to tune in today!
IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
- How to manage screen time with your children
- How to hold boundaries with younger children and model a positive example
- How screen time can negatively impact your child’s development
- How to find the screen time rhythm that is best for your family
Bella Butterfly is about a lovely brown butterfly who survives a terrible storm. One day Bella Butterfly was gathering sweet nectar in an acorn cup for her friend Benjamin Beetles birthday. Suddenly a storm came and blew hard on Bella's brown velvet wings.Toby the tulip called to her and she flew into his petals to rest her tattered and torn wings.
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
The importance of play for the healthy development of a child cannot be overstated.⠀Research shows that play is essential for physical and emotional health,⠀promoting relationship-building skills, stimulation of the imagination,⠀and the overall wellbeing of a developing child.
In this episode, we cover the different types of play and their benefits. We explore some great outdoor play activity ideas and talk about the importance of the outdoors for both parents and children. Meagan has a wealth of valuable information to share and we hope you can put her knowledge into practice in your own homes!
IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER:
- The four main different types of play, and the benefits of each one.
- The value of open-ended toys
- How to transition from indoor to outdoor activities with ease
- Strategies for creating toys without spending too much money
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Meagan Rose Wilson on Instagram
Whole Family Rhythms
Rudolf Steiner Centre
Sydney Rudolf Steiner College
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Bluebell was written to encourage children to be strong. One spring day, Lady Spring asked a little fairy named Celeste to help her wake up the woodland flower seeds and bulbs. Celeste was honored. One little seed named Bluebell didn’t want to wake up so Celeste coaxed it by describing the beauty and wonder of the woods.
Author - Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs. “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Whether it’s nap time in the afternoon or bedtime at night, getting your child to sleep at any age can be a challenge. Today, we continue in our series of conversations that focus on the foundation of a Waldorf-inspired home life with Meagan Rose Wilson .
Listen to learn about the importance of establishing a rhythm or routine with your children, even when they're really young. Meagan gives a breakdown of how much sleep a child needs based on their age and we discuss how to adapt your routine for the different phases of your child’s life. To find out how to help your child fall asleep with greater ease, how to teach a child to fall asleep without you there, why you shouldn’t give up on nap time too soon, and how to handle a child getting up multiple times in the night, tune in today!
In this Episode We Cover:
How to adjust the bedtime rhythm as your infant becomes a toddler.
How parents can balance the bedtime rituals of children in different age groups.
How to handle a child getting up multiple times in the night.
A breakdown of how much sleep a child needs based on their age.
Meagan Rose Wilson
Meagan Rose Wilson on Instagram
Whole Family Rhythms
National Sleep Foundation
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Susie loved collecting little treasures all summer long. Everywhere she went she found lovely treasures to collect and bring home. One thing kept happening and that was she sometimes would loose a treasure and this made her very sad. One day Susie’s mama came up with a wonderful plan to keep all her treasures safe.
Ages 2.5 to 7
About the author
Rhiannon Silver-Gilmore is the author of this very lovely summer story. You can find Rhiannon on instagram at my____fable where she creates gorgeous seasonal magic making kits for children and their families. This beautiful story about The Treasure Pocket is available in written form in her current summer craft box. You can also find her at www.myfable.co.uk/shop/summer-days-box/
In today’s episode, we continue our series with Meagan Rose Wilson, a parent
educator, author, and mother of four. Meagan has supported hundreds of parents to create a
strong family rhythm unique to their own values and culture and, today, she applies her expertise to the subject of mealtimes. We discuss how to make mealtimes calmer and how
to instill more intention into the experience to help it become the most treasured part of the day. You’ll find out how to cultivate and enrich your relationship and your children’s relationship with food and how to nurture this through gardening, and Meagan explains the value of meal planning to save time and reduce stress, providing a number of helpful meal and snack ideas. Listen in to learn how to model the type of behavior you expect, teach table manners, keep small children seated at the table for the duration of the meal, and stimulate and encourage the types of conversation you want to have at the dinner table. Establishing mealtime rituals can create a sense of calm and reverence, so make sure to tune in to discover some of the rituals that work for us!
Key Points From This Episode:
• An introduction to the series with Meagan and how it ties into the Waldorf philosophy.
• Today’s topic: instilling family mealtimes with calmness, intention, ritual, and reverence.
• How to nurture a child's relationship with food through gardening.
• Why Meagan doesn’t believe in demonizing or banning any one specific ingredient.
• The value of meal planning to save time and reduce stress.
• Meagan provides a number of meal and snack ideas.
• How we can bring greater mindfulness to mealtimes and create more calm at the dinner table.
• Tips for creating rituals to set the tone for the meal.
• How to stimulate and encourage appropriate conversation in small children.
• How to model the type of behavior you expect at the dinner table.
• Some ideas for some other mealtime rituals you can create.
• Advice for teaching table manners; the importance of modeling.
• Methods for keeping children seated at the table for the meal, such as the candle ritual.
Rhythm and routine aren’t quite the same thing. Both can be valuable to your home life, but
rhythm offers a flexibility and a flow which routine does not. Our guest today, Meagan Rose
Wilson, is Waldorf trained and an expert on all things rhythm. She joins us on the show to share her thoughts about why establishing daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms is so beneficial for families. Meagan offers examples of ways to incorporate rhythm into your life, and we discuss a practice which is helpful for maintaining that rhythm. We explore the restorative daily rhythm in more depth through delving into the concept of in-breaths and out-breaths, and we also delve into how to manage multiple rhythms at once when you have children of different ages. Rhythm is not set in stone, and you will need to change and adapt it as your children grow, and that is where the beauty lies!
Key Points From This Episode:
• An introduction to the Waldorf Movement, today’s guest, and the focus of today’s episode.
• Rhythm; how Meagan defines it.
• Meagan explains how rhythm differs from routine and gives a practical example which makes it clear how rhythm can be incorporated into your daily life.
• Three main cornerstones that Meagan encourages parents to focus on with their children.
• Benefits that rhythm offers you and your children.
• Different types of rhythm, defined temporally.
• What the in-breaths and out-breaths within a restorative daily rhythm can look like.
• Examples of how Meagan manages in-breaths and out-breaths for her children of different
ages.
• A simple practice which can help you with maintaining your rhythm.
• The flowing nature of rhythm means that it is not set in stone and will change depending on a number of factors.
Welcome back to We Nurture everybody, and today we will be looking at the vitally important topic of rhythm and how to implement it in simple and foundational ways into your home and family life. As with many things, a great place to start lies in your breath and through the mindful observation of what is happening. In order to create a useful roadmap of routine and schedule, we need to start from where we are, and this means a certain level of observation. Simple breathing exercises are so useful in order to calm and center yourself and a child, and the more of this type of energy that you can facilitate the more balanced the rhythm you will be able to achieve will be. When we look at the example of young children and newborn babies, the breath is the focal point for gauging their health and mood, and these steps of learning are their first.
They take their cues from us and setting the right rhythmic example for this elemental part of human life should be the building block of all things to come. This then branches out into the other rhythms of the body and its organs; looking at the need for rest and sustenance can help us anchor the day according to what is most important. Listeners can expect to hear all about these steps and how they shift and evolve with growing children, as well as some helpful actionable methods for setting things in the right kind of motion. Tune in to get it all!
In this Episode we cover
- The starting point for creating and strengthening your home rhythms
- Mindfulness and scheduling; looking at daily and weekly planning with calm energy.
- Where to shift and adjust as your child grows and changes
- Letting go of difficulty and guilt associated with an over-cluttered routine.
In this episode, I had the great honor to sit with Ashley J. May of the Grassroots Morning Garden Project for an enlightening conversation about Ramadan, Eid al Fitr, Dhul Hijjah, and Eid al Adha.
The religious or spiritual traditions that we are brought up with are often the only ones that we celebrate or have any knowledge of, for our entire lives. However, there is such value in learning about the traditions, and the meanings behind the traditions, of the cultural groups that differ from our own. Ashley's work focuses on nature-immersive parent-child groups, community-engaged research, and collective care. In our conversation, Ashley talks about how she and her family prepare for Ramadan, as well as how they celebrate the festival of Eid when Ramadan is over. We also spend time discussing the inspiration behind Ashley’s book, Thirty Sunsets and a Moon, and what she hopes this volume brings to people. Ashley gives a number of other resources which will help those of us who are new to this topic, but she also highlights the fact that there are so many different voices within the Muslim faith and the best way to learn about other people is by engaging with them directly. We should all learn from Islamic practices and be open to bringing others into our fold.
Ashley J. May is a mother and ethnographer living on the unceded Tongva lands commonly known as Los Angeles, CA. She is the Founder and Project Director of The Grassroots Morning Garden Project that aims to liberate families and organize parents and their children around spaces of freedom through a co-constructed model for holistic, nature immersive parent and child groups, community-engaged research, public scholarship, and collective care.
Her graduate training is in research and evaluation--specifically in early childhood and community care contexts. She has over 20 years of experience in education and holds a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit from the California Department of Education. She is a member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, the American Anthropological Association, and the Society for the History of Children and Youth.
Ashley infuses the beauty of Waldorf philosophy, feminist pedagogy, and culturally sustaining, place-based informal educational practices into her work and home life while interrogating places of expansion and opportunities for transformation in order that we are in right relationship with the families and communities we serve.
You can discover more about Ashley and her work on Instagram @mayashleyj
SHOW NOTES
Book Mentions:
The Islamic Year by Noorah Al-Gailanic & Chris Smith published by Hawthorn Press
Muhammad by Demi (recommended for ages 7 to 10)
Painting Heaven: Polishing the Mirror of the Heart by Demi Hunt & Coleman Barks
Other resources:
Mamanushka.com
SoulFood FM: Episode 4.1 Ramadan on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulfood-fm/id1001264567?i=1000386106717
Habits of Head A Guide to Feminist Pedagogy https://myvanderbilt.edu/femped/habits-of-head/
The Grassroots Morning Garden Project
Thirty Sunsets and a Moon
Toni Morrison
Wild Little Seekers Cooperative
The Islamic Year
MAMANUSHKA
Mules and Me
Bessie Jones
Long, long ago in a land far, far away the sky lived very close to the earth. It stayed close to the earth for many, many years until one year the people of the land upset the sky, so the sky moved.
A Nigerian Folktale retold.
We recommend this story for ages 4 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. A "story for 'separation anxiety', (it was) written for a four-year-old boy who was having difficulty parting from his mother at pre-school."
An A-Z Collection of Behaviour Tales by Susan Perrow
Published by Hawthorn Press
We recommend this story for ages 4 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
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.com
I wrote this story to help children who have a fear of weather, particularly dark clouds, rain, and storms. My hope is that it will offer a sense of courage and triumph. It’s also just a sweet story to listen to again and again.
Written by Chinyelu Kunz
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 6
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
One spring, The Three Billy Goats Gruff wanted to go to the mountains and eat sweet mountain grass. To get to the mountains they had to cross a bridge and under that bridge there lived a troll. The first to cross was little billy goat gruff, then medium sized billy goat gruff then big billy goat gruff. Each billy goat had to meet up with the troll before they could get to the mountains to eat sweet mountain grass.
Traditional Folktale retold
We recommend this story for Ages 4 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
This story was written by Susan Perrow and is a therapeutic story. Children will enjoy it whether it is used for therapeutic reasons or not. This story has been used by families of children aged four to seven to help give a sense of stability in times of transition. On the farm of Farmer "Just Right' everything has its place and function. There is also delicious mud play in the story, which could help a child who doesn't like to get dirty to take a few more risks - the story encourages getting muddy but with the promise of being able to clean up afterwards."
We recommend this story for Ages 4 - 7
Therapeutic Storytelling by Susan Perrow
Published by Hawthorn Press
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Transforming How We Communicate with Our Child
Episode 15: Show Notes.
Today I am joined again by Stephen Spitalny to talk about communicating with young children and simple ways to transform this for the better. Stephen is a teacher at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School and is the author of three books and numerous articles on the subject of early childhood. He has also hosted a number of workshops and courses all over the world! Stephen has joined me for a series of conversations and today we delve into talking about communicating with a young child and the best ways to approach this. Stephen unpacks the five steps that he offers for effective and healthy communication, going through speaking less, speaking slowly, speaking the truth, using the word 'but' sparingly, and positive use of the word 'no'. After unpacking each of these important aspects we move on to the related topics of healthy boundaries, creating real freedom for a child, praise, and learning through imitation. A big takeaway from today's conversation and one that we underline at the end is the need for transformation within the adult, and the somewhat obvious responsibility we have when setting an example for children. So for all of these helpful and inspiring thoughts, be sure to join us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- The idea of speaking less and why to think about using fewer words when communicating something important.
- Speaking slowly and allowing children the time to process what is said.
- Practices around speaking the truth and leading by example in this regard.
- Why Stephen recommends avoiding the word 'but' as much as possible.
- The use of the word 'no'; creating safe and healthy boundaries for children.
- Creating true freedom and allowing children to exercise creativity within a framework.
- Stephen's thoughts on the best ways to communicate with children around achievement.
- Leading by example when trying to help children learn good behaviors and manners.
- Creating good habits by allowing children to learn through imitation.
- A final message from Stephen about the necessary transformation within the adult.
Stephen Spitalny's Books
-Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children
- Connecting with Young Children: Educating the Will
- What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever
After
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
LifeWays North America
Stephen Spiltany
Stephen Spiltqny on Twitter
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children on Amazon
This week's story is a therapeutic story written for a child needing support for a move specifically a move because of a divorce or separation.
Herbie the Hermit Crab enjoys his happy, simple life at Sandy Point. This is the story of Herbie looking for a new home and the power of friendship.
Written by and told by Molly Brett
Ages 3-7
Why Learning Through Imitation is Significant to Child Development
Episode S3E14: Show Notes.
Learning through imitation is significant to childhood development, but children don’t choose which examples to imitate, which can create challenges for parents and teachers. Today we sit with Stephen Spiltany, an influential teacher and author in the Waldorf education space. In this episode Stephen serves as a guiding voice, sharing details on why children imitate, how their imitations aren’t based on virtue but rather the result, and ways parents and teachers can cultivate methods that’ll lead to constructive imitation. We begin the show by hearing why it is crucial to understand the role of imitation for young children. After understanding that imitation is the primary way young children learn, Stephen tells us why children sometimes imitate the worst parts of their parents. Although adults can make themselves into better humans through their own decision-making processes and efforts, children don’t have the neurological development to achieve this. Stephen tells us that it’s the mindfulness and awareness of teachers and parents that can help children imitate positively. He goes on to detail how teachers and parents can create change in the imitation habits of children, but reminds listeners that change is an eventual outcome and cannot be made after one lesson. To hear more about child development through imitation, tune in with us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing our returning guest, Stephen Spiltany.
- Why it is crucial to understand the role of imitation for young children.
- How seeing children imitate the worst parts of a parent can be triggering for the parent.
- Why “autopilot” mode is often the example parents offer to their children.
- The importance of developing yourself as a parent or teacher.
- Why imitation is so significant from a developmental perspective.
- How habits become ingrained in children.
- Why children can’t learn a new habit the first time around.
- How to cultivate better practices to encourage new, better imitations from children.
Stephen Spitalny's Books
-Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children
- Connecting with Young Children: Educating the Will
- What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever
After
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
LifeWays North America
Stephen Spiltany
Stephen Spiltqny on Twitter
Santa Cruz Waldorf School Books by Stephen Spitalny
Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children on Amazon
Once upon a time, long long ago in China there was a boy named Ping. Ping loved flowers and anything he planted would bloom.
The Emperor of the land loved flowers too. The time came when the Emperor had to choose an heir and this was a difficult choice. The Emperor gave a flower seed to each child and “said “Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!"
Ping plants his seed and takes care of it every day. Month after month passes, and nothing grows and when the time comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot.
Story adapted from original ‘The Empty Pot’ by Demi
Ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today’s guest, Stephen Spiltany, has taught at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School since 1990. He offers courses and workshops worldwide, especially in Asia. He is also a parent and a grandparent and he has written three books and numerous articles about early childhood. In today’s episode, we go further into the development of young children as they discover and explore their awareness of self. Stephen takes us through what an undeveloped awareness of self is, with a comparison between that of an adult and that of a young child we broach the topic of the development of self, how we can recognize the sure signs of our child’s journey of discovering their sense of self, and he explains the concept of interoception. Stephen also shares with listeners about finding the balance between loving firmness and the appropriate distribution of autonomy, and the reasons why a developing child is unable to self-direct. Tune in today for all this and so much more, as we dive into this big topic on the essential aspects in creating connection and supportive development for our child.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Stephen describes an undeveloped awareness of self in the adult versus the young child.
- What helps us recognize that our child's sense of self is burgeoning: the arc of development.
- How to consciously and kindly nurture your child's developing sense of self.
- How the adult state of consciousness differs from that of a child; the dream consciousness.
- Developing the sense of self and giving your child the option to “choose.
- Stephen shares some insights into finding the balance of loving firmness.
- How developing yourself as an adult will flow over and benefit your child.
- How being mindful and present is an important practice as you observe your child develop.
Stephen Spitalny's Books
- Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children
- Connecting with Young Children: Educating the Will
- What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Stephen Spiltany
Stephen Spiltany on Twitter
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Connecting With Young Children
Conscious Parenting
This Chinese folktale has been adapted and retold from the book 'Chinese Children's Favorite Stories' by storyteller and artist, Mingmei Yip. The story is about a frog who lived in a well. The frog thought that he knew everything about the world but when a turtle visits one day, they have a conversation and the frog comes out of his well and discovers that the world is much bigger than his well!
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
**A child’s development is an intricate process that has been refined through millions of years of evolution. Being present during developmental years is a major responsibility for a parent or caregiver, and understanding how one can guide the process is key to a healthy, growing child. Today I sit with Stephen Spiltany, who has taught at Santa Cruz Waldorf School since 1990. I open my conversation with Stephen by discovering the nuances of the child’s brain. Stephen talks about why children don’t have complex decision-making and planning skills, and he touches on the different systems of the brain, namely the Reptilian brain and the Limbic system. Following this, Stephen digs deeper as we explore the limbic system a little further. Through this, listeners will hear how they can adjust their parenting and caring styles. According to Stephen, a child’s job is to explore and try things out, while a parent’s job is to create loving boundaries. He continues this exploration by sharing ways you can approach children who struggle to receive instruction. To find out how you can lead through example, and much, much more, be sure to join us today!
In today's episode, you'll discover;**
- Why children don’t have complex decision-making and planning skills.
- Stephen explains the three systems of the human brain.
- Hear about how the prefrontal cortex has evolved over millions of years.
- How an understanding of limbic system development can influence our parenting styles.
- Ways parents and carers can meet the development needs of young children.
- Approaching a child that dismisses your behavior as a good example.
- Why children aren’t malicious but are rather looking for the adult’s attention.
- Proactive things to say when disciplining a child.
- Why it is best to wait for intellectual activity.
- Stephen explains what intellectual activity is.
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
LifeWays North America
Stephen Spiltany
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children on Amazon
Paul MacLean
National Institutes of Health
Gray’s Anatomy on Amazon
A Japanese Folktale
In Japan, there once lived an old man and old woman who had no food to eat one cold, cold winter. The old man went to the market to sell the old woman’s kimono so they could buy food and on the way he meets three statues.
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today I sit down with Stephen Spitalny to talk about parenting with greater consciousness. As an early childhood educator, author, lecturer, and consultant, Stephen walks us through each layer of greater consciousness using his book Conscious Parenting: A guide to living with young children, as a reference. We begin our conversation by finding out more about Stephen and his background. Following this, we turn our focus toward the introduction of Stephen’s book and his intentions for writing it. He touches on why the essential gesture of the human being is the activity of connecting before telling us all the ways we can connect with ourselves. Stephen continues by sharing what inspired him to spread his message, as he refers to a powerful anecdote and how his experience inspired him to help adults discover effective and supportive ways of communicating with children. In the latter half of the episode, Stephen talks about connecting with your own consciousness and how being mindful or present is a pathway to cultivating this connection. To find out more about Stephen’s thoughts on parenting with greater consciousness, be sure to tune!
You can find more about Stephen and the books he has published at chamakanda.com
Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children
Connecting with Young Childen: Educating the Will
What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After Stephen Spitalny's Books
- Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children
- Connecting with Young Children: Educating the Will
- What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Stephen Spitalny
Stephen Spitalny on Twitter
Conscious Parenting: A guide to living with young children on AmazonSpeaking with the Young Child Through the Kindergarten Years
Wynstones Press
Adapted by Sharifa Oppenheimer from a story by Olive Beaupre Miller, My Book House, Vol. 1.
Join little Robin as he sets off on a journey to the palace to sing for the King.
We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
As difficult as they can be to manage, tantrums are a normal part of childhood development. In this question-and-answer episode, we have dedicated the full duration of the show to tantrums. We find out what they are, where they come from, and how we, as parents, can handle them. Engaging our children during a tantrum might seem like a logical next step, but in this episode, we explain why that might not necessarily be the case. When it comes to coping with tantrums, it’s about striking a balance. We take time to discuss what this balance is and why the extremes on either side of it are easy to fall into. Don’t worry though, because we also take a look at the role of the parent and find out what qualities are most useful for dealing with tantrums, which include an understanding of brain development, providing a healthy day rhythm, holding boundaries, listening with compassion, and having empathy. Following this, we look at tantrums through a biological lens, finding out more about the prefrontal cortex and its accompanying limbic system and reptilian brain. Toward the end of the episode, we touch on the importance of rhythms, listening with compassion as a skill, and why empathy is a major game-changer.
Key Points From This Episode:
Introducing today’s Q&A topic: Tantrums - Nurturing ways to help your child.
* Why tantrums are normal.
* What tantrums actually mean and when they can manifest.
* What happens when we engage our children or contemplation or conversation.
* Finding a balance with your child and the way they use tantrums.
* Understanding the role of the parent and brain development.
* The prefrontal cortex and its purpose.
* Why rhythm is good for young children.
* Why healthy boundaries are necessary.
* Listening with compassion is a skill.
* Why empathy is a useful tool.*
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Today we are talking with Renita Livolsi about embracing our differences and how to cultivate inclusive communities in Waldorf Education.
Renita is the Director of Admissions at the San Francisco Waldorf High School. She is a Waldorf graduate and holds degrees in European History and Literature, French Language and Culture, Teaching English to English Language Learners, and a Juris Doctor degree!
Renita is committed to Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice work and serves on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees at San Francisco Waldorf School. You can read more about the San Francisco Waldorf High School here.
A Ukrainian Folktale
Little Nicki’s grandma knitted him a pair of white mittens so he could go out and play in the snow. When he dropped one of his mittens, many forest friends snuggled inside.
We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In today’s episode, we answer some of your biggest parenting questions. To begin with, we address what you should do when your child or a child who is in care is screaming. Listeners will benefit from a range of tips that touch on why you should never scream back, along with pragmatic questions that will help calm the situation. You will also learn about children’s needs and discover the reasons behind their yelling. The second question we answer is on the topic of boys playing with dolls. We dive into why it’s healthy for boys to play with toys like these and explain how it helps boys move through tough life experiences while instilling empathy. In the latter half of the show, we discuss how you can handle siblings who fight over toys. We provide a range of strategies that cover the dos and don’ts, which are especially important to consider if you want to avoid sibling rivalry and jealousy. The last question we answer is about sensory play ideas for two-year-olds. Together, we learn how children in the early childhood phase go through life in a state of play, and why a sense of life, touch, movement, and balance are all important. To hear more details on each question, be sure to join us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Today, we answer some top parenting questions.
• What parents should do to stop their child screaming at them.
• Why you should never scream back at your child.
• Important lines to say when your child is yelling at you.
• Some of the varied reasons that children yell.
• We’re asked about boys playing with dolls.
• Why playing with a doll creates good human behaviors.
• How playing with dolls can help boys with their life challenging experiences.
• Another listener wants to know how to stop their kids from fighting over toys.
• Hear how you can make sure fighting children feel understood and not judged.
• We answer; do you have recommendations on timeouts?
• What studies have found about timeouts.
• A useful phrase to say to your child when they are in timeout.
• Hear about sensory play ideas for two-year-olds.
• How to implement a sense of life, touch, movement, and balance.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
**Creating a family manifesto is a wonderful way to identify the values and beliefs that your family holds most dearly. In this episode, I speak with educator and family coach Kris Hughes about the benefits of family manifestos. We open by exploring what a family manifesto is and how it can build a culture of family belonging. After Kris shares her experience with introducing her family manifesto to her blended household, she highlights how your manifesto should be created collaboratively to represent the best of both parent’s upbringings. We then discuss how your manifesto should meet the developmental needs of parents and children — after all, we never stop growing. Later, we touch on the importance of continually learning from your partner, what you can do to bring your family manifesto to life, and how your manifesto can teach your children to look inward to find answers. Near the end of the episode, we share beautiful moments where our children have expressed gratitude for our parenting style. A powerful tool to create an intentional and cohesive household, tune in to hear more about writing your family manifesto.
Join Chinyelu Kunz as she talks with Kris Hughes of Joyfull Parenting
In our conversation we touch on;**
What a family manifesto is and how it cultivates a sense of purpose and belonging.
How family manifestos can help bring together a blended family.
Why creating your manifesto should be a collaborative process.
Meeting the developmental needs of both parents and children.
The importance of continually connecting with your partner.
Tips on bringing your family manifesto to life.
Looking inward to find the answers to many of your parenting problems.
The beauty of inspiring your child to continue growing.
How it takes time to instill lessons in your younger children.
Old man north wind tries to drive Shingebiss away with his cold and icy nature but she is not afraid and finds ways to stay warm and live in the frozen winter land.
Shingebiss is a (Chippewa) Native American story which exemplifies resilience, fearlessness, courage and the virtue of perseverance and fortitude.
Ages 3 to 7
Welcome to Part 2 of our bonus episode, “What it Means to Be Human,” where we explore this profound and philosophical question. To help us find the answers, we talk with guests Laura Scappaticci of the Anthroposophical Society, and Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America. We open the show by asking what the future goals for society must be, which leads us into topics like seeking humanity in ourselves and others, and understanding life beyond the material world. We continue our exploration of our overarching question by looking at humanity’s role on the planet. From here, we delve into topical societal concerns, namely the subjects of race, and eliminating racism. The points we cover pull the curtain back on social division and where some of these problems lie. Yet, we also supply remedies to combat racism, some of which include people-based solutions through physical engagement. Be sure to join us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
• Introducing today’s guests, Laura Scappaticci and Cynthia Aldinger.
• What future goals the Anthroposophical Society is seeking to achieve.
• Ways you can connect with people.
• Hear about Laura’s spiritual perspective.
• What helps Cynthia understand and recognize her humanness.
• How differences can strengthen humanity.
• Cynthia talks about her experiences as a white child in a lower-middle-class family.
• Cynthia tells us about how LifeWays has evolved to become anti-racist.
• How Cynthia ensured white children would be exposed to and accept different races.
• Why racial acceptance needs to come through people, and not just lessons.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
LifeWays North AmericaAnthroposophical Society
Every winter, Silvercap King of Frostland along with his fairies visit the little Earth children and make the world beautiful. They must work quickly so as not to be seen.
Ages 3 to 7
What does it mean to be human? Today we explore many answers to this age-old question with our guest Sherry Wildfeuer. Sherry has been a volunteer co-worker at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills since 1972 and is also a member of the Anthroposophical Society. We open the show by looking into what it means to be human, focussing specifically on the Waldorf method of education and how it teaches the head, heart, and hands. Sherry goes on to respond to this overarching question with powerful and stirring questions of her own, like: do we have the patience to carry questions over time; do we have confidence in our own ability to think and gradually penetrate to the essence of whatever it is we're turning our attention to; and, will we dare to seek the truth, rather than stopping short at what pleases us or benefits us? As Sherry explains, the challenge is to not limit the scope of our feelings. It is to reach beyond ourselves and to feel joy and bear the pain of others. Sherry then discusses why we should aim to expand ourselves and how we can do this by listening to others and individually confirming those around us. In the closing minutes of our conversation, Sherry talks to us about the three virtues of being human. Join us today, and discover a garden of answers to the question: what does it mean to be human?
Key Points From This Episode:
• Introducing today’s guest, biodynamic gardener, Sherry Wilfeuer.
• We ask the question: what does it mean to be human?
• How the Waldorf way educates the head, heart, and hands.
• Sherry asks her own powerful questions.
• Hear about what the challenge is and how humanity can rise up.
• Explore how we can expand ourselves as human beings.
• Characterizing the human being with three virtues.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
We Nurture Collective
We Nurture on Instagram
We Nurture on Facebook
Sherry Wildfleuer
Camphill Village Kimberton Hills
Rudolf Steiner
Dr. Karl Konig
Stella Natura
Once there was a lovely green meadow where a beautiful tall sunflower grew and in this sunflower there was a little seed. Little seed did not know that soon he would need to go on a journey for King Winter was on his way and Brother wind would soon be blowing his cold breath across the land.
For ages 3 to 7, this story is helpful for building a sense of security, safety and confidence in the young child.
The Little Seeds Journey, by Cindy Brooks. Cindy Brooks is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA, who specializes in working with children and adults. A graduate of the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training (2003), Cindy is integrating Anthroposophy and Depth Psychology in her work as a parent educator and therapist. These stories are part of a book she has co-authored with Joya Birns, Waldorf Teacher, called Parenting with Spirit. For more information, contact parentingwithspirit@gmail.com.
Storytelling in the home is an enlivening experience. It helps us to connect with our children thru the imagination and deepens our relationship in profound and valuable ways. The beauty of storytelling in the home is that it nourishes everyone. It connects the family to each other and can bring humor and healing to a challenging day or moment in the day. Storytelling is good sustenance for us all. In this episode, Molly brings the art of storytelling alive through imaginative, descriptive words, rhymes and songs.
Music is “Dance With Me” and “Naive” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
This story is part of Susan Perrow’s collection of children’s stories and poems that have emerged to ‘meet the hour’ during this extraordinary time of Covid 19.
A Light for Little Gnome’s Lantern is a sweet story about courage in seeking to find the light and let it shine for all to see. This story offers peace, hope and a sense of safety.
This story and other Little Gnome stories can be found at susanperrow.com/stories
Additional stories for children in books authored by Susan Perrow and Published by Hawthorn Press can be found in Healing Stories for Challenging Behavior, Therapeutic Storytelling, and Behaviour Tales. hawthornpress.com
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 6
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
A story about love, courage, and great kindness. This story tells how a little girl helps her mother grow strong again after being ill by being brave, unselfish and kind.
The story, along with many other wonderful stories, can be found in the book, ‘For the Children’s Hour’ by Carolyn Bailey
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
This delightful story about a little fir tree who wants to be picked and see life will warm your heart. Just when we least expect, we can all brighten someone’s day!
We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Celebrations and festivals, offer us time to create nurturing moods of reverence, gratitude, and joy for our family. Showing up with our authentic self brings life to how we celebrate because young children are able to sense our thoughts and feelings and even the meanings behind in our gestures.
Today, Chinyelu sits down with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America, to talk about celebrations and festivals and the vital role they play in the lives of children, and indeed all of us! Everyday life and its routines can be beautiful, powerful, and special, but the yearly escapes from the mundane through the celebration of holidays, birthdays, and special occasions mark our lives with something both extraordinary yet familiar. These rituals and practices help to center a child's life through their repetition, and the realization that a certain time of the year is coming around again can create excitement, appreciation, and a certain type of awareness that is not easily imitated. In our conversation, we break down what can make these rituals special, how to get away from the stressful side of celebration and planning, and ways in which to foster your own unique festivals. Cynthia reminds us that there is nothing wrong with mimicking what you see elsewhere and that over time you are able to own these processes and traditions, in a way that feels true to your family's needs. We talk about how we as parents and teachers can continue these habits even beyond the needs of our children, as they grow up and move out into the world. Celebrations and festivals are important to all of us and although we like to look at them through the lens of the benefits they bring to younger ones, these special occasions can be very meaningful for any person, at any stage of life!
Key take-a-ways In this Episode:
- A few thoughts on the importance of celebrations and festivals in family life.
- Igniting excitement about celebrations and experiencing them through the eyes of children.
- The expected overwhelm that comes when creating a seasonal festival.
- Mimicking and then owning, over time, what others do.
- The power of childhood memories of celebrations.
- The value of repetition.
- How Cynthia has continued with special celebrations after her children have grown up.
- Why we need celebrations.
Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com and lifewaysnorthamerica.org
This Chanukah story tells the miracle that happened in the land of Israel long, long ago. The miracle of light that burned for eight days in a magnificent lamp is celebrated as Chanukah. This story, appropriate for even the very youngest child, is told in a simple way.
-The rhyming part of this story was written by Sara Briggs, New York City
-The story that comes after was written by Chinyelu Kunz
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, Sharifa sheds light on the importance of art in our young child’s life as a creative activity that connects us to our past and future development as human beings. She delves into the connection between art and brain development, how we use art to communicate and why art and creativity are fundamentally human activities.
Music is “Dance With Me” and “Naive” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
Long, long ago there lived a man whose name was Bishop Nicholas. Like so many people today, Bishop Nicholas cared for people near and far and always helped those in need. One day he heard about some people in a far away land who needed food and so he called for his helpers to gather food so that he could take it to the hungry children and their families. A beautiful story that reminds us to help those in need.
We recommend this story for ages 2 1/2 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Nature heals, nature is grounding, nature’s beauty reduces stress, nature awakens in young children a sense of wonder, mystery and joy! In this episode, Molly and I talk about how nature nurtures the young child’s senses and makes healthy development possible in both body and mind.
Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
Once upon a time in a little village, there lived an old light keeper. He had grown quite old and could no longer tend the light, so the village grew dark. One day, a kind young girl came and helped the villagers get back their light.
We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Letta is thrown into a Thanksgiving adventure. Her courage is tested and her kindness rewarded in this tale about giving and receiving.
Recommended for ages 0-12
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Grandpa wants to roast an apple but there are no apples on the apple trees because the harvest has been gathered and stored away. How will Grandpa get a nice big red apple?
Ages 3 - 6
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In the last episode, Sharifa spoke about the importance of play for young children and she gave deep insights into why play is sacred for the young child. In this episode, Sharifa will talk about what kind of play parents should engage in with their child.
Sharifa is the author of multiple best-selling books: Heaven on Earth, Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children, and With Stars in their Eyes. She also worked collaboratively to create the book, What is a Waldorf Kindergarten. She was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as daycare director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through mentoring and offering practicum and internship opportunities to the teacher-training students at Sunbridge College in New York. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa also travels offering lectures and workshops to schools and parent groups. She is the mother of three grown sons, who were educated in the Waldorf tradition. Sharifa lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.
Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
This story is about the festival of Diwali. This beautiful festival celebrates and honors Lakshmi, the goddess of good fortune, wealth, and prosperity. On the night of the festival, lamps are lit outside of homes in hopes of attracting the attention of this benevolent goddess.
Ages 4 to 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Our guest, Sharifa Oppenheimer is known for her research and books which focus on the early childhood development. In this episode, she speaks about the nature of play in early childhood and why play is so important for young children.
Sharifa is the author of multiple best-selling books: Heaven on Earth, Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children, and With Stars in their Eyes. She also worked collaboratively to create the book, What is a Waldorf Kindergarten. She was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as daycare director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through mentoring and offering practicum and internship opportunities to the teacher-training students at Sunbridge College in New York. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa also travels offering lectures and workshops to schools and parent groups. She is the mother of three grown sons, who were educated in the Waldorf tradition. Sharifa lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.
Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
A heartwarming story about a little shepherd boy who lost his lamb while they were in the pasture. In his quest to find his little lamb he received help from the animals and a little man who lives in the forest.
Ages 3 - 7
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, Dr Adam Blanning joins us for a conversation on technology. We are living in a time where technology is becoming ever more present in daily life. It’s vital to be informed about its effects on the well being of young children.
Dr. Blanning practices integrative and anthroposophic family medicine in Denver, Colorado where he started his holistic medical practice in 2003. Dr. Blanning lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on topics relating to holistic medicine and the dynamics of human development, with a special interest in supporting children. He is the author of “Understanding Deeper Developmental Needs: Holistic Approaches for Challenging Behaviors in Children.”
To learn more about his practice the Denver Center for Anthroposophical Therapies, please visit denvertherapies.com.
Music is “Dance With Me” and “Naive” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
Here's a sweet story about a little boy who discovers, with his mother's help, that every apple wondrously has a star hiding inside. Follow his journey to discovery!
Ages 2 to 5
The author of Star Apple is unknown
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
The way in which young children experience their environment and the world is something that we often do not consider in day to day living especially when life is full. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melissa Greer about how the young child senses the world.
At her practice, Carah Medical Arts, Dr. Greer is dedicated to the anthroposophical approach to health and healing.
Please visit carahmedicalarts.org to learn more.
Music is “Dance With Me” and “Naive” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
With the birth of a baby, we experience the mystery of new life, the miracle, wonder and awe.
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melissa Greer about how the young child grows into his or her body otherwise known in Waldorf education as ‘The Incarnating Child’. Essentially, the spiritual body is uniting with the physical body.
At her practice, Carah Medical Arts, Dr. Greer is dedicated to the anthroposophical approach to health and healing.
Whether you’re new to this topic or not, we warmly invite you to join us in this conversation with Dr. Greer.
Please visit carahmedicalarts.org to learn more.
Music is “Dance With Me” and “Naive” by Sergey Cheremisinov.
To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com
It's almost halloween and there's one last pumpkin left in the garden waiting to be picked. Who will take this little pumpkin home?
Ages 2 - 5
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
In this episode, we speak with Lydia Violet and Leah Song about their course “Singing the Bones”. Lydia Violet is a singer, songwriter, activist, teacher and founder of Music as Medicine and Leah Song is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, storyteller, poet, and activist known for her role as front woman in Rising Appalachia, with her sister Chloe Smith.
Together this past spring these ladies launched an amazing online course titled “Singing the Bones” where they dive deep into cultural appropriation, inheritance, ancestry, storytelling and music.
To learn more please visit musicasmedicineproject.org risingappalachia.com and lydiafiddle.com
In this episode, we speak with Nancy Mellon, storyteller and author of several books including “Storytelling & The Art Of Imagination. Nancy has guided storytelling and writing groups for many years in the art of creating and telling stories. A former Waldorf teacher, she has given many storytelling and art therapeutic courses in the United States and internationally. Well known as a powerful storyteller and writer, Nancy is pioneering new awareness of the relationship between language, imagination and well-being.
Nancy’s books include: The Art of Storytelling, Storytelling & The Art of Imagination, Storytelling with Children, Healing Storytelling, Body Eloquence, and The Knottles (a children’s story).
Discover more at: www.healingstory.com
The Wise Old Gnome cares for Mother Earth. He lives deep in the Limindoor woods under the roots of a great oak tree. Every autumn, he gathers acorns from the squirrels so he can plant them to keep the forest growing with lots of trees. This simple and delightful autumn tale invites us, child and adult alike, to connect with nature and inspires us to care for Mother Earth.
Adapted from the story "Brother Acorn" by Sieglinde De Francesca, author of 'a donsy of gnomes' which you can find at: teachwonderment.com
Ages 2 - 5
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today we connect with Dr. Adam Blanning to talk about Anthroposophical medicine and its unique, integrative medical approach that looks at the whole person.
Dr. Blanning practices integrative and anthroposophic family medicine in Denver, Colorado where he started his holistic medical practice in 2003. Dr. Blanning lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on topics relating to holistic medicine and the dynamics of human development, with a special interest in supporting children. He is the author of “Understanding Deeper Developmental Needs: Holistic Approaches for Challenging Behaviors in Children.”
To learn more about his practice, Denver Center for Anthroposophical Therapies, please visit denvertherapies.com.
How do we build anti-racist spaces? How do we begin, in a new way to educate ourselves and the children we teach? We are so fortunate that Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America could join us for this important conversation.
LifeWays North America Statement
LifeWays North America welcomes you to our community. We value diversity of ancestry and nation of origin, gender identity and expression, age, ability, sexual orientation, and religion. We believe diversity strengthens us as an organization. We stand against content found in lectures or written works by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy, that represents racist ideas. We continue to examine our policies and training curriculum through the lens of anti-racism to ensure that our community feels safe and supportive of all. All are welcome.
lifewaysnorthamerica.org
This story, perfect for autumn, has been adapted from the Russian folktale, 'The Turnip'. In this retelling of the story, grandfather plants a turnip seed in the spring hoping to harvest a big turnip in the autumn so that he can make delicious turnip soup. The turnip grew and grew, in fact it grew so big that grandfather couldn't pull it out of the ground by himself. He calls grandmother, who calls granddaughter, who calls the dog, who calls the cat who calls the mouse and then they are able to pull the turnip out.
Recommended for ages 2 to 6
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today we connect with Marlis Harris, Director and Owner of Hummingbird Preschool in San Francisco. She tells us about how she very quickly and courageously transformed her preschool last summer to a program that was completely outdoors so that she could meet the needs of the children in a healthy way while working with the challenges of COVID. It's an inspirational interview and inspiration is something that we all need!
Born and raised in Germany, Marlis grew up in the small town of Diez. After earning her Masters in Special Education and Art she embarked on a trip around the world which eventually led her to San Francisco. In 1998, after completing her three year Waldorf Teacher Training she found opportunities to volunteer, tutor and substitute at the San Francisco Waldorf School where in time all three of her sons would attend and graduate from. She has been the director and main teacher at Hummingbird Preschool since it opened in 2002.
To learn more about Hummingbird Preschool please visit hummingbirdpreschoolsf.com
Today we are connecting with Laura Scappaticci from the Anthroposophical Society in America.
The Anthroposophical Society in America furthers Rudolf Steiner’s work in the United States. They are an open membership organization that fosters self-development and inspired social engagement, through Conferences, Regional Groups, Online Courses and a wonderful magazine called Being Human.
"Anthroposophy is a philosophy of love; a path of spiritual inquiry, rather than a belief system at the foundation of which is an understanding of the ability for humans to evolve." Laura Scappaticci
In this episode Laura Scappaticci, Director of Programs for the Anthroposophical Society in America joins us for a lively conversation on the topic of Anthroposophy and the Anthroposophical Society. In her role, Laura creates events, online education as well as a podcast, The Anthroposopher. She enjoys connecting people to their best selves on whatever spiritual path they choose. Laura is also the mother of three!
Anthroposophy.org
Being Human Magazine
The Anthroposopher Podcast
This is a wonderful African Folktale story of a magic cow and other animals that teach a lesson to two friends.
Recommended for ages 5 to 9
To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children
Today Molly and I honored to be speaking with Beverly Amico, the Executive Director of Advancement for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. AWSNA is a non-profit membership organization focused on strengthening and nurturing Waldorf education by advancing Waldorf principles. It supports 160 member schools and 14 teacher education institutes in North America. AWSNA works to support schools and institutes with a vision to strengthen and nurture Waldorf education and advance Waldorf principles worldwide.
In her role at AWSNA, Beverly represents Waldorf education to the broader community, executing public relations, outreach, marketing, and advocacy related strategies, and guides AWSNA’s fund development efforts.
Join us for this in-depth conversation to hear how AWSNA, as the leading organization for Waldorf education, is deepening their work with diversity, equity and inclusion.
You can read the Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Waldorf Education statement and learn more about at waldorfeducation.org/awsna
Today we are speaking with Sabine Josephs, Waldorf Parent and creator of All of Us Crayons.
Last December, Sabine launched @waldorfincolor where she shines light on the challenges that people of color have with being underrepresented in Waldorf communities and how, by working together, we can make change.
Now she has created All of Us Crayons. These diversity crayons represent 8 skin tones so no mixing of colors is required!
They honor the skin tones of our diverse world and are made with all natural ingredients, containing only Beeswax, Carnauba wax & Earth pigments. No paraffin! No fillers!
This week the crayons launched on bellalunatoys.com and allofuscrayons.com. Be sure to buy your set before they sell out.
This story is about a special friendship between Hamid, the son of a poor date grower and Omar, the son of a Sultan. They meet in a Moroccan market place where Omar has come to learn more about life. Last week we heard about Hamid’s long journey with his father, Abdul as they rode on their donkey, Zagib to the marketplace to sell their dates. Both Hamid and Abdul were so thirsty when they arrived at the marketplace but they had no money to buy water. Abdul then decided to go to the mosque to pray and told Hamid that he must guard their wares until he returned. While Hamid waited, a snake charmer came to play his flute for him while the snake danced. Meanwhile, across town the Sultan’s son, Prince Omar who lived in a palace was unhappy and decided he wanted to know about life outside of the palace. Now the story continues…
We adapted this story for audio, original story by Anne Rose; published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
We recommend this story for ages 5 to 9
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com
This story is about a special friendship between Hamid, the son of a poor date grower and Omar, the son of a Sultan. They meet in a Moroccan market place where Omar has come to learn more about life. We adapted this story for audio, original story by Anne Rose; published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
We recommend this story for ages 5 to 9
To discover more please visit wenurturecollective.com
Building a strong foundation in the early years of development is critical for the young child as this creates a solid base for later learning to stand upon. If a child's foundation is not strong, difficulties will be met in future years. Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education, identified a framework of 12 senses that educators and parents can work with to support children's development. The first four of these senses are called the Foundational Senses. By supporting the healthy development of these senses in the early years from birth to age seven, we can help our young children build a strong foundation for life. A curriculum that is built around supporting the Foundational Senses is a therapeutic education and our children are in great need of this curriculum!
Building a Strong Foundation: Care of the Young Child's Senses course begins on September 16. Join by visiting lifewaysnorthamerica.org
A fisherman and his wife get caught up in a saga with a fish who grants them many wishes. This tale proves that greed can get the better of us if we let it.
A Grimm's Story
Ages 7-12
Set in the days when Kings and Queens ruled lands, Jack, the son of a farmer sets out into the world to make a life for himself. He encounters an old man in the forest, a magical horse, and an unkind magician. This is a story about courage, trust, and friendship!
(Adapted from the original story written by Suse Konig)
Ages 4 to 8
Arrow Chain is a beautiful story about friendship and courage. Two boys who are best friends, one being a chief's son who rescues his friend when he is taken to the sky to live with the moon. It is a Tlingit tale. The Tlingit are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Ages 5-7.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit wenurture.us, farmhousemanna.com, and kimberton.org
Gunther Hauk has been a biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for four decades. A former college teacher in the US (MA from the University of Tennessee), and then a Waldorf School gardening and environmental teacher for 22 years in Germany. He returned to the USA in 1996 to co-found the Pfeiffer Center for Biodynamic and Environmental Studies in Spring Valley, NY. For 11 years he taught the subject "gardening" to Foundation Year and Teacher Training classes at Sunbridge College.
He has traveled throughout the USA and internationally, giving workshops and talks on Sustainable, Biodynamic Beekeeping, Gardening with Children, and Biodynamic Farming & Gardening.
Since the mid-seventies he has been a beekeeper, deeply involved in researching how to keep bees in ways that would be more in harmony with their own needs, thus raising their level of vitality and health. In his book Toward Saving the Honeybee, first published 5 years before the Colony Collapse Disorder crisis, in 2002, he called for a radical change in beekeeping methods. Together with his wife Vivian, he co-founded Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary in 2006, a non-profit education and research organization located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Floyd, Virginia.
Music is Cloud Chamber by Pictures of the Floating World.
Connla and Nora finish their adventures meeting the fairy queen and receiving gifts to take home! They return to their mother after their long journey and they are reunited!
Author unknown, adapted by Molly Brett
Ages 5-7.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit wenurture.us, farmhousemanna.com, and kimberton.org
Connla and Nora continue on their journey adventuring to the land of the sea meeting Mermaid folk and continuing their sojourn to more unknown worlds.
Author unknown, adapted by Molly Brett
Ages 5-7.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit wenurture.us, farmhousemanna.com, and kimberton.org
A brother and sister find themselves on a mystical adventure thru many unknown worlds after they help save the life of a bird. This is part one. The journey will continue next week with part two.
Author unknown, adapted by: Molly Brett
Ages 5-7.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit wenurture.us, farmhousemanna.com, and kimberton.org
When we cultivate simplicity and spaciousness in our daily life, we invite thoughtful presence, patience, and calm in our home.
Join us in our conversation with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America as she artfully describes how we can craft a life of simplicity. By balancing the choices that we make through careful thought and reflection, we can create space for nourishing life activities to flow in and out.
Booked mentioned by Cynthia include Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, The Frog King A Grimms Fairytale, and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor-Frankl.
To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org, wenurture.us, and kimberton.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
In this episode, I interview my eldest daughter, Genevieve. As a Waldorf alumni, she is speaking with me today about her experiences as a person of color in the Waldorf community.
While she has many positive memories of being a Waldorf student from pre-school through 12th grade, she will be sharing some of the more difficult experiences that she had as a student of color. Even within a caring and open space that Waldorf schools strive to create, people of color are still finding that their race affects their experience within the community. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
While Genevieve didn’t leave Kimberton feeling negative about the school, there is still room for growth in the Waldorf community especially when it comes to diversity and she hopes this conversation will inspire people to bring change to their school communities.
To discover more please visit wenurture.us and follow us on Instagram.
A Karuk Coyote Tale About How Fire Came to the People.
Description by Julian Lang
"In Fire Race, we are reminded just how important the willow tree is to our way of life. We are told of one way that coyote helped us. We are reminded that we must remember to respect each other. The story reveals that all-natural living things are important, from the little frog to the soaring eagle."
Author's note
This story is based on various versions of the Karuk myth, The Karuk - meaning "upriver" - people are native to the rugged Klamath River region of Northwest California.
Retold by Jonathan London
Illustrated by Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books, San Francisco
Ages 5 - 8
Buy Fire Race Here
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit wenurture.us, farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
This is the story of how the crow saved the creatures of the earth from the cold by flying up to the Creator who thinks all things into being. In his adventures, his beautiful feathers turn to soot but his sacrifice proves beneficial and he is rewarded for his efforts.
A Lenni Lenape Folktale, retold by S.E. Schlosser, adapted by Molly Brett.
Ages 5-7
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
One day when the world was new pieces of the sky started falling in a little village in China. The children ran to Loawnu, the wisest person in the village to ask for her help. Loawnu finds a way to mend the sky and she even adds a magical touch!
For ages 2 to 6
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.
A baker in a village bakes bread and discovers something special about her dough.
For Ages 2 to 5
Adapted from the story Sunday Bread by A. Vinnal from the book Spindrift
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
The Gunny Wolf is thought to be an old African American folktale that has been passed down orally. It is a gentle tale of caution that recounts what a little girl experiences when she does not listen to her mother about staying out of the forest.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
Farmer John and his wife Betty live in a cozy house on top of a green grassy hill. Every day, they have lots of chores to do and on this particular day Farmer John must take care of all the chores. Help comes his way when brother wind, fire fairies, and sister rain visit him even though he's fallen fast asleep.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.
A Buddhist Tale from Ancient India about generosity and loving all the people of the world!
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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 beingsand 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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch
This story describes the concern of a group of elves during a period of no rain in their forest. It tells of the bravery of one elf, Beecher, who went to search for water to save the leaves from wilting. On his quest, this courageous elf meets many wonders of the natural world.
The Dance of the Elves By Andrew Linnell, Illustrated by Elizabeth Auer
Mercury Press of The Fellowship Community. Discover Mercury Press by visiting their website mercurypress.org
About Mercury Press
"We are a small Non-Profit publisher and print shop located at the Fellowship Community, originating in the 1970s to foster continuing education in the study of anthroposophical literature. Since many of Rudolf Steiner's significant lectures had yet to be translated and printed in English, this became part of our work and provided material for unfolding the community's spiritual life.
Mercury Press is a "work activity group" providing educational, economic, social, and therapeutic experiences in the editing, printing, binding, collating, and shipping of books to interested English-speaking people all over the world. This activity, in turn, produces funds which enable us to care for the elderly members at a cost far below more conventional homes for the aging."
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 beingsand 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.org
Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch
In this episode, we are connecting you to LifeWays North America, an organization dedicated to revolutionizing the care of young children through what they call the Living Arts as well as the Social Art of Awareness. LifeWays offers transformational practices that change people’s lives. First, we address the ongoing struggles of people of color in our country because staying silent is not an option!
To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org and kimberton.org
This is a continuation of the story of Wise Grandfather Turtle. Meet Lizzie Lizard and Neville Newt as they reminisce about the joys of the summer's past and make plans for the summer to come. As they emerge from their burrows with plans of their own a wonderful surprise for all the woodland, meadow, and pond creatures awaits.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
At We Nurture, we believe that connecting communities builds bridges and building bridges builds connections and also makes it possible to envision a strong world community.
In this episode, we are building a connection to Steiner Books an online store that offers books on Waldorf education, on child & family, Spirituality as well as Biodynamic and Organic agriculture and books by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education.
To discover more please visit steinerbooks.org and kimberton.org
Listen and Subscribe to the Sunday Letter Podcast here: steinerbooks.org/sunday-letter-podcast
An African folktale from Malawi adapted and retold from the book "The River That Went To The Sky" by Mary Medlicott - illustrated by Ademola Akintola.
There was once a river in Africa that thought that the stars in the sky were twinkling eyes. The river was very curious and wanted to go to the sky. The sun said he would help the river up but he had to find his way back down.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.org
The Story of Brother Swan and the Fairy Queen is a tale of a little girl who is transported to a magical world by a kind Swan. Her magical adventure takes her right to the fairy queen's doorstep. This is the story of her time with the fairy folk.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
An old traditional tale about a pancake that ran away and had an adventure before it was eaten. This story was adapted and told on several occasions as a puppet play for the children in Rosebud Garden. We hope you enjoy our version of this well-loved story!
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
Join us for part 2 of our conversation with three Kimberton Waldorf school parents!
Cultivating an intentional home inspires us to create joyful moments enriched with ritual! Discovering the rituals that we experienced as children is something that we may not recognize until we have our own children.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
A traditional Japanese folktale about a poor but kind woodcutter who shares his lunch of 3 rice balls and how he is rewarded.
The story has been adapted for pre-school aged children.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
Three Rosebud Garden parents join us for a revealing and open conversation on rhythm in their homes. They reveal the challenges that they face as well as their successes!
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
The story of The Wise Grandfather Turtle was written as a therapeutic response to this time of the pandemic. In Waldorf Early Childhood education, teachers will often tell the children a therapeutic story when there is a need. There are times when the teacher notices a challenging behavior in the classroom or a child in their care has experienced trauma. The aim of therapeutic stories is to bring healing images and gestures through the stories we tell.
This story offers the image of a Wise Grandfather Turtle who knows how to keep all the little animals in his pond safe after a big storm. The pond is too messy to be enjoyed so a frog family, heeding Grandfather Turtles' advice stays home while Grandfather Turtle gets to work tidying up the pond for all.
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
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.org
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.org
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.org
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.org
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.org
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.org
We will explore the deeper role that we have when we become a parent. With the birth of a child comes great anticipation. Will it be a girl or a boy? What shall the name be? Who will the baby look like? Above all, as parents, we have great hopes and wishes for our new baby's future. But what is truly our role as parents? How do we navigate all the choices and decisions when there is so much to consider when raising a child. Let's begin our journey together to learn how living a rhythmic life nurtures our children and us too!
To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org
As parents, we want the best for our children and we strive to give them a strong foundation for life. Listen as one parent, who also happens to be a Waldorf teacher, shares her journey to discovering Waldorf education and how this led her to live a more connected, mindful, and conscious life.