Prior to signing up, I really only marginally knew about Waldorf Education. I had seen some things on social media comparing and contrasting Waldorf vs Montessori, but that was really the extent of my knowledge. Armed with an ounce of information and a ton of questions, I took the plunge and registered.
The first day was immediately eye opening. I noticed how the teacher held the group in a predetermined schedule. I now know this is a rhythm and something the teachers work VERY hard to establish with their class. I saw how we were never rushed, but always on time. The transitions from one activity to another were felt, but not announced. Somehow everything got done and my children were engaged the entire time. How did this work? Why did this work?
I was all in. Hook, line, and sinker- I needed to know more!
Week two, I arrived with our twins completely ready to watch and learn. I saw how the teacher had prepared the environment to set us all up for success and felt how she facilitated changes in energy to cue us in making transitions. I felt myself able to relax into the class and even learned a new skill- how to make felt crowns and hand stitching.
Putting finishing touches on the crowns I made during Parent-Child class.
After watching and learning for two weeks, I decided to implement some of my observations at home. Here’s what I did and how it’s going:
Started lighting a candle for every meal. Our children responded very well to the visual cue and were much more likely to stay at the table for the entire meal. They understood that mealtime had a beginning and and end. This meant that we all got to sit and enjoy meals peacefully together.
Used breakable dishes. We had been struggling with our toddlers throwing plates and cups at meal time for several months. At this point, we were at our wits end. I switched to open cups and breakable dishes after our second parent-child class and the behavior improved almost immediately. They started to show a reverence for their place-setting and now lovingly carry dishes back and forth from the counter to the table.
Used song to cue action. I adopted the idea that songs can tell our children what comes next, preventing me from constantly doling out orders. Now, we use songs for clean-up and to cue bedtime. It’s made our home so much more peaceful.
“Express your gratitude” This is a phrase that I actually heard another parent use with her son during class. When he was given a turn with a toy or offered something to eat, mom would say “express your gratitude” and it really struck me. Typically, we are told to, “say thank you”. I never thought anything of it until I heard “express your gratitude”. Suddenly, the former felt so performative and I decided that in our home, we would “express our gratitude”. We’ve adopted the phrase and it’s a nice reminder to be authentic in our communication.
Preparing for lunch with our candle and thrifted dishes.
After 6 weeks of parent-child classes I knew this was right for our family. My children felt a sense of calm and my husband and I felt peace return to our home. I am so grateful for the time we spent and look forward to incorporating more pieces of Waldorf philosophy into our family life.