Sleep. From mood to blood pressure, sleep plays an important role in you and the quality of your life. Join Melisa as she discusses the importance of sleep and provides tips and tricks for getting more of it.

In this episode you will learn:
-The importance of sleep on your health.
-The amount of sleep you need based on age range.
-How to create a good bedtime routine; starting with dinner.
-How to honor sleep, even in the early childhood years.


Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

Scheduling for an entire family can feel like a juggling act: play date, sports game, work project, etc. Join as Melisa explains what “family council” looks like for her family and how creating your own can help bring cohesion to your family schedule. Look out for some extra pro tips on creating a family calendar.

In this episode you'll learn:
-Why setting aside time for your family meeting is important
-What a family meeting can look like
-Tips on creating and using a digital family calendar.
-How to utilize the Monday Hour One tip.
-Advice on having mid-week Dad (and/or) Mom “interviews.”

Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

It can sometimes be hard to feel prepared enough to start on a project (or homeschooling lesson). Join Melisa as she gets to the heart of how to stop waiting and how to start doing.

In this episode you will learn:
- How to move past analysis paralysis.
-The importance of connecting with your children and what you are feeling.
-How to hold the space and command your rhythm.
Most importantly, you’ll learn that you don’t need to know all the things. Just start!

Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

Learning about your temperament can be fun and exciting, but what if your temperament isn’t one you like. We have all fallen into the “I wish I was or I had…” trap before. But learning to embrace our temperaments and gifts that come with them can be a game changer. Join Melisa as she discusses the struggles, she has seen people with a melancholic temperament (and other temperaments as well) run into while learning to embrace all that makes them unique.

In this episode you'll learn:
-The beauty in embracing your temperament.
-What questions to ask yourself when you’re struggling to accept your temperament.

Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

In this episode, Melisa tackles how to handle perfectionism in your children’s behaviors. She discusses the ties perfectionism can have to certain temperaments and anxiety; and provides tools to help children manage their expectations.

In this video you will learn:
- The role temperaments play in anxiety and perfectionism.
- How to help your child manage their anxiety and perfectionism.
-Why you should refrain from using the word “perfect” when referring to your child’s work.

Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

Join Melisa as she dives into what it looks like using the Waldorf education model to homeschool your gifted and special needs children. From movement and rhythm to create a thriving family culture; Melisa uses her personal experience raising and teaching her own gifted and special needs children to provide support for families who may have concerns about using a Waldorf curriculum.

In this episode you will learn:
- How Waldorf provides a space in which all children can learn and grow.
- The importance of creating a healthy family culture.
- The vital roles of sleep and rhythm.
- Why getting enough movement is crucial for gifted and special needs children.
- Tips and tricks for meeting the child/children where they are.

Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

It can be so easy to get pulled into the beauty of Waldorf's “fluff”, but is it necessary? Listen as Melisa discusses the true meaning of Waldorf and the different ways to incorporate it into your life in cost-effective ways.

In this episode you will learn:
- What it means to create a “Waldorf environment”.
- What materials are the best to begin investing in.
- How to use what you have to create the environment you want.
- How to use the free resources on hand to build the Waldorf experience you want.


Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

A lot of homeschoolers want a curriculum that can be opened, used, and put back on the shelf, but that is not the reality for most Waldorf curriculums. Join Melisa as she dives into the importance of connection, living lessons, and unique personal touches that you bring to your teaching.

In this episode you'll learn:
- What it means to homeschool using the Waldorf educational model.
- Why it is important for you to add your own personal touch to the lessons
- The importance of digging deep into what Waldorf offers us as parents and teachers.
- Advice on starting out on this homeschooling journey.
- What it means to provide a living lesson to your children.


Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

Join Melisa as she discusses the intricacies of homeschooling in two different households. Whether you have executive authority on education for your children or it is a fully shared responsibility, Melisa provides advice for providing the best possible education for your children.

In this episode you'll learn:
- How to create a cohesive learning environment for your children living in two households
- Tips for how to stay on the same page and share what each household has been learning in school.
- What to do if the other parent isn’t on board with homeschooling.
- How to set expectations for what is expected to be done at each home.


Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/

Moving can be stressful! In this episode, Melisa walks you through ways you can make your move less stressful and more enjoyable for yourself and your family.

In this episode you will learn:
- How to manage all the emotions that come with moving.
- Tips for reducing stress during the move.
- Steps to take that will make leaving, not so hard. (Emotionally and physically)


Resources:
- Additional FREE Resources: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/resources
- Melisa Nielsen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alittlegardenflower/featured
- Waldorf Essentials Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waldorf_essentials/
- Waldorf Essentials Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaldorfEssentials/