Feeling flustered, overwhelmed, and maybe a little burnt out after the holidays? That is okay. Give yourself some grace and join Melisa as she walks you through how to get back on track after the holiday chaos.

In this episode you'll learn:
-How to get back into the swing of things after the holiday season
-Why self-care is vital in preventing burnout
-The importance of giving yourself some grace

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/

You always hear about “New Year resolutions” but what if we replaced those with New Year Evaluations? Join Melisa in her last LIVE Monday video/podcast episode, as she talks about how to set up the next year for success by evaluating yourself and changing your habits. She also discusses (for the homeschooling families) the importance of mid-year evaluations.

In this episode you'll learn:
-How to observe and evaluate efficiently.
-The importance of staying on the same page as your partner
-How children develop limiting beliefs
-The tools you’ll need to set your year up for success.

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/

The last two weeks of the year can feel a little chaotic. There are gifts that need to be purchased, decorations that need to be hung, meals that need to be cooked, and families/friends that need to be visited. It can feel like a lot. Join Melisa, as she provides tips and tricks for surviving these few busy weeks and reminds us to slow down and enjoy the time with our children.

In this episode you’ll learn:
- Tips on meal planning
- What to ask yourself when you’re feeling stressed
- How to ground yourself amid the chaos

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’s no secret, Waldorf has some beautiful books, toys, and art supplies. Join Melisa as she shares her favorite gift options, by age. She also provides some insight on how to navigate undesirable gifts.

In this episode you’ll learn:
-The best gifts for each age group
-How to navigate undesirable gifts
-The importance of purchasing quality items
-Advice on limiting screen time during the holidays

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/
- Parents in SYNC: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/reclaim-family

Advent is a beautiful season with many opportunities for celebration. Listen as Melisa shares some fantastic new freebies she’s been working on for Advent! Bonus: there’s a gift for mommas too!

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/
- Advent Freebies: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/advent

From St. Lucia and Advent to Solstice celebrations, December is full of festivals. It can be hard to know which festivals to celebrate and how to celebrate them. Join Melisa as she delves into the different winter festivals and shares her advice on making it a fun and joyous season.

*Bonus: at the end of the podcast Melisa discusses how to get grounded before a holiday gathering.

In this episode you’ll learn:
-The variety of festivals/holidays celebrated in December and January
-How to choose which festivals to celebrate
-Appropriate ways to more organically learn and experience holidays from other cultures
-Advice on how to handle holidays in two households
-How to ground yourself before holiday gatherings

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/
- Advent Freebies: https://www.waldorfessentials.com/advent

Reverence often carries a religious connotation but, in this episode of The Agent or Object, Melisa walks through what it means to teach reverence in your home and homeschool. She provides insight into why she incorporated reverence, respect, and responsibility into her homeschool and how it made its way into their every-day home life.

In this episode you’ll learn:
-What it means to have reverence in your home & homeschool
-The difference between attachment parenting and positive parenting
-The importance of how you show up every day
-How to change the way you show up
-The vital roles sleep and learning to hold the space play in maintaining a peaceful home/homeschool

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, in this special podcast episode, with her son Harry in which they discuss what it was like growing up with Asperger's. Together they discuss everything from sleeping habits and diet to Harry’s new job and everything in between.

In this episode you’ll learn:
-What it is like growing up with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
-Parenting tips
-The role diet can play in ASD
-The importance of communication with 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/

Screens are everywhere and for most parents, they provide an easy way to have some peace. The questions become, “when is it okay for kids to have screen/media time?” and “how much is too much?”. Join Melisa as she answers these questions and shares how they handle media in their home.

In this episode you’ll learn:
-How children perceive the media they watch
-What age screen time is appropriate for
-How to determine what media is appropriate for your children
-The importance of setting good media boundaries
-How to incorporate media in a way that makes sense for your family

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 walks you through the 7th and 8th-grade physiology blocks. The seventh grade starts with the necessary but not always a comfortable discussion of the reproductive systems. Melisa shares her experience bringing this topic to her children. She continues the discussion by reiterating which topics are covered in each grade. And she explains why they are covered in that specific order.

In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why the reproductive discussion is meant to happen in 7th grade
- How to use a circle journal to help young teens who are uncomfortable asking questions
- How to best answer difficult questions from little ones
- The topics covered in 7th-grade physiology: reproductive systems, respiratory system, circulatory system, and nervous system (excluding the brain).
- The topics covered in 8th grade: muscles, bones, brain, eyes, ears, and body chemistry.
- What topics are NOT brought up in 7th and 8th-grade physiology

Resources:
- Business and Homeschool Support: https://melisa-nielsen.mykajabi.com/biz
- Parenting Support: https://melisa-nielsen.mykajabi.com/parents-in-sync
- 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/