We Nurture

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

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 2 to 7

To discover more about please visit wenurturecollective.com/stories-for-children

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 America

Anthroposophical 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 [email protected].

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