We Nurture

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

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

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

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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