We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

It’s a blustery autumn morning and Tiny mouse is looking for a cozy warm house. Mother Earth finds him, picks him up and puts him in her cozy apron pocket but Tiny mouse quietly hops out when he sees an acorn too good to pass by. Mother Earth goes into her house, shuts the door and doesn’t know that Tiny mouse isn’t in her apron pocket. Oh, dear! How will Tiny mouse find a cozy house?

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 6

About the Author - Christy Klincewicz

This is my 20th year as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator.  My early experiences of exploring the wonder and beauty of the natural world and the reverent moments created by lighted candles on the Christmas tree and ringing a bell to invite the angels in, have shaped me to take up my work with young children.

The imaginations impressed upon my soul from the taste of cold, clear mountain streams and peeping into the magical worlds hidden beneath their mossy banks have given me a rich pictorial language.  I love creating stories where the world is good, kind friends help those in need and love weaves a mantle of safety and warmth.  Often these stories arise when the children say, “Tell us a story.”

Then I, too, listen as Mother of the Fairy Tales whispers in my ear.

To learn more about Christy’s work and to purchase her book “Fleetfoot Fox Catches a Cold”, visit  www.rockinghorsestories.com

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

Today on Blossoming Tuesday, we speak about two-year-olds and highlight some of their developmental leaps and challenges. We discuss a few of the different ways in which your child is developing and how you can support them during this time of really big change. In this episode, you’ll find some wonderful insight into your child’s needs, and how creating rhythms will help to make this a time of joy for both you and your child. Coming to understand your two-year-old better, you’ll love seeing how they blossom, and you’ll look forward to what each day reveals about who they are becoming.

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Season 4 Episode 4: “How do Develop Healthy Sleep Rhythms for your Child”

The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm

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Self-discipline is such a powerful tool because disciplining your children begins with disciplining ourselves, which is why today’s Mindful Monday topic is self-discipline and why your words and actions matter. We open with the comforting truth that we need to forgive ourselves as we strive to do and be better parents and you’ll learn how to shift your focus to yourself because learning begins at home. Mindfulness allows us to be less caught up in our own thoughts, and by giving your child your presence, you can be present with yourself. During this episode, you’ll find out how to move towards this in order to offer the appropriate response to each moment, discover the tools to help you to nurture self-discipline and tune into yourself, and how to invite self-observation into your daily life in order to develop this. Listen in today!

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Welcome to Q&A Friday! Today’s question comes from a mom of a six-year-old and a two-year-old who is struggling to create a calm experience around the table. Family mealtimes can be challenging and chaotic while your children are young. During today’s episode, Chinyelu shares insightful, actionable tips on how to create an intentional ritual around the dinner table to facilitate boundaries, teach manners, and create engagement and connection between all the members of the family. Most importantly, setting the tone for a meaningful, calm experience rests on your words, actions, and gestures. We hope you join us today to hear more.

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Autumn is an important time of year, signaling the period when we start to bring the harvest in from our gardens and shift our thoughts and plans towards cosiness and warmth. Connecting with nature deepens our relationship with the seasons and, when we bring nature into our lives and homes, it enlivens not only our own but also our little ones’ experience of the seasons. Today, on Seasonal Thursday, we discuss the transition into autumn and some of the ways you can bring this special season into your home. From collecting leaves and flowers to reciting verses together and including your children in the meaningful work of caring for the home, there are many gentle ways to help young children cope with this transition and create rituals that feed their soul life with joy. Tune in today to learn more!

Festivals, Family and Food

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The Three Little Deers and the Great Storm

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Mom guilt comes in many forms. You might feel like you are not doing enough, that you are making the wrong decisions for your child, or even as if you are just not parenting in the “right” way. Today, on Inspirational Wednesday, we offer you some practical advice to help you overcome mom guilt and be the best parent you can be for your little ones. From honoring your emotions to leaning on your community and using your truth as an anchor, there is so much that you can start doing today to care for and nurture yourself just as much as you care for and nurture your child. Make sure to tune into this inspirational episode to learn more about taking those first steps!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mom Guilt Worksheet

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A sweet story about a little girl who lived in a cozy cottage with her grandmother. One afternoon, she went to her grandmother and asked what she could do because she was tired of her toys and puzzles and books. Well, her grandmother sent her on a journey to find a little red house with no doors and no windows and a star inside.

We recommend this story for ages 3 - 7

About the Author - Connie Manson

“Throughout childhood I loved performing! It was to me a vehicle to connect with others in a joyful, meaningful way. Not long after completing a theatre arts degree, I was asked by a fellow graduate to help perform puppet stories for school children. We knelt in a large black box, holding the puppets above our heads, so we never had the opportunity to see the children's faces, but I was struck by how silent they were throughout the entire show. Later after beginning the journey as a teacher in a classroom, whenever a puppet troupe traveled to our school, it was unforgettable to see how strongly the children connected with the puppets! 

The journey continued after beginning my Waldorf teacher training, where I discovered a treasure trove of nurturing stories, and a puppet storytelling style adored by children.  Starlite Puppets was born, and thus began the journey of sharing music and puppetry worldwide.” 

Discover more about Connie and her work at starlitepuppets.blogspot.com

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

Head to our website wenurturecollective.com for todays free printable on the essentials to help your child blossom.

Whether your child is at home with you, in daycare, or in a school program, there are essential

needs that they require each day for them to truly blossom. Today, on Blossoming Tuesday, we unpack some of these early essentials and, in the coming weeks, we focus on ages two to seven, taking a closer look at each of these developmental stages, what behaviors to be aware of, and how best to support your child through each stage. In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to manage your own anxiety so that it doesn’t impact your little ones, the power of simplicity, and the importance of creating healthy rhythms at home, especially when it comes to sleep, play, and boundaries, plus so much more.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Early Essentials Printable

Simplicity Parenting

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As a parent, reacting or responding to our children on a daily basis holds immense power; it can serve to either build their self-esteem or tear it down. In turn, this can either positively or

negatively impact our own sense of self-worth as well as our relationship with our child. That is why mindful parenting is such a valuable practice, and every Monday for this season of the We Nurture Podcast I am going to be focusing on this topic. Mindful parenting refers to the act of bringing your conscious attention to what is happening, rather than letting your emotions take control. In today’s episode, I’m going to talk you through some of the key strategies that you can use on your parenting journey in order to become more mindful.

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Episode Worksheet

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Sammy Spider loves to dance. He loves to turn, twist, twirl, tap and do the tango. Sammy’s parents want him to weave blankets for Mother Earth’s children instead of dance but Sammy doesn’t want to weave. One day, Ruby Robin delivered a letter from Mother Earth asking Sammy’s family to weave blanket for the root children’s winter sleep and Sammy is sad because all he wants to do is dance. How long will it be before Sammy can dance again?

We recommend this story for ages 3-7
(This story is not available in written format)

About the Author Mary Natale
Mary has been a teacher of young children for many years. She studied at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto, and upon graduating with her Ontario Teacher's Certificate and Diploma in Child Studies, she began working in a private setting, telling stories and engaging children in artistic activities. After teaching Kindergarten at the Toronto Catholic District School Board for ten years, to her delight, she discovered Waldorf education and has been working at the Toronto Waldorf School for the past sixteen years as an Assistant in the Nursery and Kindergarten programs.  “It was not until I began assisting in the Waldorf Early Childhood programs, where my soul was fed each day, that I began to write children's stories.” Mary lives in Toronto with her husband, two sons and two spoiled dogs - Joey and Charlie.
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