We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

A Japanese Folktale

In Japan, there once lived an old man and old woman who had no food to eat one cold, cold winter. The old man went to the market to sell the old woman’s kimono so they could buy food and on the way he meets three statues.

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

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

Today I sit down with Stephen Spitalny to talk about parenting with greater consciousness. As an early childhood educator, author, lecturer, and consultant, Stephen walks us through each layer of greater consciousness using his book Conscious Parenting: A guide to living with young children, as a reference. We begin our conversation by finding out more about Stephen and his background. Following this, we turn our focus toward the introduction of Stephen’s book and his intentions for writing it. He touches on why the essential gesture of the human being is the activity of connecting before telling us all the ways we can connect with ourselves. Stephen continues by sharing what inspired him to spread his message, as he refers to a powerful anecdote and how his experience inspired him to help adults discover effective and supportive ways of communicating with children. In the latter half of the episode, Stephen talks about connecting with your own consciousness and how being mindful or present is a pathway to cultivating this connection. To find out more about Stephen’s thoughts on parenting with greater consciousness, be sure to tune!  

You can find more about Stephen and the books he has published at chamakanda.com

Conscious Parenting: A Guide to Living with Young Children

Connecting with Young Childen: Educating the Will

What's the Story? Storytelling with Young Children as a Path Toward Living Happily Ever After

 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

We Nurture Collective

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Stephen Spitalny

Stephen Spitalny on Twitter

Conscious Parenting: A guide to living with young children on Amazon

Speaking with the Young Child Through the Kindergarten Years

Wynstones Press

Website

Instagram

Adapted by Sharifa Oppenheimer from a story by Olive Beaupre Miller, My Book House, Vol. 1.

Join little Robin as he sets off on a journey to the palace to sing for the King.

We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7

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

As difficult as they can be to manage, tantrums are a normal part of childhood development. In this question-and-answer episode, we have dedicated the full duration of the show to tantrums. We find out what they are, where they come from, and how we, as parents, can handle them. Engaging our children during a tantrum might seem like a logical next step, but in this episode, we explain why that might not necessarily be the case. When it comes to coping with tantrums, it’s about striking a balance. We take time to discuss what this balance is and why the extremes on either side of it are easy to fall into. Don’t worry though, because we also take a look at the role of the parent and find out what qualities are most useful for dealing with tantrums, which include an understanding of brain development, providing a healthy day rhythm, holding boundaries, listening with compassion, and having empathy. Following this, we look at tantrums through a biological lens, finding out more about the prefrontal cortex and its accompanying limbic system and reptilian brain. Toward the end of the episode, we touch on the importance of rhythms, listening with compassion as a skill, and why empathy is a major game-changer.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing today’s Q&A topic: Tantrums - Nurturing ways to help your child.
• Why tantrums are normal.
• What tantrums actually mean and when they can manifest.
• What happens when we engage our children or contemplation or conversation.
• Finding a balance with your child and the way they use tantrums.
• Understanding the role of the parent and brain development.
• The prefrontal cortex and its purpose.
• Why rhythm is good for young children.
• Why healthy boundaries are necessary.
• Listening with compassion is a skill.
• Why empathy is a useful tool.

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Today we are talking with Renita Livolsi about embracing our differences and how to cultivate inclusive communities in Waldorf Education.

Renita is the Director of Admissions at the San Francisco Waldorf High School. She is a Waldorf graduate and holds degrees in European History and Literature, French Language and Culture, Teaching English to English Language Learners, and a Juris Doctor degree! 

Renita is committed to Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice work and serves on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committees at San Francisco Waldorf School. You can read more about the San Francisco Waldorf High School here.

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:

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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