We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

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

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This story is part of Susan Perrow’s collection of children’s stories and poems that have emerged to ‘meet the hour’ during this extraordinary time of Covid 19.

A Light for Little Gnome’s Lantern is a sweet story about courage in seeking to find the light and let it shine for all to see. This story offers peace, hope and a sense of safety.

This story and other Little Gnome stories can be found at susanperrow.com/stories

Additional stories for children in books authored by Susan Perrow and Published by Hawthorn Press can be found in Healing Stories for Challenging Behavior,  Therapeutic Storytelling, and Behaviour Tales.  hawthornpress.com

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 6

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

A story about love, courage, and great kindness. This story tells how a little girl helps her mother grow strong again after being ill by being brave, unselfish and kind.

The story, along with many other wonderful stories, can be found in the book, ‘For the Children’s Hour’ by Carolyn Bailey

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

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

This delightful story about a little fir tree who wants to be picked and see life will warm your heart. Just when we least expect, we can all brighten someone’s day!

We recommend this story for ages 2 to 7

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

Celebrations and festivals, offer us time to create nurturing moods of reverence, gratitude, and joy for our family. Showing up with our authentic self  brings life to how we celebrate because young children are able to sense our thoughts and feelings and even the meanings behind in our gestures. 

Today, Chinyelu sits down with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America, to talk about celebrations and festivals and the vital role they play in the lives of children, and indeed all of us! Everyday life and its routines can be beautiful, powerful, and special, but the yearly escapes from the mundane through the celebration of holidays, birthdays, and special occasions mark our lives with something both extraordinary yet familiar. These rituals and practices help to center a child's life through their repetition, and the realization that a certain time of the year is coming around again can create excitement, appreciation, and a certain type of awareness that is not easily imitated. In our conversation, we break down what can make these rituals special, how to get away from the stressful side of celebration and planning, and ways in which to foster your own unique festivals. Cynthia reminds us that there is nothing wrong with mimicking what you see elsewhere and that over time you are able to own these processes and traditions, in a way that feels true to your family's needs. We talk about how we as parents and teachers can continue these habits even beyond the needs of our children, as they grow up and move out into the world. Celebrations and festivals are important to all of us and although we like to look at them through the lens of the benefits they bring to younger ones, these special occasions can be very meaningful for any person, at any stage of life!

Key take-a-ways In this Episode:

• A few thoughts on the importance of celebrations and festivals in family life.
• Igniting excitement about celebrations and experiencing them through the eyes of children.
• The expected overwhelm that comes when creating a seasonal festival.
• Mimicking and then owning, over time,  what others do.
• The power of childhood memories of celebrations.
• The value of repetition.
• How Cynthia has continued with special celebrations after her children have grown up.
• Why we need celebrations.

Music is “Dance With Me” 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 and lifewaysnorthamerica.org

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This Chanukah story tells the miracle that happened in the land of Israel long, long ago. The miracle of light that burned for eight days in a magnificent lamp is celebrated as Chanukah. This story, appropriate for even the very youngest child, is told in a simple way.

-The rhyming part of this story was written by Sara Briggs, New York City

-The story that comes after was written by Chinyelu Kunz

We recommend this story for ages 3 to 7

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

In this episode, Sharifa sheds light on the importance of art in our young child’s life as a creative activity that connects us to our past and future development as human beings. She delves into the connection between art and brain development, how we use art to communicate and why art and creativity are fundamentally human activities.

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

Website

Instagram