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Parenting reflections

Purposeful work and play

Waldorf-playstands

As I potter around the house, Ruby and Max play.

Ruby-making-a-hammock-for-her-baby

I wash the dishes. They play with their dolls.

I fold the clothes. They unfold playsilks to make doll hammocks.

I sweep the floor. They build a house from the playstands and playsilks.

Ruby-and-Teddy-in-the-playstands

My purposeful work allows them to deepen into their play.

It allows them to learn through imitation.

Ruby-and-her-doll

I check my email.

Their play stops and within moments they are beside me.

How did they know!

Ruby-playing-with-playsilks

A sweet and simple, yet sometimes frustrating reminder.

They want me to be present.

Mindfully present.

Teddy-watching-Ruby

And so, we re-connect and continue through our day.

You can read more about purposeful work in Waldorf environments here. Or how wearing an apron helps here.

??? And follow along on Facebook and Instagram to see snippets of our days ???

Blessings mamas, Kelly

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Waldorf books for inner work

Waldorf books for inner work

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I always tend to have a handful of books on the go, at least one novel and a few non-fiction books.

And this year I’ve added some books for inner work, that I pick up and read once a week or once a month. And I thought I would share a little about them *smile*

In the Light of a Child

Each Sunday, I have been reading a verse from In the Light of a Child.

A verse is provided for each week of the year {I understand this is similar to Steiner’s Soul Calendar which was drawn on for inspiration for this book}

The verses are written for children or our ‘inner child’. And they resonate with the season {helpfully verses are provided for both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere}.

Here is the verse for the Southern Hemisphere in the fourth week of June…

A ROSE of pure white blooms in midnight’s dark hour. The spell of the darkness is broken and torn. In my heart there’s a bursting of magical power. For the heavenly Child on earth has been born!

He is pure as the snow. With my heart’s love aglow. I shall nourish this Child, and he surely shall grow!

So this week I will ponder this verse. Thinking about what I have read. Exploring what it means for me and my children… a kind of meditative practice.

Words for Parents in Small Doses

The second book that I read each Sunday is Words for Parents in Small Doses by Judith Frizlen. Again this book is organised seasonally, although for the Northern Hemisphere, so I do need to work out which week I need to read from (which is quite easy really).

In Words for Parents each week’s reading is a page which again speaks to the mood of the season. For this week the reading was about wonder, celebration and love…

At this time of year in the natural world, the light begins its return… It’s a time to pause and remember. We were all once infants, and by virtue of our humanity, we have the power to experience awe, to be tender with ourselves and others and to begin again.

When I read Words for Parents I feel uplifted. And I think reading the two books together has brought more to them both.

The simple home

The third book that I am reading is not a Waldorf or anthroposophical book, but a book that encourages me to be a ‘spiritual homemaker’. To find joy in creating, nurturing and nourishing my home. The simple home, by Rhonda Hetzel is a ‘month-by month guide’ that complements the seasons to bring about contentment in the home.

I started reading in May, and laughed to discover the month was about devoting attention to my laundry space, since this is a task in homemaking a do not relish! And even more amusing, at the same time I had started to read a book by Torin M. Finser {see I told you I read too many books at once!}

A Second Classroom ~ Parent-Teacher Relationships in a Waldorf School

In A Second Classroom, Torin M. Finser writes

What we do not accept as a task today may simply come back at us again and again until we engage

I’m not always good at taking advice, but for once I did and actually did get my laundry under control for the month of May. And I might just admit that it did feel nice. However it is now June *chuckle*

And I might just finish up with another nice quote from Torin M. Finser, he wrote ‘Parents have angels too’, and went on to say

…all of us are striving human beings with a spiritual life, whether we take it up consciously or not.

What are you reading or doing as part of your inner work?

For more inspiration, you can see my Waldorf book list here and some of my favourite Waldorf craft books here.

???  And I share snippets of our days on Facebook and Instagram if you’d like to follow along ???

Blessings, Kelly

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