Waldorf wisdom

I have recently been filling my cup with a lot of reading material to further understand Waldorf philosophies surrounding the early years. Waldorf education is based upon the educational philosophies of Rudolph Steiner. It is a very wholesome and spiritual way of being which respects the rights of our children, placing the caregiving adults, in a role of 'guide' and 'facilitator'.

Through my inquiries, so far, I have felt most connected to three 'messages' of utterly brilliant wisdom. I believe these reflect the Waldorf ways of 'being', resonate with some of my own core parenting beliefs and serve as wonderful reminders.

"The mantle of warmth" refers to the manner in which we carry out our work within our day, the physical spaces we influence and how we relate to the children in our care. As an educator and as a mother, I believe that children innately respond to energy. The idea of emanating warmth, calm and compassion to create a harmoniously nurturing environment for our children is one of great importance. As caregivers, we are all human and we all experience our trying days and moments however, through a conscious decision to choose compassion and kindness, we role model the importance of these attributes for our ever watching children. Warmth, calm, compassion, gentle and loving does not mean without boundaries, expectations or consequences for our choices however, to me it does mean consciously choosing to be a patient, reasonable and warm person. Within the beliefs of the Waldorf philosophies, the intention of the "mantle of warmth" is to create a safe, loving and nurturing environment where the child's physical body and inner development can blossom, unhindered. We are charged with the duty of guiding a child in their development and protecting the soul of that child within a mantle of warmth.  

The idea of "adjusting our work" is the second message which resonated with me. You see brilliant examples of how we often neglect this notion in our modern world on a daily basis. You simply need to head to the mall, park, beach or really any place where you can observe the relationships shared between child and carer. There is really only two choices when in the company of a child; surrender to the inquisitive slowness and "adjust your work" or; choose not to and become stressed and frustrated at inability to achieve adult tasks as if there were no children present, whilst in the company of a child. Adjusting our work is about accepting that in the presence of a young child, who innately yearns for the opportunity to participate and imitate, things will take longer and in some cases, less things will actually be achieved. Every moment in life is a moment of learning for a small child. Why deprive a curious child of inquiry, observation, communication and exploration simply because of an unwillingness to do less or take longer? Why deprive our children of connection by letting a portable screen devour them? What is the rush and pressure for any way?

The final message that resonated with me was the spiritual foundation upon which the Waldorf philosophies are based upon. I am not personally affiliated to any organised religion however I do maintain an open mind and hold onto some outlooks which give me comfort. Whether or not you align with the same spiritual beliefs that lay the foundation for the Waldorf philosophy, they really are quite beautiful. The spiritual beliefs that are reflected here are drawn from an idea created by Rudolph Steiner, which is referred to as "anthroposophy". As simply as possible, it is believed that when a child is birthed into the Earth world, they are spirit force. The journey through the early years is described as "incarnation"and is from birth to seven. Through out this time, the child develops a connection between physical body and spirit. They also develop "self" or "ego" during their incarnating years. The way in which children are nourished by food, engage with materials (including the 'toys' they play with) and learn through experience is a very wholesome, organic and involved experience. A lot of emphasis is placed on the idea that the educator must be worthy of the imitation of the ever watching child. This demonstrates that, as in life, it is what we "do" and who we "are", not what we "say" that is the most influential. Food is organic and wholesome to avoid hindering the incarnating child's development and there is a connection between food and the elements and how these impact upon the Earthing of the spirit child. 'Toys' are simple, natural, hand made, hand repaired and are 'incomplete' leaving optimum opportunities for children to cast their imagination upon the material as opposed to having play dictated. Children learn to respect the play material through the observation of how much care and energy was involved in the making of that piece. Children also develop skills in order to make and create as the child imitates the carers in their work. The child has opportunity to participate in all daily tasks, care of space and the making of materials. The spiritual beliefs acknowledge the huge impact that caregiving adults have on the development of the child's ego and the sacred spirit of the birthed child.

Since beginning my explorations I have been inspired to make a few changes in our home. The following photos capture some of these.

On the left, Jarome is using a range of natural materials to create a cave for his creatures. 

He has been experimenting with the different ways he can connect his construction materials. After a week of exploration. He has made;

• Spiderman (The blue and red star looking creature in the top right. He has also been forgoing his actual Spiderman figurine for these little creations of his own)
• A snake
• A robot
• A dinosaur
• A rocket plane
• and in the following photos he has made "a family of spiders"

Jarome has enjoyed making little creatures to share with his brother as well and because they are easily fixed, he has little worry about whether or not Otis is too rough. Otis has loved to watch his brother at work.

"Adjusting our work" allows for more time, more calm, more connection and greater participation. We have paused in walks to look at snails and fish and we have stopped in our garden in between getting out of the car and into the house. I have been a little bit more organised resulting in slower mornings and more time for the boys to enjoy each other in play.

Jarome, using a range of scavenged blocks and wooden materials to create bridges and tunnels. Why buy the finished product when your child can learn, through imagination and problem solving, how to create one using 'incomplete' materials.

What philosophies have you encountered recently which have sparked interest?

What natural and incomplete materials do you utilise in the home?