Bringing Waldorf Education into your Home
We have always been pretty eclectic homeschoolers. A mix of Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, and classical all mashed together. I got tired of the mess that comes from busy life and a bit too much technology. I decided it was time to step back into a simpler life before things get any worse. I love the simple play of Motniorsorry and Waldorf but the footloose and fancy-free early childhood discovery of Waldorf was calling me. So we are Bringing Waldorf Education into our home and our new small community homeschool
Here we are redoing the main floor of the house into a child’s paradise… I apologize now to any adults that may visit us over the next year or more. My partner and crime and I have set out searching for all things Waldorf and are so excited to bring to you the amazing toys, games, activities, and adventures we find.
While our community homeschool will not be up and running until the new year I have already started to put things together and transition my children… bye bye TV kids… sorry. Here are a few simple ways we are bringing Waldorf into our home this month as we prep for the new year.
Building new routines:
Our routines have gone out the window. They always do with a new baby but little bear is big enough now that we can transition back into a new normal. Here are a few things we are working on.
Getting ready in the morning. We have a tendency to stay in PJS and laze around but then we miss out on a lot of fun. So our new routine is going to nip this one so we can get out more when a nice day hits. This will be very handy in the new year when our homeschool will be dragging us around the neighborhood rather than staying home.
Getting chores done early. My kids have a bad habit of putting off daily chores until their father is about to get in the door. The moment I turn my head they stop doing them. Our new routine is NOTHING happens until chores are done. Not even breakfast. Yep, we are seeing a big difference.
Meal times are changing. We traditionally eat dinner early. But with breakfast being pushed back until after chores are done we can move dinner later so they can eat with their father. Kind of a win all around.
Saying goodbye to excessive technology.
I will tell the truth. This was brought on by my pure annoyance with walking into the room to find my children gathered around watching OTHER KIDS play on YouTube. so we are limiting technology use to the following.
- Movie or video that is tied to our lessons.
- Movie when mama needs a bit of a rest.
- Outdoor neighborhood movies
- We are cutting electronic classes in favor for more hands-on and using all of this stuff I already have.
- We will be adding a Video and YouTub class for students that are interested.
- Computers will be used for research and helping with the family business.
What is new?
Besides nearly doubling our crew this year we are bringing in some changes.
Back come the simple toys. Besides a few plastic things like Monster High and Doc Mc Stuffins, it is time to say good-bye to China made plastic junk. In their place, we are bringing in more handcrafted in the US and imports of high-quality toys from Germany. A few high-quality brands of wooden toys will still be coming in from China due to the quality and options some of our favorite brands have to offer. To tell the truth I miss back when we had all high-quality wooden toys. The ones that followed us are still going strong.
Back outside. Life through us through some curve balls and getting outside was not always an option. This year the kids will safely get to spend all day in the fenced backyard while I work from the back porch where baby will be safely out of the sun. I can’t wait!
The biggest reality?
The truth is I gave up on having any sort of adult space in my home. We are just outnumbered and theirs no way around that. I dreamt of having the kind of house adults could come over and feel welcome too but the fact is it’s a kids house so I will just embrace it. To those of you that will stop by well I’m sorry it is basically an elementary school in both looks and function but I still have coffee!
Here is to a new year of Amazing.
