Parent Evening: Compassionate Response Meditation

In Autumn 2016, I signed up for Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting Course.  I am ever so grateful that I did.  I learned so much about how to host parent gatherings.  The topics were specific to Kim's book Simplicity Parenting, but the method can be applied to any parent evening topic.  I have done one on physical and soul warmth two years running with much success.   Check out simplicityparenting.com for more information.  I can't recommend the Simplicity Parenting course training enough.  It has really positively affected the way I hold my parent evenings and hold my relationships with class parents in general.

In the second parent gathering on "Soul Fever", there is an added section that a facilitator can choose to do with parents called "Compassionate Response Meditation."   Kim provides students of the course with an Mp3 of him leading and explaining the meditation.  I went over this a few times before the evening.  I also noted some excerpts of his leading of the meditation to actually play for my class parents at the appropriate time.

This meditation is very powerful.  It has the meditator imagine clearly the Archetype or Golden aspect of the child in question starting at their physical presence and moving toward their ego presence with the etheric and soul/mood presence in between.  A verse* is used to set the mood:

Thou Angel who keepest watch over the destiny of ______

Through the waking and the sleeping and the long ages of time,

May my thoughts filled with hope reach her/him through thee.

May s/he be strengthened from the fonts of will

which bear us toward freedom

May s/he be illumined by the fonts of wisdom

which warm the inmost heart.

May s/he feel peace from the fonts of love

which bless our work

--Adam Bittleston

(*you can choose to use any verse that speaks to you, this is just an example) 

Once that was completed.  I had the parents keep that image in their minds and invited them to paint using the wet-on-wet method.  This is the watercolor method that their own children use in class several times a year.  I had the painting set up before the evening began

They used the water colors to paint their golden image. When they were finished we returned to the meditation corner and imagined clearly the shadow-self of the child or the Doppleganger using the aspects of physical, etheric, soul and ego presence during a time when the child was not at their best.  The images when dry the next day, were stunning.

Then we returned to the meditation corner to begin the actual movement of the the images in our minds during meditation.  The mediation is such that the parent draws in close the shadow-self of the child while releasing the archetype of the child.  This allows the parents to overcome the antipathy that can arise when a child is not at their best.

The purpose of the activity is to strengthen one's compassion muscles.  The painting need not be done each time.  The painting was set up to firmly set the process in the participants mind as well as add an artistic /movement component to the evening.  If done regularly, this drawing close of the doppleganger and releasing of the archetype, one should be able to experience a pause before  reacting to the child's less than best behavior the next time.  This pause will allow the parent to respond to the child with their authentic self, free from any antipathy or sympathy.  Hopefully, inspiration will come and help with the situation at hand.

This verse from Shakespeare was used to end the meditation:

My Bounty is as boundless as the sea

My love is deep

The more I give to thee

The more I have

for both are infinite

Blessings on our work and on our striving to tap into our full human potential both as parents and educators. 

Michaelmas Story for Toddlers Updated

This year, a member of the community donated her sheep's wool to the classroom.  I washed it and carded it with the children.  Then I wet felted it with them.  Since the children are quite young, the wet felting was not as tight as  I would have liked, but no matter.  For wet felting, I followed the instructions here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/266261/felt-balls

I didn't put any designs as I was using the white sheep wool.

Then I diyd the balls with turmeric:
http://craftingagreenworld.com/2012/05/09/how-to-make-natural-fabric-dye/

After they finished, I placed the balls in lingerie mesh bags and dried them in the dryer.  When they came out, I tightened them up at home with some needle felting.

These were the star balls.

At the point in the puppet play (On the last day I gave the play, as I gave the play Monday through Friday on Michaelmas week), when the stars sent fireballs from the sky, I gently tossed into each child's lap, a star ball.

I also rewrote the Michaelmas Play for Toddlers a little:

Michaelmas Story for Toddlers

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived with his parents in a cottage in the woods.  They were a happy family, planting and cooking and cleaning and mending and making.  They did all the things needed every day to make their home a happy one.  

One day, though, the parents said to each other, “I don’t feel so well.  My tummy aches.  I have a fever.”  We are too ill to work.  We must lie in our beds.”   The little boy tried so hard to take good care of them.   “Don’t worry dear parents, I will give you warm broth to drink.  I will do  all the planting and the cooking and the making and the mending.”  He gathered wood from the forest each day and built a warm fire in their room.   But the autumn winds blew so hard, the tree branches swayed in the wind, the leaves fell in big heaps upon the ground.  When the boy returned home with his last load of wood he found the fire had gone out.  “Oh we are so cold in our bed  We are shivering.”  The boy took a warm blanket and tucked them in snugly.  “I will search for the matches.  I brought plenty of wood.”  He looked high and he looked low.  He looked here and he looked there.  But no matches did he find. Father sun was slowly going to sleep, down, down down he went until he was gone.  

“I must go in search of fire.” “ Into the cold dark night, I must go, to make a fire warm and bright for my parents.”  So he put on his coat and his hat and his gloves and boots and out he went.  He walked into the forest and went deeper and deeper and deeper.  He came to a clearing where there were no trees and looked up at the sky.  There in the heavens he saw the stars shining bright.  

“Star light, star bright, first stars I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have some of your fiery light.”  And the stars in the sky heard him and sent their star fireballs down to the earth.

But someone else was also in the wood and heard and saw all.  She was a dragon and was not happy about the stars sending fire to the boy.   “ I am the keeper of fire and light and the stars shall not give this to you. “ And the dragon planted herself firmly in front of the glowing fire.  “Oh whatever shall I do,” said the boy.  “I cannot fight this dragon.  I am so small and weak.”

But the stars heard and saw and sent down from the heavens a shining yellow beam of light.  And upon this light rode a horse with a shining knight.  “Micha-el, Micha-el, Be with us, Be with us, Give us courage, give us strength, to do what is right and good.”

The knight stood before the boy and smiled.  Then he turned to the dragon and said,” You may move away from the fire.”  “I shall not,” said the Dragon.  The knight again faced the dragon firmly and said, “You may move away from the fire.” The dragon said, “No!”    The Knight  climbed down from the horse and walked up closely to the dragon and said, “You may move or I shall help you move.”  And the dragon hung her head and said, “Ok.”  Then she slunk off back to her cave.  The knight took a branch from the ground and plunged it into the flames.  When he took it out, it was a burning golden sword.  “Here hold this and ride with me, I shall take you back to the cottage.”  The knight rode swiftly through the dense wood, the boy held tightly to the flaming sword and soon reached the cottage.  “Thank you, dear knight.  But what is your name?”  “I am called Mich-a-el,”said the knight and he turned his horse and galloped back up to the stars.  “Micha-el, Micha-el, Be with us , Be with us.  Give us courage, give us strength, to do good on earth.”  The boy started a great fire in the hearth , his parents became well  and the fire in the hearth never went out again.  

Happy Michaelmas.

The story of Jack Frost

I am in the midst of the 12 holy nights. This winter break I am grateful that  I have  had time to go inward and reclaim stillness that was shaken by the Advent season. I am also grateful that while regaining purpose and stillness I was able to accomplish many projects and be present with my family. Now my mind returns to the Nursery. 

 Though there has been no snow to speak of as yet in Philadelphia, King Winter is in the land. I went through my notes from last year to see what if any I will rekindle and bring to the children. The making of pinecone birdfeeders still resonates with me. Starting end of this week or beginning of next week we shall roll some pinecones in sun nut butter and birdseed. I think this year I will string them up near our windows outside to perhaps see some of the wildlife coming to snack. Circle songs will be full of images of King Winter, Jack Frost and crystalline snowflakes. I just cobbled together this story of Jack Frost:

King Winter now is in the land he reigns with cold and freezing hand.

In the days long ago, many moons before this one, King Winter had alot of work to do.  He not only sent father sun to the other side of the world, but painted doors and windows with frost..white white frost.  He pinched noses and toes and gave cheeks a rosy glow.   But after many long years King Winter tired of this work.  

oh little mouse, little mouse..come to me.

King WInter’s favorite pet mouse, Snufkin ran up his leg.

Yes, king WInter. You called.  And King WInter gave Snufkin an important job to do.  Snufkin scurried and scurried all the way to the village at the end of the world.  there he sat down beside an old tree and waited.  Soon, as King WInter had told him, a boy named Jack came along.  He was a pale boy, with silver hair and white pale skin. He had no parents and was alone in the village  he was small for his age as he was often sick.  He sat down by the tree and admired a blue flower there.  Oh what a pretty flower you are.  Just then snufkin said, dear boy I see that you like that flower.  oh yes said the boy, but soon it will be covered with ice and snow and will be no more.  The mouse touched Jack’s finger with his little tail and jack felt a funny feeling in his finger.  What have you done to me little mouse?  Touch the flower with your finger now, Jack.  Jack did..and the flower became encased in ice.. he touched the tree and the branches were covered in ice. He ran through the village touching windows and doors and they became white with frost.

Jack didn't feel sick anymore, he didn't feel chilly anymore.  and as he leapt into the air he found he could fly and with little Snufkin he flew all the way back to King WInter’s Castle.  

Now dear boy, Jack, said King Winter.  I shall care for you.  You are a son to me and together we shall make the world a  beautiful wintry place for a time until Lady Spring comes.

and you shall now be call Jack Frost…...

King Winter now is in the land, he reigns with cold and freezing hand.  He makes Jack frost touch nose and toes, and gives our cheeks a rosy glow…..

Jaaaaaaaack Froooooost

Circle songs for the next week or two will be:

Jack Frost

Jack Frost

Came in on a winter’s night

Jack Frost

Jack Frost

Painted all the windows white

Jack Frost

Jack Frost

Leaving diamonds in the lane

Jack Frost

Jack Frost

Jaaaaaaack  Froooooooossssst

The winter tells us little bulbs

To tuck our heads in so

So we don’t need to shiver

When the cold winds blow

Cradled cozily, cradled deep

The seeds and bulbs are fast asleep.

Resting Song:  

Snowflakes so white

in the darkness so bright

See how they’re dancing singing

Flitting and flinging flinging

Snowflakes so white

in the darkness so bright

Please forgive my lack of references. The snowflake song, I believe, is from Wilma Ellerseik. Jack Frost and the Little bulbs might be from Gateways. The story I thought up, but I do believe it has some shades of Tolkein's , Farmer Giles of Ham in there. The beginning phrase of the story..King Winter now is in the Land.. is also I believe, from Gateways. (And of course, the name Snufkin is from Moomintroll)

Feel free to use these with your class, or to use them as a springboard for your own imagination!

Stay Warm, get enough sunshine exposure and blessings on your work.

P.S. In a later post, I'll show the puppet set up

Michaelmas in the Nursery

Well it has been quite awhile since I posted to this blog. But now I am called to start writing posts again. I have finally become a full time lead Nursery teacher with my own class at a Waldorf School and have completed both the Level I and II training at Sophia's Hearth for Childcare Birth to 3 and 3 to 7. The children I teach are aged 18 months to 3 years. By then end of the year sometimes, some may have turned 4 years old. This is my second year teaching this program. I have ten children. We just finished celebrating Michaelmas. I was not comfortable bringing the little ones to the all school play so I created a celebration in the classroom. in lieu of our circle time, for three days starting on Michaelmas (September 29) I offered the children a puppet play adapted to their developmental stages. Here is what I wrote and performed. I m sorry I forgot to take photos of the play setup Michaelmas Puppet Play for toddlers The boy knew he must go out in search of fire. The boy did not want to go out in the dark and the cold. But he looked upon his sleeping feverish parents and knew that he must. So he put on his coat and his hat and his gloves and boots and out he went. He walked into the forest and went deeper and deeper and deeper. He came to a clearing where there were no trees and looked up at the sky. There in the heavens he saw the stars shining bright. Oh I wish with all my might that you would send down your fiery light. And the stars in the sky heard him and raced down to the earth and made a big fire in the center of the clearing. But this woke the sleeping dragon nearby who came out growling and snarling. I am the keeper of fire and light and the stars shall not give this to you. And the dragon planted herself firmly in front of the glowing fire. “Oh whatever shall I do,” said the boy. “I cannot fight this dragon. I am so small and weak.” And the boy thought he heard a song, “Micha-el, Micha-el, Be with us, Be with us, Give us courage, give us strength, to do what is right and good.” The stars heard and saw..and sent a golden beam of light down to the earth. Upon this beam rode down from the stars a shining knight on horseback. The knight stood before the boy and smiled. Then he turned to the dragon and said,” You may move away from the fire.” “I shall not,” said the Dragon. The knight again faced the dragon firmly and said, “You may move away from the fire.” The dragon said, “No!” The Knight said, “You may move or I shall help you move.” And the dragon hung his head and said, “Ok.” Then he slunk off back to his cave. The knight, hopped off his horse and took a branch from the ground and plunged it into the flames. When he took it out, it was a burning golden sword. “Here hold this and ride with me, I shall take you back to the cottage.” The knight rode swiftly through the dense wood, the boy held tightly to the flaming sword and soon reached the cottage. The boy thanked the knight for his kindness and asked his name. “I am called Mich-a-el,”said the knight and he turned his horse and galloped back up to the stars. And the boy heard in the distance , “Micha-el, Micha-el, Be with us , Be with us. Give us courage, give us strength, to do good on earth.” The boy started a great fire in the hearth and the next day his parents woke and were well. The fire in the hearth never went out again. I wrote a version of this same story last year, but cannot find a copy so I rewrote it this year. I believe last year I had the little boy turn into St. Michael...finding the courage within. At first I wondered how I was going to have Michael subdue the dragon in an age appropriate way. I came up with the dialogue above, which in effect mirrors many interactions with two and three year olds and their adult caregivers. I feel this spoke to them. On the fourth day, one little boy was disappointed that we would not be having puppet play again. Interestingly enough, this is the little boy (3 yrs old) that I most often have those "dragon interactions" with. Please feel free to share this story with your colleagues or use it yourself. Just note where it came from. Blessings on your work.

Musings on the summer program

Well I made it through all eleven weeks of the program. I am proud that I finished. I was worried there for Bit when recovering from my bout in the hospital. I started the program pretty hung ho. I haas all my weeks organized by themes and wanted o have a corresponding story and craft each week. That worked well for the first four weeks. After the hospital, I just felt like I was playing catch up for the rest of the summer. As a matter of fact here is the second week of September, and I have just finished posting my observations from the last two weeks of camp. That was another thing I had hoped...every Sunday morning, time alone to recollect and blog. This is still my weekly goal. I was never much of a journal writer, but if I have a focus..observations on the children I work with or watching my own youngest son, I find journaling, a.k.a. Blogging, very therapeutic, calming and clarity providing. So nice to share the digital pictures too. Kind of like a digital scrap book of sorts. I have no intention of running a camp next Summer. This was my third year and now Curtis will turn six soon. The camp was great in that it allowed me to have a summer income, pay for my training, have hands on training with the children in my camp, and provide playmates for Curt. But he is entering a different stage now. He wants boys his age or older or girls who have that boy like quality to their play. He wants playmates to build with him and climb trees really high, or play pirate ship. I think next Summer will be the summer of more organized play dates, camping trips and swim lessons. He was able to accommodate the younger ones quite a bit with Princess Kitty, trains, and hide and seek for instance, but I am feeling that he needs me more now. Isn't that odd, one would think he would need me more when he was younger. Maybe he did, but with so many things going on...moving to Mt Airy three years ago, entering training at Sophia's Hearth, I just had to ignore that and include childcare in my day aside from my work in the Nursery. So no extra childcare for twelve months...this is what I am experiencing intuitively right now. And my training is all paid up...no worries there. This last best summer camp was a wonderful learning experience for me though. I had almost a year of training under my belt, and a shopping bag full of reading material I am still working through. The magic of. Sophia's Hearth has brought me to a new place in such a short time. The training reminds me of the mediation Intensive weekends I was so fond of participating in at the Yoga Ashram in New York State many years ago. Such intense focused work, really can bring you to new levels of understanding. Of course, the more you know, the more you know you don't know. I was having a conversation with one of the former course participants a few months ago. She incidentally provided childcare for my Curtis when he was three years old, two days a week at her home. One of the first things I had to do was to Apologize to her for my extreme ignorance. I would linger too long at pick up, when she needed to have her own time. I also couldn't understand why she needed so much time to diaper her then 12 month old. The amazing thing was this woman was so gracious with my ignorance...ok she is also a trained Waldorf Grades teacher, but still. She was also gracious to accept my apology. I also look back at my first year in the Nursery. My lead teacher was very helpful in offering me reading material and discussing many things such as movement, speed and task focus. Some things, I just couldn't understand though...training has helped greatly and I look forward to my final two weeks next summer. What I have discovered is that I have my own personality my own sense of being which I enjoy transmitting authentically when I work with children. In my own program, I feel I can present myself authentically to the children and trust my own intuition without worrying what the other adults in the room are thinking. I can let situations breathe more. I find this to be one of my strengths. There were so many instances this summer of my letting the children work it out while I was on a focused task. Gosh, I even sewed three sleep sacks on my sewing machine. I am not able to let situations breathe like this in the Nursery, because there are many more than the five children, and because I need to follow the lead teacher's signals. I am following her intuition and reading her clues as to what supplemental assistance she needs if any. This is hard on my growing intuition as I find I send it mixed signals...there are two layers:intuit the lead teachers clues or sense the feedback I am experiencing directly from the children. This is something I want to be conscious of this year...how to hold on to my authentic self and do a good job as a Nursery Assistant. I guess it is timing really. I find this with my own children also. I can sense other adults near me when I am working with my own children, who are getting a little anxious..as if they would have stepped in already. But again and agin, I find, if I just trust my own gut, often the situation resolves itself naturally. It is a great affirmation for me to know that my timing and my own style, really do work in creating a happy environment for children. I am hoping that my reaffirming of my own personal yoga practice...it has gotten a bit sloppy over the past two years, will bring my consciousness back up again.I also realize that feeling the energy of the adults around me throws me off a bit. I am very sensitive to negative adult energy especially when directed at me. I tend to over think my actions or second guess, instead of being in a happy, centered naturally flowing space which is the place I need to be as I work with children. Human beings are human beings and there will always be misunderstandings, gossip, assumptions and judgement. I am glad to have regained my self-confidence with children this summer and will make every attempt through diligent yoga practice and meditation to maintain my center and stay in touch with my authentic self during the school year. I am still delving into the Steiner type meditations, but I am pretty comfortable with yoga work. Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Week 11: Frogs and Toads

This post is for the last week of camp, the week of August 29th. I was not Le to start camp on Monday the 29th as I was delayed in Rhinebeck, due to Hurricane Irene. Philadelphia and New York were hit pretty hard and traveling was a nightmare. Kim and I decided to extend our stay and wait out the storm. The OMEGA campus flooded a bit. At one point after the morning class, there was an actual river that formed down the main path...with quite a strong current. Kim and I waded across this river...up past our ankles...we did it .. But others were losing their shoes! We were all so blissed out from the yoga retreat that we didn't care so much. ... We were somewhat insulated from the fear that was permeating most of society as we were so busy practicing yoga asanas, chanting, eating well prepared vegetarian food, and we were away from televisions. Kim and I were booked at a hotel in downtown Rhinebeck and would plug into the crazy fear stuff in the evening. True it was an event to be prepared for, and during the event there was a bit to keep track of, but unless you were in an area being evacuated, it was better, in my opinion to tune out the media as much as possible. But on Monday, once the Tapanzee Bridge and Taconic were open for business, Kim and I ventured home. On Tuesday, morning play focused around the wooden IKEA train set. This set is two train sets put together. There are twelve trains. R, M and Curtis were together that morning. There is usually conflict over the trains..someone wants all the trains, someone wants the blue train, someone doesn't have enough track. But on this particular morning, Curt counted out all the trains and gave each girl four of them. If they wanted a different color, he negotiated swapping. They all traded and played fairly for about 15-20 minutes. Curtis also negotiated when the tracks needed to be cleared for another train. There was no hitting or crying, not even once! Another beautiful moment from that day was during storybook time, just before rest time. Curt was in Princess Kitty garb and as the children gathered on the rug in a semicircle facing me, he rested his head on R's lap. And she petted his head during the story. Curt had a buzz cut about two months ago, but it is still short enough to be furry, just like a kitty cat. What a beautiful picture that is in my mind's memory album. On Tuesday , Curtis and M were together for a while before R arrived. They played so well together, she's becoming like a little sister to him. He enjoys showing her how to build with the TREO blocks. She is a very attentive listener and follows his directions to the letter. Curt often has a lot of directions to impart to his playmates. He also enjoys pushing her high on the IKEA swing...M really loves this and asks him to do this again and again. She will call, "Turtis, come push me on the swing.". He will stop what he is doing and push her. I notice how often he leaves what he is doing to help her, more often than I leave my tasks when he calls to me to watch or help. This is food for thought for me. At Carpenter's Woods, the stream was soooooo full after all the recent rain storms. It seems very cleaned out and fresh. A little waterfall developed under the fallen trees in our special spot. This spot was not a place to be when the stream rain low and it was hot and muggy. But this time we all climbed under there..it was like a little hidden cavern with a waterfall. Curt loved it. The girls were happy o see it, but then wanted to return to our regular spot. But they had so much fun with the high water and tossing mud balls into the stream. Our last day was September 2nd. Part of me is happy to have completed the 11week program...even with the bout of viral meningitis...and part of me is sad it is coming to a close. Once again, M and Curt had some time to play together before R arrived. Curt tried to teach her hide and seek. I forgot how much un it is to experience hide and seek with a two year old. Finally they started playing hide the raccoon doll. They took turns. M would hide it and then go find it herself or keep hiding it in the same spot. What was fun was seeing Curt's reaction. He was totally amused that she was not quite getting the idea Nd was learning. He was having so much fun, laughing and reminding her not to tell us where she had hid the doll. This made me really happy to have decided to do this program this Summer...that moment right there. Thank you to all the parents who trusted me with their beautiful children this summer. And thank you to all the camp participants, whether for a day or the whole eleven weeks...for bringing your beatific light into my home and providing a bunch of playmates for Curtis. See you at school.

Week 10: Bees

This post is for the week of August 22. MA and NA two sisters that I have sat for many times in the past came this week on Monday and Tuesday. MA is five and NA is three. Curtis is very used to playing with them and truly enjoyed their company. NA spent a year in the Nursery program at school with M, the two year old girl, so they enjoyed playing together as well. R did not join us until Tuesday afternoon this week. Monday the 22nd, I turned 40 years old. This is an exciting milestone for me. I am actually quite content at reaching this age. My dear, friend and neighbor, Kate invited me and the Curtii over for "breakfast for dinner.". That was really sweet of her as Big Curt and I are really not good at throwing birthday parties. Tuesday, the 23rd was interesting because Philadelphia was hit with the effects of a 5.5 earthquake based in Virginia. I was sitting with the children at the dining table and we were having lunch. We didn't feel the earthquake at all. I just heard the kitchen door jiggle a bit..as if someone was repeatedly pulling on the door handle. I remember wondering out loud who was messing with the door. I had no idea until much later that there was an earthquake. How strange. It seems some people felt it and others didn't. Feeling the earth's movement was really dependent on location: if you were in a high rise downtown, outside, in a tree, etc, your experience was different. Well, we we all just fine. Earlier that day, M, Curtis, MA and NA and I walked along the stream bed at Carpenter's Woods and collected all the broken glass we could find. It is amazing how much old glass can be found there sometimes..it is definitely old, thick, colored glass. In reading some history of Carpenter's Woods, I have found that there were three buildings at one time in these woods... Can't help but wonder that the glass is sometime of fill leftover from demolishing the buildings. Anyhow, the children and I were focused on the work and we were all in high spirits cleaning up the stream bed. Once again, the afternoon held alot of tree climbing in the courtyard with Urtis and Baigal. How strong they are becoming. Friday, I did not have camp as my sister Kim and I were off to OMEGA Institute in Rhinebeck, NY for Being Yoga Retreat. Kimberly paid all expenses and we had a great time. It was so wonderful on the tenth anniversary of my practicing yoga to attend this retreat and meet some teachers I have been aching to meet for years. I remember starting yoga practice just before my thirtieth birthday, and soon realizing how this practice can help me bea better mother to my Gregory, my oldest boy who was five years old then. Wow, how time flies.