http://www.magicofwaldorf.com/. Which has a compilation of her words of wisdom on how to really bring the workings of waldorf education to your family home, called Mrs. m's Words of Wisdom.
The topic below is one I felt very keenly with my oldest boy...who will be 15 next month! He was not "wrapped up in waldorf" and I had him in Kixx summer soccer camps from the age of four years old and karate class from three years until eight years. Of course the pendulum swings so far the other way doesn't it..with my youngest..who is five, he is in no enrichment programs..other than this wonderful school of course. I still sometimes get the twinge that makes me think...maybe i should sign him up for this or that......i'm glad to have read this article...and to live so close to the woods.
Happy Summer, Roxanne
>> I would just add that four year olds do seem to have a habit of asking for
> > many things or activities that can be surprising and provoking to parents
> > who want to 'respond', as well. So the child who is 4 says, I want to play
> > Tennis! Aha thinks mama/papa, perhaps my child will be a tennis prodigy! So
> > out we go to get the $90 racquet and prepare for lessons and in a few
> > months, that raquest is under a pile of stuffed animals acting as a
> > trampoline. : )
> >
> > Same with violin, guitar, ballet, cricket, football, piano, you name it,
> > the 4 year old expresses a wish and a desire, often quite strongly! and when
> > we comply and go out and acquire all these things, well, the 4 year old does
> > not really want to play piano at all! They like to dink around on it, but
> > they do not like to sit still and practice for 30 minutes and listen...
> >
> > Ok some do. A rare few. The vast majority of 4 year olds just want, pure
> > WANT, something right now. Yes, this very moment!
> >
> > I want a lot of things too, but I am a great grown up lady and know I have
> > to prioritze and plan and prepare and save up and so on and even then I
> > don't get what I want, much of the time, haha, which is a good thing or I
> > would eat 12 VooDoo maple bars a day and it would be hard to fit through my
> > front door.
> >
> > Or whatever.
> >
> > We must remember that 4 year old want a lot of things and their need is
> > immediate, Instant Need Which Must Be Met (not!) and we can say, oh yes
> > won't it be great when you are xyz and then you can xyz (take classes, take
> > music lessons, drive my car, get married, whatever)...
> >
> > That will be GREAT!
> >
> > Now let's go outside and water the garden.
> >
> > Just because your child asks, does not mean, they 'get'. They may or may
> > not 'get', depending on your adult judgment and desires and plans and you
> > have that marvelous parenting phrase, we will see! to use as much as you
> > like.
> >
> > All children know that means, maybe but probably not.
> >
> > So be it.
> >
> > We are the parents, after all.
> > Mrs M
--- In waldorfhomeeducators@yahoogroups.com, "Beth"
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a daughter who turned 4 in March. I also have a nearly 11 year old son whom we homeschool and our daughter is also home with us (I just don't consider children younger than school age to be "homeschooled").
>
> Our son has 2-3 enrichment classes a week during the school year (handwork, lego engineering, hands on geometry-- that kind of thing) which he enjoys.
>
> Other little girls we know who are a similar age as my daughter are taking gymnastics and/or dance class. Our daughter had once been to a gymnastics birthday party and thought she would like to take gymnastics.
>
> So, when my son's classes were finished for the school year, we tried gymnastics for her. She always said that she liked it. But from my perspective, especially from learning more about Waldorf and more about child development, they were introducing too many variations too quickly. My experience with these little ones is that they enjoy and benefit from a lot of sameness with a few new things thrown in gradually. At the place we went to, the music was kind of loud, not really for little children, and was different every week. There was this large screen facing where the parents sit that showed a continually changing array of images/ ads/ info about how beneficial gymnastics is for children...
>
> My daughter looked kind of stressed in the gymnastics class as she tried to figure out what to do next-- again and again. Since the environment was overstimulating for me (with the music and the large screen) and I wasn't really happy with it for her, I took her out.
>
> And then we tried a dance class. This class meets after school and I think a lot of the little girls who have been at school all day are probably kind of tired. It's kind of hectic in the class with 12 little girls, many of whom want a lot of attention from the teacher. My daughter also has that same stressed look on her face as she appears to be trying to precisely replicate what the teacher is doing as much as she can; she seems kind of nervous about it. But again it hasn't been broken down into small enough steps for her to easily figure out what to do. And probably some of the same things would come more easily at a slightly older age-- as she continues to develop naturally. The main time she was smiling and looked happy was when they were doing free-form dancing with scarves and music (and there was nothing to concentrate on learning and copying). She seems excited about the class and wants to attend.
>
> So..this is quite a long way of describing that I am feeling kind of uncomfortable with this path of enrichment classes for 4 year olds. If there was some really cozy, gentle, imaginative class for creative movement I would be open to that. But I haven't really liked what I've seen so far. And I'm sure that, even if you wanted to be a professional dancer, you would not need to start at age 4.
>
> And at the same time, she does want to be "special" and go to a "class" like her brother does and she says she likes the classes she has tried... Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
> Beth
>
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