Looking ahead to the Nursery

Dear Rosebud and Dewdrop Families,

If you are interested in further insights into last week's discussion of redirecting a toddler's desire to learn without fighting battles all day long, I have composed this meditation upon various ways of speaking to toddlers.

You may also find these reflections from Whole Child/Whole Parent (linked to in a previous session) helpful.

Because many of you plan to join our Butterfly nursery next year or in a future, I thought I'd pass along some thoughts about rain and snow gear that are always too late for the current nursery families. We are blessed to be surrounded by woods. Not only do walks (climbs and runs) foster the development of initiative and autonomy amongst the nursery children, but the many clearings we visit provide different materials and scenarios for cooperative and imaginative play. Inside Waldorf early childhood classrooms, we bring in natural materials to spur children's imagination. At the Whidbey Island Waldorf School, we are so fortunate to bring the children outside to a variety of outdoor rooms, stocked with the makings of forts, fairy houses, bridges, caves, pretend ovens, and the like. While the nursery children play well and imaginatively indoors, often their ability to imagine and cooperate soars when they are outside.

While my experience finds that a mainly or entirely indoor class works well for parent & child classes, the nursery children thrive when we have generous amounts of time outside every day--sometimes as much as two hours if the weather permits (and it has been very mild and dry of late). Even when the weather is dry as it has been of late, children wear rain pants and boots every day from late September to early May. Getting dressed becomes part of the habit and part of the learning process--as children develop a sense of autonomy and competence. While warmth is important, and while you could find many articles about warmth in Waldorf periodicals, I think it important to remember that autonomy and initiative and industry (terms from Erik Erikson) are important parts of the nursery years. Some children who get dressed or undressed with confidence and grace when wearing slightly lighter clothes (rain pants and rain boots) resist getting dressed when provided with snow boots and snow pants.  While we want your child to be comfortable next year, take into account your child's sense of accomplishment when selecting gear next year.  Lighter outer clothes over multiple indoor layers may not work for all children, but some nursery children seem quite comfortable outside and heartened by their ability to dress themselves.

Also consider, as you think about procuring clothes for next year, what might give your child support as she or he uses the bathroom independently.  Although snow pants with bibs keep children very warm, for a child just learning to use the toilet, the extra time for taking them off (and the coat) in a emergency can make hard to get clothes off quickly enough.  If you already have your wet and cold weather clothes for next year, I am not asking you to spend more money to change things.  My assistant and I patiently help children with their gear, and all the nursery children enjoy the outdoors whether they get ready quickly or slowly.  I provide this advance information with the hope that it will help some parents.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde