In "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life," Rahima Baldwin Dancy reminds us that we will find ourselves tuned up to guide our children once we release our (false) expectation that they will remember our (ostensibly) wisdom tomorrow. Rather than, "Why do you always slam the door? I tell you every day not to!" we might make it a (spiritual) practice to be present at the door like a zen master ready to help our child close the door gently. Sharifa Oppenheimer gives this analogy: anytime we have to direct our children in an incendiary moment, we soothe our children and shift their vibrations if we can offer our words with the same inflection we might say to a guest, "Here's the towel."
I remember uttering (out loud!) "Here's the towel" to girls in an explosive conflict over a doll. Strangeness disarmed them. They paused, descried their weird teacher, and flowed into collaborative and imaginative play they were both wanting so much.
Andrea Gambardella, the teacher who launched me into nursery and parent & child teaching in Baltimore, a teacher who drips with erudition and integrity and warmth, encourages us to find metaphors that work for us. She pictured herself as a sturdy oak, able to stand no matter what winds or storms blew by it.
Recently I took my first Bikram Yoga class. Glorious. 90 minutes at 105 degrees. This intensity tasted like the wee little bear's porridge to me: I opened, expanded, released. I adored the teachers. This was Seattle. Classes had about 30 to 50 students. The poses are difficult. Teachers need to correct us constantly. They need to correct sometimes one student. Sometimes they have to give generic feedback that will help everyone without causing one or a few students to overcompensate. The four teachers I've witnessed seemed a master at giving this necessary and almost constant feedback in a supportive and nonjudgmental tone. I never once felt my worthiness in question.
Eureka. I had a vibrant, living, refreshed metaphor for my teaching. While I would not talk constantly in an early childhood classroom, I did wonder if I could carry this attitude of giving feedback with such equanimity, something I know we are supposed to do--yet it is so easy to slide into the slough of despair and exasperation. Could I guide that child about to strike another child with a stick (important for me to intervene) with the same calmness and freedom from judgment my yoga instructors treat me with when I can't touch my forehead to the floor while having my knees locked? I could! And did. And it helped the children realize that they did not have to be stuck in their same patterns. These things actually work!
We want to feel well. We want to flow. We want to expand. We want to be free. We want to lift others. And it is so easy to fall into unconscious habits that take us out of the present moment, that bring in doubt, judgment. It is such a blessing when a new experience can help to wake us up yet again and remind us that we can step back into a place of presence, free from resistance, full of allowing, knowing, seeing, loving, helping, nurturing, soothing, sweating. Here's the towel to dry off your sweat when you find your practice.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Maxwelton Beach, June 1, 5 to 7pm
Dear Nursery and Parent & Child Families and Friends,
Please gather with us on our final day of Rosebud classes (and our final full week of nursery classes) at Maxwelton Beach on Friday, June 1, from 5 to 7pm for a pot-luck and festive summer expansion. The weather will invite, as appropriate, Maypole dancing, fiddle tunes, and folk song singing from Rise Up Singing.
If there are enough willing adults, we may even put on a play for and with the children. We did this with the Elves and The Shoemaker a few winters ago, and it was delightful.
Please gather with us on our final day of Rosebud classes (and our final full week of nursery classes) at Maxwelton Beach on Friday, June 1, from 5 to 7pm for a pot-luck and festive summer expansion. The weather will invite, as appropriate, Maypole dancing, fiddle tunes, and folk song singing from Rise Up Singing.
If there are enough willing adults, we may even put on a play for and with the children. We did this with the Elves and The Shoemaker a few winters ago, and it was delightful.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 6pm Meeting
Dear Rosebud Parents,
You are invited to gather with other early childhood families tomorrow night in the Butterfly Room at 6pm. Among other topics about next year, we will be introducing more and expanded enrollment options for our school's youngest children. We will also try to make a review of the new information available for and perhaps even in Friday's class.
With appreciation,
William
You are invited to gather with other early childhood families tomorrow night in the Butterfly Room at 6pm. Among other topics about next year, we will be introducing more and expanded enrollment options for our school's youngest children. We will also try to make a review of the new information available for and perhaps even in Friday's class.
With appreciation,
William
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Challenge as Strength
Dear Families,
Here I digress. If you seek long peregrinations through my mind on matters related to Waldorf education and child development, consider visiting butterflynursery.blogspot.com and/or dewdroprosebud.blogspot.com. Both blogs have a search feature. You can type in, for example, "sleep" or "conflict" to uncover and dust off posts from past years that address these topics.
My present intent it to present a series of shorter essays that present one topic at a time.
Steiner extolled the lively child, the active child, the defiant child. In the fire of early childhood, Steiner foresaw the strength that would aid the child in work and life as an adult. Steiner did not, however, exhort us to give children free reign while we stood around, helpless, wondering when the angels drop down to tell us what to do. It be can be quizzical to maddening to liberating to read Steiner and notice the times he recommends intervention when I would not have thought of one and when he advises us to let things be when one might have thought of intervening. There is no exact formula. No exact recipe. Each child is unique. Again and again we are told to observe without judgment, and the inspiration will come to us.
I propose the following: for the next days or weeks, seek out a behavior of your child that seems annoying or upsetting. With as much fun as possible, create a scenario in your mind of your child as an adult, with this perhaps disturbing seed of early childhood serving as a strength. You may find it best to start with an easy one. You may find it easy to start with a difficult one and spin out a far-fetched fantasy (the world will change a lot in 20 years). Perhaps you will imagine or intuit things that can help guide the child's challenge into strength. Perhaps not. But even the gesture of making peace with the Now, the suchness of the moment, may bring pleasure, contentment, radiance, a winged chariot pulled by 2 pegasus (keep it fun and imaginative), and the like. This may be easy. It may not. Have fun either way.
Here I defy my inclination to compare this to multifarious processes from other educational and spiritual streams. Tell me how you fare. Expect more later.
With appreciation of your willingness to play,
William
Here I digress. If you seek long peregrinations through my mind on matters related to Waldorf education and child development, consider visiting butterflynursery.blogspot.com and/or dewdroprosebud.blogspot.com. Both blogs have a search feature. You can type in, for example, "sleep" or "conflict" to uncover and dust off posts from past years that address these topics.
My present intent it to present a series of shorter essays that present one topic at a time.
Steiner extolled the lively child, the active child, the defiant child. In the fire of early childhood, Steiner foresaw the strength that would aid the child in work and life as an adult. Steiner did not, however, exhort us to give children free reign while we stood around, helpless, wondering when the angels drop down to tell us what to do. It be can be quizzical to maddening to liberating to read Steiner and notice the times he recommends intervention when I would not have thought of one and when he advises us to let things be when one might have thought of intervening. There is no exact formula. No exact recipe. Each child is unique. Again and again we are told to observe without judgment, and the inspiration will come to us.
I propose the following: for the next days or weeks, seek out a behavior of your child that seems annoying or upsetting. With as much fun as possible, create a scenario in your mind of your child as an adult, with this perhaps disturbing seed of early childhood serving as a strength. You may find it best to start with an easy one. You may find it easy to start with a difficult one and spin out a far-fetched fantasy (the world will change a lot in 20 years). Perhaps you will imagine or intuit things that can help guide the child's challenge into strength. Perhaps not. But even the gesture of making peace with the Now, the suchness of the moment, may bring pleasure, contentment, radiance, a winged chariot pulled by 2 pegasus (keep it fun and imaginative), and the like. This may be easy. It may not. Have fun either way.
Here I defy my inclination to compare this to multifarious processes from other educational and spiritual streams. Tell me how you fare. Expect more later.
With appreciation of your willingness to play,
William
Maypole Songs
Dear Families,
Happy MayFaire. Below are lyrics to the Maypole songs we have been singing at the conclusion of our Friday classes.
Maypole Songs -- Butterfly Nursery, Dewdrop, and Rosebud
(learned in a folk manner)
(clockwise)
We're dancing, we're dancing
Around the Maypole high.
In colors of the rainbow
Our ribbons do fly.
Dear children, take a ribbon please.
Today May flowers all are we.
Around, around, around,
A garland we do weave.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
(faster)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(very quickly)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(turn around and start with great speed the other way)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(more slowly)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(slowly like a turtle)
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
Vive la Vie
(clockwise)
Let every good person join in the song, vive la Compagnie
Success to each other and pass it along, vive la Compagnie
(on the chorus, dancers stop rotating and walk in and out to the center)
(in) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(out) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(in) Vive l'amour, vive la joie
(out) Vive la Compagnie
(clockwise again)
A friend on your left and a friend on your right, vive la Compagnie
In love and good fellowship let us unite, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus (again stop circling and in and out)
Now wider and wider our circle expands, vive la Compagnie.
We sing to our comrades in far away lands, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus
(Repeat the entire song, circling counter-clockwise on the verses)
Here we go Round the Maypole High
Here we go round the Maypole high, Maypole high, Maypole high.
Here we go round the Maypole high, let colored ribbons fly.
See lads and lassies skipping by, skipping by, skipping by.
See lads and lassies skipping by, let colored ribbons fly.
(repeat and allow ribbons to fly at the end).
Happy MayFaire. Below are lyrics to the Maypole songs we have been singing at the conclusion of our Friday classes.
Maypole Songs -- Butterfly Nursery, Dewdrop, and Rosebud
(learned in a folk manner)
(clockwise)
We're dancing, we're dancing
Around the Maypole high.
In colors of the rainbow
Our ribbons do fly.
Dear children, take a ribbon please.
Today May flowers all are we.
Around, around, around,
A garland we do weave.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
(faster)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(very quickly)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(turn around and start with great speed the other way)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(more slowly)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(slowly like a turtle)
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
Vive la Vie
(clockwise)
Let every good person join in the song, vive la Compagnie
Success to each other and pass it along, vive la Compagnie
(on the chorus, dancers stop rotating and walk in and out to the center)
(in) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(out) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(in) Vive l'amour, vive la joie
(out) Vive la Compagnie
(clockwise again)
A friend on your left and a friend on your right, vive la Compagnie
In love and good fellowship let us unite, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus (again stop circling and in and out)
Now wider and wider our circle expands, vive la Compagnie.
We sing to our comrades in far away lands, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus
(Repeat the entire song, circling counter-clockwise on the verses)
Here we go Round the Maypole High
Here we go round the Maypole high, Maypole high, Maypole high.
Here we go round the Maypole high, let colored ribbons fly.
See lads and lassies skipping by, skipping by, skipping by.
See lads and lassies skipping by, let colored ribbons fly.
(repeat and allow ribbons to fly at the end).
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Meeting, Wednesday, May 16
Dear Nursery and Parent & Child Families,
You are invited to join all early childhood families on Wednesday, May 16, as teachers describe and answer questions about expanded programming options for the 2012-2013 school year. Please see below for times.
Wednesday May 16th
All Early Childhood Parent Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Parents of Rising First Grade Students only (Fall 2013) 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Please join us as we look ahead to next years early childhood program.
The early childhood teachers will present an overview of some inspired program
changes in our early childhood department for the fall.
All Early Childhood Parent Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Parents of Rising First Grade Students only (Fall 2013) 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Please join us as we look ahead to next years early childhood program.
The early childhood teachers will present an overview of some inspired program
changes in our early childhood department for the fall.
Feel free to contact me with any questions,
William
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Requests for help: Compassionate Response, Confident Captain, Library
Dear Families,
Although I am endeavoring to craft short yet helpful letters, I will cheat here and offer links to longer pieces of prose for those interested. This comes upon two separate requests from parents of children of different ages--it seems they were seeking inspiration, courage, support, more for being present with their ever changing child.
Consider attending the Compassionate Response meditation work (from Kim Payne) Wednesday after school (ads in the newsletter). If you cannot attend, a CD of Kim Payne's lecture on this subject is available in the school library. In the past decade, several parents have reported to me that this work has brought light and relief during times of moderate to intense stress.
If you visit my blog at the link below, you will find some of my gathered thoughts on parenting.
http://butterflynursery.blogspot.com/2010/10/parent-evening-confident-captain-zen.html
Finally, the Kathrine Dickerson library has many resources. "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life" from You Are Your Child's First Teacher can be very helpful. 1, 2, 3 . . . The Toddler Years has short chapters on subjects such as biting, fighting, tantrums, sibling rivalry, and the like and can offer quick relief. If you prefer a longer, more meditative, George Eliot Victorian novel type process (which, to be honest, is more my style), wading through Whole Child/Whole Parent or A New Earth could be quite helpful.
Blessings,
William
Although I am endeavoring to craft short yet helpful letters, I will cheat here and offer links to longer pieces of prose for those interested. This comes upon two separate requests from parents of children of different ages--it seems they were seeking inspiration, courage, support, more for being present with their ever changing child.
Consider attending the Compassionate Response meditation work (from Kim Payne) Wednesday after school (ads in the newsletter). If you cannot attend, a CD of Kim Payne's lecture on this subject is available in the school library. In the past decade, several parents have reported to me that this work has brought light and relief during times of moderate to intense stress.
If you visit my blog at the link below, you will find some of my gathered thoughts on parenting.
http://butterflynursery.blogspot.com/2010/10/parent-evening-confident-captain-zen.html
Finally, the Kathrine Dickerson library has many resources. "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life" from You Are Your Child's First Teacher can be very helpful. 1, 2, 3 . . . The Toddler Years has short chapters on subjects such as biting, fighting, tantrums, sibling rivalry, and the like and can offer quick relief. If you prefer a longer, more meditative, George Eliot Victorian novel type process (which, to be honest, is more my style), wading through Whole Child/Whole Parent or A New Earth could be quite helpful.
Blessings,
William
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