We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

Latest Episodes:

Playing with our Children Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

In the last episode, Sharifa spoke about the importance of play for young children and she gave deep insights into why play is sacred for the young child. In this episode, Sharifa will talk about what kind of play parents should engage in with their child.

Sharifa is the author of multiple best-selling books: Heaven on Earth, Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children, and With Stars in their Eyes. She also worked collaboratively to create the book, What is a Waldorf Kindergarten. She was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as daycare director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through mentoring and offering practicum and internship opportunities to the teacher-training students at Sunbridge College in New York. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa also travels offering lectures and workshops to schools and parent groups. She is the mother of three grown sons, who were educated in the Waldorf tradition. Sharifa lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.

Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.

To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com

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The Importance of Play Nov 12, 2020

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Our guest, Sharifa Oppenheimer is known for her research and books which focus on the early childhood development. In this episode, she speaks about the nature of play in early childhood and why play is so important for young children.

Music is “Dance With Me” by Sergey Cheremisinov.

To join one of our online courses, ask a parenting question, book a one-on-one consultation or join our community please visit wenurturecollective.com

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LifeWays: Cultivating Simplicity in Daily Life Jul 30, 2020

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When we cultivate simplicity and spaciousness in our daily life, we invite thoughtful presence, patience, and calm in our home.

Join us in our conversation with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America as she artfully describes how we can craft a life of simplicity. By balancing the choices that we make through careful thought and reflection, we can create space for nourishing life activities to flow in and out.

Booked mentioned by Cynthia include Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, The Frog King A Grimms Fairytale, and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor-Frankl.

To discover more please visit lifewaysnorthamerica.org, wenurture.us, and kimberton.org

Music is Glacier Bells by Daniel Birch.

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The Sense of Self Movement Feb 24, 2020

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Join Chinyelu Kunz and Molly Brett as they talk about the Senses. Waldorf Education addresses healthy human development from many perspectives and points of view and knowledge of the 12 senses are critical to understanding healthy human development. One of Rudolf Steiner’s many contributions is the understanding that we actually have 12 senses and after birth, they all require further development. Not only do the senses unite the inner and outer world in each one of us but they also make it possible for us as individuals to interact with others in healthy ways as well as be fully grounded in our bodies. It takes a long time for the senses to develop and there is a scaffolding of sorts that takes place as the Foundational, Middle and then Higher senses develop from birth to age 21. The development of the 4 Foundational senses, which are the Sense of Touch, the Sense of Life, the Sense of Self Movement, and the Sense of Balance, takes place during the time from birth to 7 and their healthy development is critical to the further development of the other senses. Join us as we begin the journey to understanding the 4 foundational senses. The Sense of Self Movement The Sense of Self Movement also known as Proprioception, informs us of where our body is in relation to one another - how? by the contracting and stretching of muscles and by compression of the joints. It also gives us a sense of our orientation in space. Proprioception is our body’s awareness of our muscles and joints. When we move our body, information about where our body is in space is made aware to us on a physical level. As Waldorf Early Childhood teachers, we recognize that young children need more movement - self-directed movement. More self-directed movement not only strengthens the young child’s proprioceptive sense but also speech development because there is a connection between speech and movement. Children who have lots of time for movement - several hours each day - often have fewer speech problems. As Waldorf Early Childhood teachers, we are also finding that children are spending more and more time watching television, using computers, iPads, and iPhones and that these experiences diminish their opportunities to play freely inside and outside. Supporting your young child’s movement development right from infancy, as they learn to roll over, sit, crawl walk, run and climb, supports them in their development as they build on their ability to speak, read, write, and beyond. Self-movement is essential to the young child’s developing body. Join us as we explore the Sense of Self Movement, ways to strengthen it as well as what gets in the way, and what signs to look for when your child needs support.

To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org

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The Sense of Life Jan 22, 2020

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To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org

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The Sense of Touch Dec 13, 2019

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To discover more about Rosebud Garden please visit farmhousemanna.com and kimberton.org

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