Urban life can feel chaotic to young children. I see it’s a stress for my daughter. The city never sleeps! The sirens, streetlights, the vroom of cars, and even the ding-ding of the streetcars continue late into the night. Work days end late and push back dinner time. It’s not easy to keep consistent bedtimes … Continue reading
Right now so many people are leaving San Francisco in search of the “Real Summer.” For the day or a week, people want sun, heat, water play that doesn’t give you frostbite, beaches where you won’t need wooly hats. Ok, I get it. But it’s not for me. This summer I am embracing San Francisco, … Continue reading
As I mentioned before, during the school year my daughter had many intense tantrums. I wondered why . . . New baby? Postpartum cranky mom? Just normal for her age? But a new answer is coming clear that trumps all the rest. Overstimulation. The social setting can easily overstimulate my daughter to the point of distress, … Continue reading
For most of the summer it will be just the three of us all day, every day . . . One year-old, four year-old, and me. To see some friends at least once a week, in an environment that inspires cooperation rather than competition, I’ve organized this. A weekly nature/hiking day mostly with other school … Continue reading
All through the school year I’ve been feeling conflicted. The days when I am home with both children all day, I determine our daily rhythms. Together we cycle up and down, from bursts of focused activity to a return to mellow solo imaginative play. In breath, out breath. I am in the background all day … Continue reading
In my experience, school has not been a safe place. There is school violence and bullying to start, but there is more. Feeling unsafe, sometimes physically, and often emotionally, I found school to be a place of conflict, antagonism, defensiveness, and isolation. Learning, too, but that took second. I started out in urban public schools. … Continue reading
This list of recommended books comes from Allison Carroll, our wonderful teacher when she was director of the Parent-Child Program at San Francisco Waldorf School. She is now a nursery teacher there. Some are about child development or child psychology and others specifically relate to Waldorf education. The first one, The Emotional Life of the … Continue reading
Today was our first day “back to school” with our parent-child class, SF Waldorf School’s Exploring Nature class. I was reminded what a refuge this experience was in my postpartum days. I felt calm and especially close to my daughter after each class. And I found such loving support from the teachers and families I … Continue reading
Chigüiri-cosas 