When I became a mom, I was unsure of the type of parent I would be. I had strong opinions about a few things, but mostly I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information available regarding every detail of raising a child, from sleep habits to first foods, appropriate toys to playground etiquette. So many different approaches, each one “the right one”, the best for my child, the one that will result in my child’s life long happiness, health, and success. Except… except few resonated with my own instincts; most felt unnatural for me to implement. I was struggling to find my place as a parent.
Then, at the suggestion of a dear friend, I enrolled in a parent-infant class at a Waldorf School. When I first entered the kindergarten classroom where our class was to be held, I immediately thought of the desert. It appeared very plain and simple: sparse with lots of brown and beige. But slowly the colors and detail emerged and it became a very stimulating, yet gentle, environment. The desert has always been a spiritual place for me. A place where I feel at peace with myself. During the six week course in what I now call the desert classroom, I found myself as a parent.
Three kids later… here I am looking for an outlet to voice my reflections on parenting. Although Waldorf Education has greatly influenced my thoughts on early childhood, I do not intend this to be a blog about Waldorf Education, nor do I intend for it to be about my own children. Instead I hope for it to be a place where I can share my thoughts and experiences on a range of parenting topics that I find interesting.
After declaring this blog is not about my children, the only thing I can think to do next is introduce them. I’m going to use their middle names because I like to pretend I’m preserving some degree of anonymity. Also, I love their middle names and never get to use them.
Katherine (the biggest sister), Clara (the big sister), Alexandra (the baby).
