Contributor Lauren Hakala shares some insight into how involve children in life in the kitchen.

Contributor Lauren Hakala shares some insight into the mud kitchen and the importance it has in outdoor play and budding kitchen skills.

Contributor, Sara Norris, shares some insight into how Attachment and Bedtime go hand-in-hand.

Contributor, Sara Norris, continues the bedtime conversation with some ideas on how to strengthen the Attachment bond before sleep.

Over the years we have sung and said many blessings at our table. Saying or singing a blessing when you sit down together helps everyone to slow down and center before eating. It also fosters a deep sense of gratitude.

I recently revisited some of our favourite blessings and rewrote them to emphasize our gratitude in a secular and gender-neutral way.

Learning about social and personal identities begins in one’s family. However, messages from the larger society soon filter in and become a central influence. Crucial to supporting a child’s sense of identity is a willingness of important adults to examine their implicit and explicit attitudes and comments that positively or negatively influence belonging and the child’s blossoming sense of self.

The kitchen needs safe boundaries and children need to feel like they belong there.  As with all things developmental, young children need plenty of experience being around the kitchen to get the lay of the land, and they will of course copy all our behaviors as we navigate our individual relationships with food within our homes.  

Attachment Theory is the theory of human relationships.  Bringing our children close to us and holding them close keeps them from feeling the alarm of separation and ensures they can mature and develop freely into who they are meant to be.

I first began learning about Waldorf education when I attended my first session of Waldorf Parent Child Classes. At first, I didn’t know much other than what I had experienced in those classes and I wanted to learn more. I found that one common and confusing theme was Rhythm.  It was described as an ‘in-breath and an out-breath’ an ‘expansion and contraction’, but how could I create it in real life with a toddler?  

A mud kitchen is a place where being out in nature fuels a child’s imagination. Wet and dry sand in combination, even dirt and mud creates opportunities for different kinds of play. The sun on a rock can make a good stove top. Water that is fresh from a stream, collected rainwater or a puddle holds the interest of a young child. If water comes from inside the house, leave it out in the sunshine a bit to enliven the water. Just having the water outside will become interesting to the young child.

If you're a mom, most likely you are juggling caring for your child or children, your home, perhaps a spouse and as if this isn’t enough you may also be holding down a job outside of this work. And this is the short list! One question: where in this list is there time for taking care of yourself? Mamas, can you relate? What if I told you you can have it all including the time it takes to put yourself first on this list, allowing for more ease, peace, and joy in all the other areas? Now do I have your attention?  

We kick this season off with, Sara Norris, certified Simplicity Parenting Coach and mother of two as she shares her research into Attachment Theory. Her work centers on how to ease anxiety through healthy attachment.

The moment a new baby enters your life, no matter the circumstances, everything changes and there is a lot that goes into adjusting. This can look different for each of us, but the one thing that is always the same is the need for support.

Join us as Meagan Wilson, parent educator and author of the now-retired seasonal series of Whole Family Rhythms Guide, talks to us about how building supportive home rhythms helps your child feel secure and move more easily through the day.

Listen as Sarah Baldwin of Bella Luna Toys talks with us about the importance of free play for the child. Giving a child the space and time to explore and experiment with their toys, and other materials, helps them develop competence, independence, and creativity!

As the owner of Bella Luna Toys, Sarah is excited to share her experience and knowledge of children, play and Waldorf toys in a new way.

After years of counseling clients in a variety of areas, it was only when she had her first son that she really started to develop a keen interest in childhood nutrition and recognized the need for innovative and millennial friendly content. With her partner, Jessica, the aim of Happy Healthy Eaters  is to ensure parents feel confident feeding their children and to experience joy in the feeding relationship.

Debbie uniquely interweaves information from mainstream research with the principles of Waldorf Early Childhood Education to create a unique tapestry to support child well-being. She embraces an approach based on anti-bias education and respectful childcare practices grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Ashley is a certified cooperative childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula, and lactation counselor. She is the founder of Birthsmarter, which provides relevant and inclusive education for expectant parents living in NYC and virtually, across the world. With over a decade of experience supporting new parents, Ashley provides one-on-one support, group classes, lectures, and distance learning for the perinatal population and the professionals who serve them.

Listen as Hannah and Kelty share their experience and wisdom around navigating the changes that take place in the family when a new baby comes. They will share tips and tricks around how to prepare ahead of time… both emotionally and in the home environment. They also share insights on what to expect and how to address what can come up once the baby is home and older children undergo the process of adjusting to life with a new sibling.

It can be challenging to know when to transition your child from two naps to one. It is all the more difficult, because there is often a period when two naps are too much sleep and one nap is not enough. Here are some tips to help you navigate the big midday nap transition.