Rahima Baldwin Dancy's Blog, page 4

Homebirths Up by 30%!

[image error] The number of homebirths reached its highest level since researchers began collecting data 20 years ago. After declining from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of US births that occurred at home rose 29% from 2004 to 2009.

The research was released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The numbers are still small--in 2009, 29,650 births, or .72 percent of all births, occurred at home. However, the increase is a rapid change in direction, after declining for 15 years. Home births tend to be more common among non-Hispanic white women who are 35 and older and among women with several previous children.
I would imagine one contributing factor was the debut of the film "The Business of Being Born" in 2008 (by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein). This film by a noted television celebrity addressed today's young professionals who are having babies and presented options in a contemporary way. It engendered enough interest at the time to get the attention of the AMA and motivate them to launch another attack on homebirth. in the meantime, women love it, and Lake and Epsteiner have produced another film "More Business of Being Born" about birth options (released November, 2011). The films can be purchased for download or you can learn more on their website, www.businessofbeingborn.com.

Sharing Longer Stories with Little Ones

[image error] I've written a long segment in First Teacher on how to select stories to tell with younger children--they especially like simple stories with repetition, like "The Gingerbread Boy" or "The Three Little Pigs." But what about sharing longer stories, especially if you have a mixed-age group?
Our group of 1- to 5-year-olds is a younger mix this year, so when I first told "The Snow Maiden" after Christmas break, I was losing them. Even using the adaptation by Bronja Zahligen in the WECAN book Plays for Puppets, this is still a fairly complex Russian tale.
When I found the first day that I wasn't holding their attention, I stopped right away and said, "And tomorrow I'll tell you what happened when...." The next day I condensed what I had told them up to then and continued in a different style, basically changing the "Waldorf ideal" of "relating what you are seeing in a very melodic voice" to being much more conversational. By being more conversational in tone--talking directly to them and being less dreamy and descriptive--I found they stayed with me. Now, having told the story every day for two weeks, I 'm doing the puppet play and find I can be much more lyrical when they have the images in front of them and are already familiar with the songs and story.
With the mixed ages, we sit in a circle with 12 children and 3 adults, and the littlest ones (under two years of age) sit on our laps--they're clearly not tracking, but they stay with us. I insist that the other children sit up because once one lies down everything is lost. But, in general stories are very successful: the older ones still like the simpler stories, and the younger ones are (usually!) carried by the group when I'm telling an story for older children.
Another example: I wanted to tell the Rapunzel story for the older children, so I decided to do it at the lunch table. This is a great time for stories because the younger ones are occupied with their food. But, even with the help of being at the table, I simplified the story to start with "Once upon a time there was a girl named Rapunzel" and then went back to her mother's craving for rapunzel (a type of lettuce, rampion) and the promise the father had made to the witch, rather than being completely chronlogical in the story. The reason this was simpler was because I was "talking" to them rather than relating a dreamy tale that went on and on.
In addition to telling fairy tales and simple children's stories, I also continue a tradition that y daughter Faith started two years ago: telling a story about "Pirate Jack" during snack (it always starts the same way, and then tells Jack's adventures discovering distant lands, treasure and foods). Or a story about the adventures of Mauwie the Cat. They still love these ongoing stories and ask for them.
What do you find telling stories for children of mixed-ages. Be adventurous--the children will let you know what works and what doesn't!
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Toddlers Need Naps, Study Shows!

[image error] [Note: LifeWays offers a video of putting children down for nap in a childcare setting.]

It's always nice when science and academia support what we already know: toddlers need naps! A recent study at the University of Colorado showed that missing just one nap can cause toddlers to be more anxious and frustrated when faced with a challenge. Children in the study were 2-1/2 to 3 years old, and missing just 90 minutes of sleep brought similar results to what adults experience when they pull an all-nighter.
The researchers videotaped the expressions of toddlers given two different kinds of simple puzzles--one had all the correct pieces, but the other was insolvable, with a piece that wouldn't fit. They found that sleep-deprived toddlers were less likely to act confused--an adaptive emotion that signals an understanding that something is not right--and more likely to show no emotion or to become frustrated.

"If you have a problem, let's say you can't find your way and you're lost, the response is confusion, and that's a good thing," Monique LeBourgeois, leader of the study said in the article. "When (toddlers) don't get enough sleep -- in this case from a nap--they don't show that response. What they show instead is a flat response or a neutral response--they're just blank--or they show more anxiety."

This study is being published in the Journal of Sleep Research; to read the full article, see the Boulder Daily Camera from Jan. 4 2012. LeBourgeois is now recruiting 40 toddlers born between March 2009 and October 2011 to study how sleep restriction may affect emotions and cognitive abilities; the study will take place over four years.

Felting Bars of Soap with Children

[image error]The children at Rainbow Bridge felted wool coverings for bars of soap--making "soap in a sweater"--as presents for their parents. It becomes soap and washcloth in one, and works best with a soap dish in which it can drain. We used Ivory soap, wool roving for the first layer, and colored wool for the outer layer. Here's a picture of them unwrapping the soap when the felting process was finished.

To make your own, here is what you will need:

Bars of soap. We use Ivory, but scented or rounded soap works well, too.
Wool roving.  Wrap the soap with three layers of wool roving (we used white, but colored wool would also work). Wrap in alternating directions.
Colored wool: then let the children add thin layers to form a beautiful package.
Sections of pantyhose, tied at one end. You'll need to help them put it inside and pull it tight, tying off both ends. 
[image error] Tubs of water, as warm as the children will use. Use a few drops of dish soap (optional) and lather up a bar; let a child play with one as long as possible to felt the fibers. Depending on the age and energy of the child, you may need to rework this yourself so the fibers tighten around the soap and felt together 10-15 minutes?).

 

 

[image error] Rinse and let air dry. Drying can take a couple of days, depending on the weather. 
Remove from the stocking, and voila!

Felting Bars of Soap as Gifts

[image error]The children at Rainbow Bridge took bars of soap and felted wool coverings for them, making "soap in a sweater," as presents for their parents. It becomes soap and washcloth in one, and works best with a soap dish in which it can drain. We used Ivory soap, wool roving, and colored wool for the outer layer. To make your own, you would also need nylon stockings and dish soap for the felting process.

Wrap the soap with three layers of wool roving (we used white, but colored wool would also work). Then let the children add light layers of colored wool. Then you need to put it all in a length of pantyhose that you can make tight and close at both ends.

The bars are felted in tubs of water, as warm as the children will use. Use a few drops of dish soap (optional) and lather up a bar; let each child play with one to felt the fibers.  Depending on the age and activity of the child, you may need to rework this yourself so the fibers tighten around the soap and felt together (10-15 minutes?).  Rinse and let air dry.  Remove from the stocking, and voila!

Rahima Baldwin Dancy

Welcome to my blog, designed for parents who want to bring more Waldorf principles into your homes, either to enrich family life or for home schooling.

After having worked for many years as a midwife and director of Informed Family Life, I now spend most of my time as director/lead teacher of Rainbow Bridge LifeWays Program for 1-5 year olds in Boulder, Colorado. I started this program with my daughter, Faith Baldwin Collins, in 2008 and now run it with help from my husband, Agaf, daughter Jasmine, and Lauren, who is also a Waldorf teacher and midwife.

Right now I'm excited to have finished the 3rd revised edition of You Are Child's First Teacher, which will be out in this coming summer (2012); in the meantime the 2nd edition is still available as a resource for parents with children from birth through age six. If you have questions, please use the "Contact" button on the website--I'd love to hear from you!

 

Limiting Screen Time

I was recently interviewed by folks from Michele Obama's initiative for preschools, called "Let's Move!" As part of her program to overcome obesity in children, one of the key points of Let's Move! is limiting screen time. They were interviewing in-home providers who have been succesful in limiting screen time or those that are screen free.

Children want to be in movement. Never having had "screens" as part of our LifeWays/Waldorf program for 1-5 year olds, I had to think about what makes it possible--the differences with conventional programs. Here are some of the key points that make for an enriched program:
~ We are set up for free play--everything invites the children's imaginative play.
~ This makes it easy to do focused activities with smaller groups.
~ We have two 45-minute periods of outside play, which includes not only large-motor activities, but things like gardening, walks, moving wood, and so forth.
~ LifeWays' emphasis on including the children in "The Living Arts" means that they help with food preparation, setting and clearning the table, doing the dishes, folding the laundray, and so forth. We're not trying to "buy time" in which to get things done.
~ There is a dynamic rhythm and daily schedule that breathes with the children.Long periods of movement (free play or outside time) are punctuated by shorter periods of sitting at the table or listening to a story. Activities such as movement game circles are half-way in between--moving, but requiring the children to focus on what we're doing.

When the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended no screen time for children under 2 years of age and limited time for preschoolers, they got a lot of flack from parents who "needed" the time that it bought them. I think this is because they are trying to "on" all the time, entertaining their children. A real key is involving the children in The Living Arts, which include nurturing, domestic, creative and social activities--the stuff of everyday life. I was glad to hear that this government agency was also working to help childcare providers (and parents) limit screen time!

Eight Principles for Inspired Mothering

Eight principles for inspired parenting:

1. We need to accept who we are and build up the support we need.

2. We need fathers to be actively involved with children.

3. We need a true understanding of children and their world.

4. We need to trust the natural process of development and not interfere with it.

5. We need to trust ourselves and our children and to let go of guilt.

6. We need to trust our children as individuals.

7. We need to value our parenting.

8. We need to value our home making.

We are our children's first home, which then expands to include life as it unfolds in the physical house or apartment. When we have children, we are creating a home willy-nilly. The more attention, awareness and creativity we can put into the process, the more home life can become a platform that effectively supports every member of the family, including ourselves.

 

Cynthia Aldinger

Cynthia Aldinger has contributed many articles to this blog. She is the founder and Director of LifeWays North America and worked for many years as a Waldorf early childhood and parenting educator. She writes:

When I was pregnant with my firstborn son about three decades ago, I developed a passion for learning all I could about Waldorf education and child development. When he and his brother were 9 and 7 years old, his father and I had the privilege of moving to Sussex, England where I completed my Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College.

 

Since then I have been involved professionally in Waldorf, first as the founding teacher of Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Wisconsin and now as Executive Director of LifeWays North America. You can learn more about LifeWays at www.lifewaysnorthamerica.org. I also served on the Board of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America for fourteen years.

I loved being a kindergarten teacher--especially the nature walks, the stories and the festivals. However, when I was on my sabbatical in England, a good friend, a successful businessman, asked me one of those life-changing questions. The question: "What are you going to do about child care?" He and a number of his business acquaintances were concerned about the quality of child care in Great Britain and the States, feeling that childhood itself was at stake. They felt there was too much emphasis on formal learning and not enough on quality of life and practical life skills.

In 1998, with the help of many individuals, I opened the first LifeWays Child Care Center in East Troy, Wisconsin, supporting families who needed care for their children from three months to six years old. I also began laying the groundwork for the development of a LifeWays training for parents, grandparents, child care providers, parent educators and preschool teachers. Since that time LifeWays has grown in response to the tremendous need for support for childcare providers and for parents.

In 2000, I moved with my husband back to my birth State of Oklahoma and became an active LifeWays consultant, traveling throughout North America and abroad. We now have trainings in six locations. Recently, I was blessed by the opportunity to live with my parents and my grandmother who is 104. Having the chance to help with the care of my grandmother reminded me of the importance of having predictable routines and rhythms in daily life. They provide a sense of security to both young children and the elderly. In many ways, it truly is the simple things in life that count!

Rhythm in Home Life

A regular lifestyle, like the pattern of life in the womb, offers a stable environment during the rapid growth and changes in rhythm of the body during childhood. Children provided with this regular life feel confident about their world and are not concerned by uncertainty about when the next thing will happen. Rhythm in home life can also help to calm a nervous or difficult child by turning the child's life into a series of events in which he participates, and from which he gains a new sense of security and competency.

Regular mealtimes and regular nap- and bedtimes help to start orienting the child to a natural feeling for the passing of time. They go a long way toward preventing discipline problems, because bedtimes become something that happen as regularly as the sky turning dark--there is no one to argue with or complain to each night.

Elizabeth Grunelius, the teacher in the first Waldorf kindergarten, summarizes, "The rhythm then becomes a habit, is accepted as self-evident and will eliminate many difficulties, struggles and arguments about eating and going to bed. . . . Regularity should prevail in as many of the child's daily activities as possible. It is the key to establishing good habits for life." (from her book, Early Childhood Education and the Waldorf School Plan).

Rhythm is also a blessing for parents, because it enables the daily activity of life to flow more smoothly, require less energy, and become a platform that supports the family, its activities, and interactions. Many mothers don't discover the secrets of rhythm until they have two or more children, and suddenly there isn't enough time not to be organized! Regular meals prevent constant feeding and cleaning up or over-hungry and whiny children; regular bedtimes suddenly free the evening for adult conversation and life again as a couple. The benefits are many, and yet it is often difficult to create rhythm in family life--it requires an inner discipline of its own!

Creating rhythm in one's life doesn't mean being rigid and dogmatic. There is still plenty of room for special activities and surprises (and sometimes the piper to pay the next day when the child has missed a needed nap or had a late, exciting evening--but it's worth it!). But freedom is not without form, and one is truly free when not hampered by a disorganized life. The rhythmic structure imposed on a young child and permeated with the parents' love is a discipline in the most positive sense of the word. And as your children become older, they will transform this outer structure into an inner self-discipline that will be invaluable for homework and getting other jobs done. Putting attention into these areas can help the quality of life for both you and your children from the time they are toddlers until they leave home.

Helle Heckman, the founder of Nokken in Denmark, states: "Everyday chores and rhythms of the day can be the same though a child's first seven years. As a child grows, and because it grows, it will get a more nuanced experience of its surroundings. Therefore, a one-year-old and a seven-year-old will look at everyday life very differently, even if they live in the exact same surroundings. They grow into life and notice how the world becomes larger and larger, but the world becomes larger in a recognizable way. It creates security for children to find out how life affects them if they can do it by themselves and in their own tempo. Children need to seize the world before they can understand it." See the full article.