Social Justice

Social justice. What does it mean for our children? In a world in which injustice can no longer be ignored, how do we teach them to deal with it?

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today, Oak Meadow is offering their Foundations in Social Justice course for Parents & Teachers FREE! What a wonderful resource as we guide our children in today's  world!

Get your copy HERE and use the code JUSTICE4ALL2018.

Nature Love - helping it grow for older children

It is Earth Day.  In years past we have planted seeds, fed our feathered friends, or made a nature craft to celebrate, but today the boys are in school and I am thinking about how to help their love of nature grow as they grow older.  It seems they are more distracted than ever. For heaven sake, how can Nature compete with Minecraft in the mind of a 10-year old boy? Well, I have a few thoughts about that:

- Get them out there!  If I do not take my boys to nature, how will they ever really care about it? I don't mean just telling them to go outside and play, but to take them to the wilderness for hours at a time. Let them explore at their own pace, wade in a creek or look for crawdads, bring a picnic lunch, and bring home a shiny rock, acorn, or bird feather for the nature table. Better yet, go camping - sleep in the wilderness.(We have a wonderful trip to Shenandoah National Park planned for the summer!) Really, how are they suppose to care about a tree if they have not felt or climbed several? How are they to cherish birds if they do not regularly hear the sweet songs?

- Have everyone keep a nature journal.  Make it lightweight and bring colored pencils. Allow children to draw or write whatever they want. They can press wildflowers in the pages or leaves can be a bookmark.  Let them see your nature journal - your love is contagious.

-Give them a variety of nature books to read and keep nature guides available in your home. One of our favorite books is Bird Songs that allows us to look up a bird according to its habitat then listen to its song.

I  think this is a good start. How do you keep your children's nature love real and growing?

The Simple Pleasure of a Swing

A swing, indoors or out, is a delightful thing and sets the imagination aflight.

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

-Robert Louis Stevenson-

Fostering Reverence

With the holidays approaching, I have tried to be more purposeful in how we respond to the season. We naturally withdraw from distractions outside our home as we seek to establish traditions and memories within our family. My eldest son, Aidan, talk excitedly about family being important during this season and even that Christmas isn't all about presents, but that it is Jesus' birthday. He is growing in understanding about ideas and qualities such a courage and hope, so quickly. (In Waldorf education, child development is viewed in 3 distinct cycles and Aidan is entering what is often called the Seven Year Change. Here is an excellent explanation of the 3 cycles.)

In a hurried world that seeks instant gratification, I want to teach my sons to hold reverence for the sacred. When they are grown, I do not want reverence to be new to them, but to be familiar. As I write, I am reminded of my older sister who has 4 sons and a daughter and lovingly reminds me that I am raising future husbands and fathers.

To help me foster reverence for Christmas with both boys, 6 and 3 years old, I have used a 24-day countdown tree my mother made for my sister and I when we were young. It is a simple and clever design in which we as children reached into the pocket of the corresponding day, pulled out a little felt ornament and hung it on the felt tree. What a delight to know Christmas is getting closer. This year, I added a little slip of paper in each pocket. On one side of the paper is a Biblical truth or verse, i.e. "God loves you" or "Let your light shine" and on the other is a clue to a waiting surprise. Every evening, after the boys blow out the dinner candles, young Shane puts the felt ornament on the tree and Aidan reads the paper and off they go to hunt for their surprise which ranges from a tasty treat to a shiny rock for the nature table.

Later in the evening, Aidan and I read from Family Devotions for the Advent Season, further encouraging both of us to look inward at how we will respond to the sacred season, now and in the future.

Sail Away, Forever and a Day... a boy and walnut shell boats

Have you ever watched your child marvel at a simple toy and turn that play time into a learning experience? I enjoyed one of those moments a few days ago after we made little walnut shell boats.

The two-year old was excited about making boats from the shells and involved in each step. (Dripping the wax, painting the sails, and pushing in the toothpick.)

Then came time to set sail, and oh his imagination took him to far away sea battles between miniature pirate ships. There were many "Arrrr. Your ship's goin' down, matey!" and sinister laughs in those few minutes.

Then he learned that if he blew on them, the ships moved - just like real sail ships! After a few accidental gails of blowing wind and sinking ships, he figured out how to blow ever-so-softly to make the ships move without sinking them. He was, and still is, delighted at his newly found skill and has returned to his walnut shell boats many times.



(As I write, it is raining. Perhaps tomorrow, we will take the ships outside and set sail in our back yard puddles... I mean, around the world.)

Pine Cone Fun

I am thrilled that our 2-year old is happy to play with simple pine cones just as much, if not more than, plastic, battery-operated toys. (Pine cones always sit on our nature table awaiting play.)

When I watch the boys play with objects of nature I am convinced that simplicity in their toys and surroundings is beneficial and attainable.

With this post, we are joining Beneath the Rowan Tree in an international playdate.
Come join us!

See others' nature inspiration at:

You the mama, Me the baby

My 2 year old is beginning to play out the mama/baby relationship.

I first noticed it last month when he was playing with his little fairy dolls. He declared one to be mama and the other baby. Then mama comforted the crying baby.

Now he appoints the relationship to both live and inanimate objects and occasionally throws in the daddy. He asks/tells me, "Mama, this is mama dog and this is baby dog?" or "Mama, this is mama rock and this is baby rock... and this is daddy rock."




Not only is it cute to watch, but I think it provides him with some stability and a sense of place as I still call him "my baby" and probably will for some time.

Occasionally he moves in very close, looks in my face and softly says, "Mama, you the mama and me the baby." in almost a question tone seeking reassurance that he is mine and I am his. I always answer, "Yes, I am your mama and you are my baby."

I cherish these moments.