I love Mondays



A beautifuly hand felted sign that welcomes you as you walk through
the door of the Madison Waldorf School

It's true, I love Mondays. I know I sound crazy but seriously, it's one of my favorite days because it's Waldorf School Day. I get as excited as Bug gets to go, we love being there. For me it's a place where I feel at ease, find peace, and a sense of calm surrounds me. The feelings I have stay with me long after we leave, often for several days. I find I'm a better parent, spouse, friend, and I am more patient. For her it's a place where she can let down her guard, explore in an environment where imaginations run wild (and are encouraged), and to have some kid time with her friends. Since our first visit 3 weeks ago, she's been a totally different kid. Her play at home is more deeply involved, there is a lot of imagination play, and I mean a lot, and she's more creative with what she does with her (now very simple) toys.

During playgroup, adults do crafts and handwork projects while the children play.  I did not think this was possible, for me to be able to work on a craft project and Bug playing nearby, but it totally is!  

Children learn by seeing and imitating and when they see us activly engaged in meaningful work, they learn the dignity of work and the wonder of transformation.  They are also provided with ideas for imaginative play. 

-Nancy Gutknecht, playgroup leader

I love this beautiful quote.  I'm learning it's not only important for Bug to play, but it's equally important for her to see me doing meaningful work as well. Currently we're working on making felt story books. One of the amazing things about Waldorf education is it's focus on understanding how things work and where they come from. Our felt books, for example, started with a piece of wool, we shaped it into a rectangle and now we're adding different layers and colors of wool to it to make our picture. It's a work in progress, one that we'll work on for the rest of the semester. It's amazing being able to do this while the children play close by, occasionally looking over at us and being met with a smile and then going back to their important role of play.

 

The beginning stages of my felt book