Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on May 12, 2013 - 4:22pm
Editor's Note: To kick off May, albeit a bit late, I asked members of the LifeWays community to share how they celebrate festivals with chidlren. Sarah Baldwin, owner of Bella Luna Toys and author of Moonchild Blog, and Sarah's husband, Max Alexander, were kind enough to contribute pictures.
May Day and Maypole Dancing
Have you ever wanted to do something special for a festival and then thought, "No, I could never get all of the parents to keep their voices down/sit still/wear appropriate clothing/sing the same song"? See how Susan Siverio helps the parents at Spindlewood Waldorf Kindergarten and LifeWays Center, to prepare for their Advent Spiral in early December. She sets the scene, shares the adult symolism of the event, and asks that parents allow their children to have their own experiences, without the adult interpretations. How lovely.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on November 29, 2012 - 12:01pm
I remember the day that the lesson really sank in for me: I was sitting on the couch, and the children in my care were playing all around me. There were two brothers playing nearby: Charles (age 2) and Jamie (not quite 4 years old). Jamie had a beanbag and was dropping it on Charles, over and over again.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on November 22, 2012 - 7:43am
It is the middle of November and I am in the midst of organizing the house, sorting and simplifying the “things” that have collected, and gathering new and recycled items to create presents for the holidays. My motivation for organizing and simplifying is two-fold right now. In part I do it for I love the cleaner, simpler look and our family finds more peace this way; I am also trying to get myself, my children, and my home ready to start caring for a little one in our home. Making or buying handmade gifts has become a new tradition of giving for my family.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on November 13, 2012 - 5:44pm
His voice was slow and deep and practiced. The fire had already burnt down to embers and they lit his prickly face, deepening the wrinkled shadows that covered it. There was the slightest trace of a smile on his lips, which his pipe accentuated. He blew out a puff of smoke and started. We all leaned in. It is what we had been waiting for these last two weeks, every night begging for this moment. He hoisted the sails of his story and we took off.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on November 7, 2012 - 12:02pm
My husband told me something the other day that started to change the way I think and dream. See, I am a dreamer. I have always been one to imagine my life running many different courses, and following only a few. Truth is, I have lots of ideas and secret dreams that will likely never come to fruition for they are either too far-fetched or the idea is no longer of interest to me for I have moved on to yet another dream. I have even bigger dreams of saving the world through starting a plethora of non-profits.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on October 22, 2012 - 7:53pm
So many cultures recognize that the veils between the world of the living and the dead are not as thick around the time of Halloween—hence the celebration of Samhain among the Druids, and All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days in the Christian calendar.
Submitted by Mara Spiropoulos on September 19, 2012 - 9:22am
At Rainbow Bridge, we had twelve children, ranging from one to five years old. Each year, we developed our Michaelmas theme over several weeks starting in late September. We would open our circle with “The Autumn Winds Blow Open the Gate, St. Michael for You We Wait” (see blog entry by Mara Spiropolous on September 6, 2012.) Then we would sing a shortened version of Elizabeth Lebret’s song “A Knight and a Lady,” with words I changed to be less sexist and to represent taming, rather than slaying, the dragon:
Submitted by Faith Collins on February 2, 2012 - 8:40am
My 3 older daughters asked me if they could make some lemonade. I gave them a thumbs-up and they enthusiastically went about setting up their work area and gathering what they needed.
Submitted by Faith Collins on November 17, 2011 - 2:39pm
This sweet article, written by a LifeWays caregiver, looks at ways to respond when young children ask, "why?" What a lovely reminder to all of us who spend time with young children! ~Faith
