Christmas with Older Children

Posted by Donna Simmons

Well, the holidays are over – today is Three Kings’ or Epiphany. It is the day that we take down our decorations and officially bring the Christmas season to a close in our family.   My sons are now 12…

“Working with Anxious, Nervous and Depressed Children”

Posted by Donna Simmons

(yet another article gleaned from my yahoo group Waldorf_At_Home – again, it has been slightly edited) I have been reading a wonderful book recently which deals with issues around the senses, movement, balance etc.  It is called "Working with Anxious,…

Discipline Questions

Posted by Donna Simmons

(this entry has been adapted from my Waldorf_At_Home yahoo group) The topic of discipline in Waldorf circles can seem elusive – this is mainly because discipline as such is rarely talked about. Rather, discipline is understood as something which arises…

Little Ones Who Chatter

Posted by Donna Simmons

(the following is adapted from a message I posted on my yahoo group “Waldorf-At_Home”) Fundamental to a Waldorf understanding of young children is therecognition that they are in  the imitative phase of their lives. Everything that goes on around them…

Wonderful Halloween

Posted by Donna Simmons

What a great Halloween we had in our family! What a wonderful festival – though unless one is a follower of Celtic traditions, I’m not sure ‘festival’ is the correct term. ‘Excuse for fun’ or ‘evening out of the ordinary’…

But Is It Waldorf?

Posted by Donna Simmons

Here’s my one week progress report on the journey back home by my younger son, Gabriel. A couple of entries ago (eeecchh – sounds like items on a menu) – er, a couple of blogs ago? – no that’s worse…

Fall Festivals

Posted by Donna Simmons

By Donna Simmons I love this time of year. I love the bright blue skies, the vibrant shades of red, gold and orange on the trees. I love the warm sun on my face and the cold wind – the…

Religion Lessons

Posted by Donna Simmons

Religion lessons do not figure in the Main Lessons curriculum (there is a specific religion lessons curriculum – but to my knowledge, only a handful of schools in this country or in the UK use it) and the Old Testament,…

Reading Readiness

Posted by Donna Simmons

The following is from my yahoo discussion group – it is obviously part of a thread but I thought there is enough that might be of interest here to warrant re-printing it. My experience tells me to be even more…

School or Family?

Posted by Donna Simmons

From the earliest days of catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, well-meaning proclamations were issued from governors and other politicians or civil servants from affected states that schools would accept children from displaced families. Reporters talking to families or relaying the seriousness of the situation repeatedly…