Waldorf is wonderful

I was drawn to it because of my background with children. None! I had no idea how to do it. Waldorf taught me about natural rythmns.

 How to create peaceful beautiful environments.

 To have regular meals. As an athiest I worked through my block about a meal time blessing. Little messyfish loves singing this one every meal. We all do!

 Creative play using natural things, handmade things. My house is not cluttered with plastic imports destined for landfill. That was important to me. I hate the smell of large plastic toys.

 Gnomes rock. Blanket stitching on wool felt is a favourite of mine (see pig).

 Crafts and nature displays in the house I've always been into. Now I had a great excuse to go with it.

 Waldorf crafts have been the best part. I will always do them. I will still do all that waldorfy stuff because it's about nature and the senses and quiet calm which I am into. It has protected my baby from the extremities of the world. I read in a waldorf early childhood book its ok not to take your baby to noisy shopping malls, and vacuum the house when they are around. I needed to hear this. I didnt know enough about listening to my intuition to give myself permission to not FORCE my child through these "normal" experiences so I could MAKE him "normal". I love that waldorf has helped me to create the environment that my Highly Sensitive Child needed. Now I can see how he is Highly Sensitive, and I dont have to hope it goes away. I can accept it, and do things to make his life happy. I can take him to less busy playgrounds, keep the radio off, vacuum when he is playing outside, not choose to live on a busy road, change his socks 5 times till he get a comfortable pair etc. Just imagine a Highly Sensitive child whose spirit has not been broken and whos self esteem has been nourished. The possibilities are beyond my thinking...

We strive for non violent comunication, freedom, autonomy over our bodies, protection of each others concentration, intuitive eating, acceptance of each other... Really. Patience with each others extreme sensetivites. Polar fleece socks at night, black textas and Manga, tiny tiny little plastic beads, watching finding nemo 3 billion times, artist quality pigment paints,  and going down to the river to blackberry land for a snack. We choose it all. We choose our own unique balance. We listen, LISTEN to each other. Radical. The classic line from little messyfish...."mum, you like painting drawing, I like dvd's". Yep. It's true. So does his dad.
Childhood is not preparation for life, it IS life. Happiness is NOW. (i write all this because it's all new to me). My previous life before children was 70 hours work a week as a chef, eating standing up, going to sleep at 3am, being very hard on myself, ignoring all my needs,  and generally over achieving in educational institutions to proove to god knows who that I was god knows what. Thank god I was blessed with a little boy who changed my world.
We are not "super sensitive" (with a negative put down "can you get over it" tone)...we are Highly Sensitive. That means we smell exquisite and delicate scents, see amazing variations of colours and tones and appreciate art, love music and all its variations etc etc. The best artists, musicians, chefs are Highly sensitive. Why would I want to smash this "out" of him. Or tell him I "have no time for this nonsense". Now I know why I have chosen a slow and quiet life. Because we needed it.