We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, And know the place for the first time. ~T.S. Eliot Four Quartets

12 November 2007

Another Steiner Monday

Well it was the Steiner toddler group again this morning, and I didn't feel quite so peaceful and happy. Having been worked up by my son this morning, it didn't set the tone very well. Of course its not entirely his fault, a good portion of it resides with the way I react to it. The moon is passing through Jupiter and I guess by tommorrow it should all settle down once again and I'm hoping I'll feel something like myself again.

This by the way, is our leaf banner that we did last week. My darling daughter didn't want to sit very still today, and sometimes I find I have a real conflict in my head about any sort of 'education' initiative for toddlers. Although Steiner himself advocated play as a means of education, the structure of Steiner education is not entirely all about play. They play for a bit but in the rhythmn of things, they are supposed to also wind down and sit for a story near the end of the session. It seems that most of the kids can do this... not mine, at least not for all of it. But she gets tired which also seems to make it harder to sit still (why do kids do that- i.e. tired but won't give in)

So I'm wondering if this is even too structured an approach for her. Everything just seems so organised. I thought the most relaxed approach was what we did back in Chicago when my son was a toddler. A group of four of us got together with our kids and simply rotated houses each week. The kids played in the comfort of a home and we felt relaxed by the safe and uncomplicated surroundings. The issue of toy ownership sometimes came up, but mostly everything went ok. I don't really have any friends here to do that with, and people seem to meet outside their homes in some designated 'playgroup' building. It seems to require alot more effort. Ah well, can I just stay holed up in my house until they are grown??? [A cold November morning on the canal.]

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