I'm a no-good bohemian. Not necessarily by choice. I wanted to just be a bohemian, but that's still in the works. My husband is an artist and I'm a seamstress and designer. Multiple factors, both lucky and unlucky, have lead us to be freelancers and perpetually searching for work and shows to keep us employed. I love what I do, but I know that it isn't the best or most lucrative path to support my family. Sometimes it's a difficult choice to keep going. Often I wonder, is each month I put towards this foolish, or showing stick-to-itiveness that will eventually pay off? Every time I apply for a permanent position I allow myself dreams of having benefits, 9-5 security, and not going to two to three job interviews every month. But the economy is bad, and I'm relatively new to the business, and those permanent positions are few and far between. Sometimes I feel hopeful the tides will turn for me, other times I feel a little less confident.
I have two wonderful children, a boy who is 6 and a girl who is 3. I became a mother at a relatively young age, but it didn't keep me from having a staunch ideology on how I felt my kids should be raised. We've chosen to raise our kids according to the pedagogy of Rudolf Steiner, and they attend a Waldorf school in our city. It is a philosophy that believes in the importance of spirit, which I think was totally missing from my own educational experience. Kids are born with such delight and innate interest in their world, and I believe Waldorf education captures that spirit and nurtures it. Only a daily basis, what it looks like is: 1. My kids don't watch television except in extremely short stints (about once a month). 2. They play mostly with wooden blocks and art supplies. 3. We don't pressure them to learn how to read before they're ready. 4. They spend a lot of time outside. A lot. 5. They wear a lot of wool, and a hat is a must. Waldorf teachers and parents believe that a child can't be open to learning if they're cold. I know I learn things a lot faster when my hands are wrapped around a cup of tea.
My first introduction to Waldorf schooling was through baby forums. When you're young and don't know anybody having kids, they can be a lifesaver. Being immediately connected to a thousand moms and all the different ways they do things can be overwhelming but also inspiring. A few moms (self-assigned as 'crunchy moms') who I identified with were raising their kids with Waldorf teaching styles. Some were homeschooling and some were sending their older kids to Waldorf schools. It was a logical outgrowth of attachment parenting for me.
When my daughter was born, we enrolled her in a Waldorf baby group. How I wish that I would have known about it when my son was a baby! We learned how to let our babies fall, which sounds kind of strange, but it's actually very important to let your child fall and learn how to do so safely. Their proprioceptive system actually benefits from being allowed this freedom and the benefits far outweigh the little 'ouch' they get from a scraped chin or a bumped knee.
If you're interested in this approach, want to get started or just know more, here are some good links:
Ava's Appletree - Disana wool coats, wooden toys, silks, and beeswax. All essential supplies!
Wooly Kids - A great place that sells wool long underwear, breast pads, baby clothes and more.
Waldorf School - A more in depth explanation on Waldorf education.
Being a no-good bohemian has its advantages. I've had a lot of time with my kids, and a lot of time to read and figure out what I truly believe as an adult. I had a lot of beliefs in my early twenties that don't hold as much water now that I'm a grownup, and I'm glad I've been able to sort through that. Fingers crossed I'll eventually locate a permanent position, but until then, I'll keep on keeping on.
