On a golden, play-filled, end of summer day my daughter turned nine. Packing the picnic things ready for home I became aware of her running at the edge of the park. A game of hide and seek I think, her lengthening shadow flitting between the trees. The still green leaves seem to hold their breath, reminded by early evening's crimson tones that a change of season is at hand. I feel it too.
Parenting as Practice
Friday afternoon I got a phone call from school. It's always unnerving to see the school's number pop-up on the phone. Then, the word nobody wants to hear: Lice. Nits were found in my daughter's hair. By the time I arrived at school to pick her up, all three of my children were waiting for me. All infested. So much for long weekend plans.
Swinging for the Outfield: an introduction to the nine year change.
Parents at Waldorf schools hear much about the Nine Year Change, a distinct developmental change characterized by the child’s more realistic or critical outlook as he begins to move away from the dreamy world of early childhood. The growing consciousness of being an individual, present in the world yet separate from it can be unsettling.
Leading Children Back to the Future in the Waldorf Classroom
This piece was written by Jack Petrash, a respected author and highly entertaining speaker on Waldorf education. Petrash founded the Nova Institute as a resource and support for those seeking to use Waldorf methods in public and mainstream settings. He is currently in grade 5 of his fourth go-around as a class teacher at the Washington Waldorf School, MD.