Discovering Waldorf – “Preserving Childhood”

I am especially happy to welcome Nicole, of the blog Redbeet Mama, to Discovering Waldorf today. There are so many of us who have found ourselves caught up in the tidal wave of consumerism. We are constantly bombarded with messages of ‘buy this!’… ‘get that!’… ‘trade up!’ We get swept away without even realizing and then find ourselves empty, hollow, lacking. So many of us know that there is magic out there but wonder if we have strayed too far. As Nicole points out, it is never too late. With will and determination, we can bring ourselves and our families back into the realm of magic, of peace and calm and of simply finding the joy in the everyday moments…

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Preserving Childhood by Nicole of Redbeet Mama


My penchant for living a calm and meaningful lifestyle and my deep desire to preserve my daughters childhood led my family on a magical journey of setting free old thoughts and following a simpler way of life. During my pregnancy with my second child, my husband and I started to practice meditation daily. We were healing from a very traumatic experience shortly after the birth of our first daughter.


My initiation to motherhood was chaotic, scary and full of love and hope. My energy went to my daughter and her medical condition while trying hard not to fall apart. My mind wasn’t quiet. I was racing around occupied with errands and activities for the little one not realizing that my home was the heart center of my life. It was where my daughter and I needed to be – to be one with each other and to make our house a home. Through calming our minds and focusing on our breath my husband and I evolved into earth-loving, meditative vegetarians who cut up our credit cards and went on a major plastic purge. I sold all things plastic, chunky, garish and anything that made an unnatural sound on Craigslist. I then went on to sell my fancy baby carriage and heaping bags of name brand baby clothes on eBay. Our family wasn’t hurting for money we were hurting to live a more meaningful life. Our mantra had become “The more you live without, the more you live within.”


After the birth of our second daughter, my husband’s job took us to live in Connecticut. This change allowed me to let go more, start fresh and gave me the confidence to go in the direction of my heart’s desires. I was immensely enjoying being a stay at home Mom and I had never been happier in my life… but I wanted to move back home. We moved back to Pennsylvania and wholeheartedly began living a modern-Waldorf-inspired lifestyle in our new condo – perhaps an oxymoron to some. I make it work. I make the effort to spend as much free time outside in nature – everyday. As my husband likes to say, “There is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothes”. (He is Norwegian)



The rhythm in our home is free-flowing and revolves around my chores and the little ones needs. I involve them in all that I do and I enjoy the togetherness – sometimes though it requires me to reach deep within – especially when it involves flour!The trick is to feel unhurried and to remember to exhale.


The little ones help me with the laundry and the dishes. They each have their own household routines like pouring the evening tea or watering the flower bed in the morning.



Everything we own has a specific place in our home – this makes clean up easy and the house uncluttered. I believe living with less and living without clutter has made us all happier. I do my best to be mindful and create an environment that is calm and inviting the whole day through. In the morning after breakfast and chores, I warm lavender oil, play soothing music and do handwork with the little ones.




Soon after their handwork the little ones intuitively set off to go on their own to play. I use the expand and contract idea – and it works. After focusing on handwork they like to play freely and energetically. After morning snack we go outside – our day unfolds with this rhythm of inhaling and exhaling – breathing very slowly staying in the moment. They play with seasonal items such as shells, acorns, stones, crystals – anything else they have found in nature and with our much loved handmade toys.


With the proceeds from our plastic purge and clothing sale we invested in a Waldorf play stand, silks, blocks, and a few wooden toys, true luxuries. On most days, while the girls are deeply involved with their play there is a magical energy in our home – a humming that says “do not disturb – this is how childhood is supposed to be.” I try not to interrupt them with my adult agenda which is my biggest challenge in setting our pace for the day. I am very mindful of how I plan our outside time, our social time and the time we use to run our errands. As a general rule, the only store I take them to is our local children’s consignment shop, health food store and the food market. Stores are just as bad as the media when it comes to interfering with my attempts of preserving our daughter’s childhood. The little ones watch very little television. As a family we watch shows like Caillou, Little Bear and nature programs together. I also watch very little TV and when I do the little ones are asleep. This alone has made a huge difference in my life – I am no longer influenced by the media or unnecessarily stressed out by what I see or hear.



The biggest influence in my life and where I gather my inspiration is from my meditation practice, my husband, books, blogs and my Goddess circle. I was meant to take this path. My daughters are happy – our family is happy. It has confused some, but has made sense to me and my husband the entire way. It is possible to go from being trapped in a fast-living, Fisher-Price, Gymboree buying Mama to an in the moment, mindful and calm Redbeet Mama. I blog about the challenges and joys of living a Waldorf inspired lifestyle in a condo, raising my girls, celebrating my inner Goddess ( all woman are Goddesses whether or not they recognize it, I choose to recognize it and it has made me a better wife, mother and self.) My blog is my gratitude journal and allows me to express myself while my little ones sleep and it keeps me focused on my goals of preserving my daughters childhood.

Namaste!
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Thank you, Nicole. It is clear that your words and insights come straight from your heart. I particularly love your quote that “The more you live without, the more you live within.” So very true. Thank you for sharing your story and wisdom… may your words inspire others to seek what their hearts desire.
Nicole writes a lovely blog called Redbeet Mama… beautiful words, photos and stories. It is a favorite of many.
Blessings and magic to you for sharing today, Nicole.
Donni

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6 Responses

  1. This was exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you. I’m inspired and more certain than ever about re-focusing on my lifestyle choices, ones that have become diluted lately from that consumerism that Nicole talks about.

  2. Wow… thank you so much! I have just realized our need for this transition in the last few months, and am in the middle of making it! I was staring at a massive pile of “Little People” before I got on the computer, thinking “can I really just get rid of all this?” (Um, yes)

    I just discovered the beautiful Waldorf philosophy, and it has already impacted my life in such positive ways.

    Sometimes I get overwhelmed because I feel like everyone else who lives simply and mindfully was born that way… I feel overwhelmed by all I need to learn live the life I want. I really appreciate you sharing your story. It is exactly what I needed to hear :).

  3. I’m still working on getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t fill my soul with JOY! It can be a massive undertaking..and I have to balance what I want with the wants of my daughter, (my 7 yr old who has pet shops and ponies, and she just won’t part with them, no matter how many rainbow gnomes I make).
    Your journey is inspiring though, and it gives me something to aspire to!
    :) thank you for sharing
    Maureen xo

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