What I learned in Waldorf this week

bensmommy | Dec 16, 2008 | 0 | Posted in Everything Else

Hello,

Another good lesson was learned in my Waldorf Cooking/Observation class this week.  Besides making a delicious sweet potato and coconut milk soup and japanese rice balls, we discussed a topic I brought up - discipline with rough boys. I have a two year old who tends to take his pent up energy and excitement and turn it into hitting.  It's clear he doesn't mean to hurt and he always feels remorse when he sees that the other child (or adult!) is upset or hurt by his action.  So I put forth the question of what to do after that.  
Like most parents, I tend to look him in the eye and explain why hitting is inappropriate and unnecessary.  Small children, however, learn through physical action rather than words.  Lalla, our Waldorf teacher, showed that by taking the child's hand in ours and stroking it gently will get the idea of "gentle" across far more than the word will.  So when the child is getting aggressive, do not meet that aggression but rather PHYSICALLY imply gentleness by stroking their arms or hands.  I have put this to action over the past few days and have already noticed a difference.  And this morning, he was stroking my face as we woke up!

Thought I would share,
Jessie