Lifeways Blog

The First Hike of Spring, by Esther Leisher

Faith Collins — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:40:45 +0000

Some celebrations can be so fun and so simple-- not much more than the highlighting of a special day. One of the simplest at our house was celebrating the first hike of spring. All we did was to make a hobo bag for each of us, then go off on the first hike of spring, celebrating Nature’s awakening, and delighting in the increasing light and warmth. We used bandanas (but you could use large cloth napkins) to wrap our lunch in and knotted each onto a dead branch or old sunflower stalk sanded where you hold it. These were our hobo sticks, which each person carried over their shoulder. I carried the extras -- water bottles or whatever -- in a backpack.

Thoughts on Reverence, by Belinda Kenwood

Faith Collins — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:38:25 +0000

From my head to my feet,
I am the image of God.
From my heart to my hands,
I feel the breath of God.
When I speak with my mouth,
I follow God's will.
When I see God everywhere,
In Mother, Father, in all dear people,
In beast and flower, tree and stone,
Then nothing brings fear
But love to all that is around me.
--Rudolf Steiner

Weaning the TV, by Mara Spiropoulos

Faith Collins — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:49:48 +0000

Mara Spiropoulos, LifeWays student and mother of three children ages 3 and under, shares her family's experience in deciding to go television-free.

Learning from Disappointment, by Rhoda Kambandu

Faith Collins — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:40:02 +0000

My 3 older daughters asked me if they could make some lemonade. I gave them a thumbs-up and they enthusiastically went about setting up their work area and gathering what they needed.

LifeWays on the National Stage

Faith Collins — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:00:06 +0000

Bianca Lara, LifeWays graduate and director of A Child's Garden of Thyme in San Diego county, has been selected to participate in Michelle Obama's upcoming "Let's Move America" campaign webinar. The campaign is focused on reducing childhood obesity, and the webinars will serve as resources to childcare centers across America to help reduce screen-time, get children moving, and promote healthy food choices.

The Art of Re-Direction, by Faith Collins

Faith Collins — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:41:18 +0000

Taming the Wild Beasts

What I want to talk about here is the art of re-direction. That’s a large part of what positive discipline is: instead of saying what NOT to do, say what you DO want your child to do. This can be very straightforward (“Please talk in a soft voice”), but it can also be creative, and here is where you can really learn to enjoy being with young children in a whole new way. My first exposure to this was when I was first considering working in early childhood, and I was observing a kindergarten class at a Waldorf school in Colorado. It was a class of 18 children, and during the free-play time there was a group of four 5-year-old boys who were playing that they were a pack of wild dogs. They roamed wildly around the classroom, growling and barking and wreaking havoc on the games others were playing.

Nurturing Yourself, by Esther Leisher

Faith Collins — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:35:44 +0000

In the midst of this crazy time that the Holiday Season seems to have become, it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself, to slow down, to take time, to include yourself in your plans to take care of everyone in your family. Are you not part of the family? This article on nurturing yourself came at a timely moment for me, and I hope it speaks to you as strongly. Enjoy.

~Faith Collins

Five Year Old Difficulties, by Cynthia Aldinger

Faith Collins — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:10:23 +0000

Cynthia Aldinger answers an inquiry from an experienced preschool teacher concerning a five year old girl who bullies other children in the class of 10 three-to five-year-olds; the parents say she isn't that way at home, so they think it must be the teacher's problem.

The Whys' to the Wise, by Tamara Treviranus

Faith Collins — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:39:25 +0000

This sweet article, written by a LifeWays caregiver, looks at ways to respond when young children ask, "why?" What a lovely reminder to all of us who spend time with young children! ~Faith

Our Invisible Helpers, by Cynthia Aldinger

Faith Collins — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:15:05 +0000

When I was in my LifeWays training, Cynthia Aldinger talked about why we feel so good when we clean mindfully, or make a meal from scratch. We did an exercise where we cleaned mindfully, and I could tell that many of us went into it skeptically. But when we came back together at the end, the atmosphere in the room was totally different! I have often thought of that as I do daily tasks with the children, and it makes a real difference in my life.

-Warmly, Faith Collins