We Nurture: Waldorf Inspired Parenting

Welcome back to The We Nurture Podcast: Unscripted Parent Coaching Sessions with Chinyelu! In this episode, I speak with a mom of two who wants to create a Waldorf-inspired homeschool for her high-energy 6-year-old while balancing her 5-month-old baby. She wonders what a developmentally appropriate day should look like and how to bring in rhythm that will allow her days to feel less overwhelming....

Welcome back to The We Nurture Podcast: Unscripted Parent Coaching Sessions with Chinyelu! In this episode, I speak with a mom who feels called to be a full-time stay-at-home parent but feels uncertain about what that life would look like. Having grown up in a home where yelling was the norm, she’s working hard to break the cycle and show up for her children with patience and presence. But without...

Welcome back to The We Nurture Podcast: Unscripted Parent Coaching Sessions with Chinyelu! In this episode, I speak with a mom of two navigating the emotional challenges of divorce while supporting her 5-year-old son through aggressive and anxious behaviors. After years of tension and a difficult transition, she’s searching for ways to rebuild trust, foster empathy, and create a sense of stability...

Welcome back to The We Nurture Podcast: Unscripted Parent Coaching Sessions with Chinyelu! In this episode, I speak with a mom who feels overwhelmed by her child’s constant need for her presence. Between the whining and the lack of independent play, she’s struggling to find a moment to breathe. Together, we explore strategies to encourage more independent play and create space for her own in-breat...

Welcome back to The We Nurture Podcast: Unscripted Parent Coaching Sessions with Chinyelu! In this episode, I speak with a mom of four who feels overwhelmed by the chaos of her unstructured days. With restless children and pockets of time where no one knows what to do, she’s ready to explore how creating a rhythm can bring more peace and ease to her family life. Want to come on the show? Click her...

Parenting wakes us up, sometimes in jarring ways especially when we begin to be more aware of our actions and behavior. In fact, it can sometimes be a surprise to us. It can be frustrating, scary, confusing and leave us feeling helpless. When we become conscious of our behavior, our words and actions we see that we actually have a choice, we can choose to raise our consciousness and live in alignm...

You're in for a real treat in this episode! Listen in to my in-depth conversation with guest Catherine Read, PhD author of 'The Genius of Home' - Teaching Your Children At Home With The Waldorf Curriculum. Catherine and I met about 30 years ago when we attended a Waldorf Playgroup at a Waldorf school in Southern California and then after moving across the country we reconnected again on the East C...

Boundary expectations are connected to how parents choose to raise their children. The way you both think, the decisions you both make are informed, consciously or unconsciously, by what you both value and perhaps even more so, the personality traits you want to see in your child. But you both will not know what characteristics or traits are important to you unless you both talk about it.  Be...

Young children thrive in the ordinary, to them it's reliable, predictable and feels safe. There's less anxiety, less overwhelm, less to be nervous about especially when the ordinary is nourished by a healthy rhythm. It can be hard to slow down, be present and fully embrace ordinary moments and ordinary days. How you wash the dishes, do the laundry, sweep the floor, set the table; these and more ca...

For young children sleep is a sacred time that needs to be protected.  Sleep is often a vulnerable time for young children and when they need us by their side.  In this episode, I talk about what it means to nurture your child’s sleep as soul care. How slowing down life supports a child in "digesting" their day and also in being able to let go of the day in order to fall asleep.  I...

Over 30 years ago when I was first introduced to Waldorf education I heard about the immense value of observing my children and how it would help me know them better.  This concept was new to me as a valuable parenting tool. I was intrigued and decided to try it out. In this episode, I share what I learned from observing my children. I also talk about a good starting place should you choose t...

Why do rhythmical meals work? And What are the benefits? It's no surprise that young children do best when life is consistent and dependable. They feel safe when life happens in the same way over and over and even in the same order. They want daily life to be reliable and this is one reason why rhythmical meals work. When your rhythm includes a rotation of weekly meals that your child can count on...

Being a parent is so rewarding but also hard. There’s so much that you need to surrender to much of which you were not even aware of before having a child. Finding balance in daily life is definitely one as well as  balancing your needs with that of your child’s.  It’s really a constant challenge.  What does the heartbeat in your home feel like? Do you have clear intentions for your...

Spending time outdoors is real food for the soul, real food for the senses, as it nourishes the young child’s senses. Spending time outside helps your child breathe deeply and be better regulated. Nature reduces overwhelm and eases tension. It will bring your child to a calm peaceful state. One of the great benefits of being out in nature is that it also gives your child time away from screens, an...

It’s Seasonal Thursday and I’m so excited to have you here today. Welcome to the We Nurture Podcast with me, your host, Chinyelu. Today, I’ll be talking about the benefits of creating a summer seasonal table for you and your child. Waldorf Education calls it a nature table and it is all about creating nature scenes that reflect what is happening outside in nature, during that season. I’ll speak to...

Welcome to a new episode on The We Nurture Podcast! Today is Inspirational Wednesday, and I will be talking about five Waldorf-inspired practices that I believe will help you cultivate a more balanced, nourishing lifestyle for your family (and for you too!). No matter your parenting situation, looking after little ones is no easy task. While focusing on the five practices, which are self-care, rhy...

Welcome back to another bountiful episode of blossoming Tuesday on the We Nurture Podcast. I’m your host, Chinyelu. Today, I talk about how you can use stories to calm your child when they are distressed. Your child could be agitated due to a break from routine or nervous about an upcoming event. In any case, stories are a way to capture your child’s attention and imagination, in an effort to brin...

Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Mindful Monday, and I will be discussing why giving a child a timeout doesn’t work. Timeouts, which are ineffective and punitive, never serve their intended purpose. While delving deep into the topic, I explain why we need to change our perception of dealing with negative behavior, and how by doing this, we create an opportunity to suppo...

Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Q&A Friday, and I am going to be talking about how to manage bedtimes when you have children of different ages. I am going to talk about the power of healthy, daily rhythms and having a holistic overview of the day. Before I get deep into today’s episode, I recap the six foundations of a healthy rhythm and give some quick examples of...

Welcome to a new episode of the We Nurture Podcast! Today is Seasonal Thursday, and I am going to be chatting about how to create, and maintain, a nourishing, balancing summertime rhythm to nurture your child and family. We all know that the summer season is notorious for unplanned, changing activities. So, when reflecting on our rhythms, we need to focus on creating predictable and consistent rou...

Did you know that when your child plays with a toy, they actually build a relationship with the toy and the material that the toy is made from can affect how they play with the toy. It’s important when we are intentional about the kinds of toys or play materials that we give to our child. Does it have warmth? Does it invite your child to play? How does it feel? How does your child engage with it?...

Welcome to the We Nurture Podcast. Today, I will be talking about the importance of doll play in your young child’s development. Doll play can nurture compassion in your child, and give them the ability to care for someone or something else. Waldorf education states that dolls are the archetype of the human being and I have seen this to be true in my experiences with preschool children. I will sho...

Today on Mindful Monday, I will be talking about the four temperaments as a tool to better understand your child’s personality. By understanding temperaments, we, as parents, can meet our child's needs in a more effective way. The four temperaments, which can be defined as traits and characteristics, are known as air (sanguine), water (phlegmatic), earth (melancholic), and fire (choleric).  “...

In this Q & A Friday Episode , I’ll be talking about Self-Care for Stressed Parents. This question was asked on our instagram poll when we asked parents to submit their questions for Q & A Friday on the podcast. It received a lot of votes which made it the clear choice for this episode.  If you would like to ask a parenting question you can submit it on Instagram @we (underscore) nurt...

In this episode, I talk about Forest Bathing, the benefits and why it's a healthy activity. What is it about forest life that draws us, heals us, and brings us joy?  What does it mean to bath our senses in the atmosphere of the forest? In the forest, nothing is asked of us so we find ourselves listening, observing and noticing what’s around us. We relax. And when we are in a place where we ca...