Outside Activities & the Waldorf Home

I have always had rules about activities.

I have five kids and have been in many different phases at different times.

The little ones NEED to be home.  
This isn't a want, it is a NEED.  
In fact the children that fight it probably need it more than others!

Balancing activities can be hard for families. I taught a class at a Waldorf school several years back on spiritual parenting and bringing the center back to our lives. One of the participants was a dad that had a child in the school. His complaint was that he was in the car all day, after school there were activities and it was making him crazy - he only had one child! I told him to put his foot down and stop trying to give his son everything. His son really needed DAD. The Dad didn't last long in my class, I wasn't giving him the answer he wanted. Sometimes that happens in life, the answer that is appropriate may not be the one we want to hear.

To maintain a healthy rhythm, keep control of outside activities.

Organized sports are hard. I personally take issue with the way the world treats sports heroes like they can do no wrong. And at how liking one team that your neighbor doesn't like makes you better than them. Really?? I roll my eyes at my dad when he yells at the TV thinking the Broncos coach can actually hear him. People get so worked up over sports. I think we just have to think about what we value.

Competition CAN be good.  It needs to come at the right time. I think it can be a fine way to go to college and therefore should have a place in a child's life if they want it, but I would be careful with anything competitive before age 9. If you can help it... age 12. That is a personal observation on my part.  I have watched some (NOT ALL, but SOME) super competitive kids be a real handful for their parents.

We have to be really careful.
What message are we sending?  
Is life a competition?
Am I competitive?
I try not to be, but my choleric temperament wins over my sanguine undertones at times. It can certainly be a challenge in this life, full of the trappings of the natural man, to realize that we only need to be better than we were yesterday.

In the end, keep home life sacred.  
If sports are important then be sure not to over do it.  
Watch for negative signs of competition.  
Help them with plenty of non-competitive play.
Keep lessons fun and alive.

Most importantly have confidence to hold the space for what is best for your child. 
Read this blog post to learn more about confidence here.

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