Waldorf works to balance the WHOLE child.

I often get emails from moms trying not to be frantic over a child that just isn't "getting it".  I think we've all been there  - whether it be with reading, spelling, long division, algebra... (insert your topic here) - the key really is to keep ourselves in a spot so we don't panic.  Two things come to mind with this -#1: keep reading Steiner (or start if you haven't) and #2: meditation and prayer over the situation and the child.

When I am faced with resistance, I do a few things.

First, I stand back and look at if it was a just a bad day - those happen!  Either I am not on my game or my child might just be off.
Did they get enough sleep? 
Do they need to eat?
Do I need to eat?
Is it time for a break? 
I really believe in preserving the relationship so I do my best not to loose my temper (I am NOT always good at this!) - I would rather have the door still open and have to move the lesson to another day than slam the door and cause trouble with the subject down the road.  Sometimes you just have to stop the day's lessons and go to the park, play a board game or have a nap.

Second, once I have stepped back, I like to do a little review for me to see where it could have gone wrong.  Steiner's backward review is good for this because you can see the whole event laid out like a play you've just watched - I also have done for years a beginning to end review - I find both to be helpful and meditative. When I do this, I can usually see if there was a disconnect that I may have missed.  If I have missed something or my teaching was off, then I know how to correct it for the next time.

Third, I turn to Steiner - I will look at the child's age and then really think about those 7 year cycles.
Am I asking too much of this child? 
Are they just not ready? 
I didn't have this issue much with my own in the first and second grade years, but it came up with math as my boys progressed.  There have been times when I have had to just let it go to sleep for a while and focus on something else - either a different math block or a different block all together.  If you have done your planning well, then a day or two off from school and you can have a new block completely planned and ready to implement.

Fourth, If I have turned to Steiner's writing and still don't have a clean and clear vision of where to go then I get on my knees.  There are times when Steiner gets me going in the right direction but I am still unclear on how to implement it so I take it to prayer and meditation.  The only person who knows this child better than me is Source/Creator!  Meditation often opens me to so much more.

There are times when we have to think about a child being special needs - sometimes that is the first place our mind jumps since it seems to be the buzz - I have a special needs child so I can see how easy it is to go to that place - but the more I read Steiner and rely on prayer and meditation, the more I realize that parenting and teaching troubles often just come down to me!

Another thing to keep in mind is that Waldorf works to balance the WHOLE child.  While some children will naturally excel at some things - the mainstream school system would have them with deficiencies in other areas.  At home we really have the opportunity to work on balance even more so that in a Waldorf classroom, if we are ourselves balanced in the method.  This doesn't mean you must be perfect, but you can't be polarized.  For instance, say you love to knit and don't care for crochet... your child might enjoy both so be sure to teach both or find someone to help you teach both.  Even further - as a mom if math or science isn't your strength, don't shy away from it, find someone to help you understand it so you can take it to your child or get a tutor.  We can't teach what we don't first own ourselves - so if I am having trouble teaching something, I make sure I am bringing it forward from my own deep *knowing* of the subject.

So getting back to when will the get it?  When will it click? It will! 
Be patient.  Your child isn't likely to be the first one in history to be unteachable! 
Examine how YOU are approaching it,  I bet you'll find a way.

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