Sunday, June 26, 2011

Personal Care for Young Children

This is a long overdue post, and I am excited to reflect on my thoughts and findings on this important and often overlooked aspect of Waldorf Education and homeliving....The bodily care of young children!
Diaper changes, handwashing, bathing, hair combing, nail trimming, dressing and undressing...
These necessary tasks make up much of the day for any caregiver to young children. Sometimes they aren't pleasant (I think of my 22 month old and how he abhors having his face wiped...), yet they ought to be filled with love, involvement, and a feeling of unhurriedness.
   When it comes to the cornerstones of Early Childhood Waldorf Education (bodily care, warmth, imitation, nutritious food, indoor/outdoor imaginative and self initiated play), the important element of bodily care is what I have found to be most challenging. A toddler who strongly dislikes laying still for a diaper change, hates to be in the bathtub without me, bites me while attempting to brush teeth....young children who don't want to wash their hands....tangled hair.....the list could go on, and I am sure many of you know what I mean:)

  How do we complete these necessary tasks with honest joy? The love is there...but what about the joy? The following are some tools and notions I have learned over the past few months:

  *Keep a personal care basket. The Waldorf Early Childhood teacher I have been lucky enough to observe maintains a personal care basket which she brings out during handwashing time. The basket is beautiful, mindful, and, of course...useful.

   This lovely basket contains a hairbrush for the children to use themselves and a balm for post handwashing. It is applied to the child's hands while singing a special song. What a special and worthwhile moment to stop and share!
  *Set up a personal care "station" in a designated space. I created our "station" a few months ago...it contains a small bowl, a vial of lavender oil, and a space for a beautiful postcard, all resting on a smooth piece of wood. (I do have a few for sale in my newly opened Etsy shop!)

I mix the lavender oil into the bowl while the children wash their hands. After they are through, they come to me and I gently and slowly pat their hands dry with a soft towel. They hold out their hands as I massage the "magic drops" into their palms while reciting a verse. They enjoy it so very much, and it has made handwashing a joyful task for all of us. Little W, 22 months old, has come to realize that "magic drops" always come after handwashing. It is so sweet to watch him come running over; hands held out in front of him:)


   Your station could also include a personalized hairbrush, comb and fingertowel for each child....a special bar of soap, beautiful, but simple hair ties...I'd love to hear your ideas!
  *Unwanted behaviors may come from a child who is experiencing physical discomforts....hot, sweaty hair in the face and eyes, an itchy tag on their clothing, a strap that keeps falling down on a dress or tank top (have you ever been incredibly irked by a bra strap that incessantly falls down! It's so annoying!!), chapped lips, dry hands...to a child, a true sense organ, these things may cause real frustration. Keep a watchful eye out for these things and repair them with love and a gentle hand. Find special moments in these times of care...One of my most favorite times of the day during playschool is our rest hour. Before rest, I brush the youngest girls hair into a loose braid, but not before gently running my hands through it for about 10 minutes while humming softly. She falls right to sleep (I once had to catch her from falling over!), and it is such a precious moment for me (and hopefully for her, too!)


 *Diaper changes for a child who is highly active is a real challenge! I don't think I have quite "gotten" this yet, but here's what has worked thus far...
-A colorful mobile above the changing table
-Diaper changes on the super soft lambskin have worked best for us...it's like laying on a cloud and I think he very much enjoys the feeling of sinking into the fibers...who wouldn't? They are a worthwhile investment; look for them on Ebay.
-Something to distract or entertain, such as a book, a song, or special plaything reserved for the occassion.
-Incorporate sweet moments of gentle stroking or massaging while speaking in a soothing voice.
-A wipe warmer in the colder months has worked well for us. I'm also loving these honey bun drops for a soothing wipe solution!


Bodily care involves both the caregiver and child alike. Yes, we are always gently and slowly guiding our children towards independence, but I believe that genuine time and effort should be placed on modeling and assisting (even with the older 5 and 6 year olds).
I should include a sort of disclaimer here that I am not a Waldorf teacher! In fact, I am probably the biggest "wanna be" you'll ever meet. That very real want is driving our entire family to somehow afford teacher training over the next 3 years or so. I begin an introductory class this July (!!!), which will bring me one (small) step closer. As a very new student of Anthroposophy I continue to educate myself by reading books, magazines, essays and observing fantastic teachers at our local waldorf schools. However, my greatest guides on this journey are the 4 magnificent children I care for during playschool, and our beautiful son, my biggest inspiration of all.

RV Waldorf School
...I also wanted to share with you one of my new favorite online shops: Two Tall Trees, Lifeways inspired products for home and center. Such beautiful and useful accessories! If you're not yet familiar with the Lifeways program (which is a tremendous inspiration to me!), please read more here:) You'll be glad you did!

40 comments:

  1. This is a really great post, Rebecca! I guess I had not really given it too much thought, but we also really struggle with the 'personal care' area. You've made some really great suggestions, though. Thanks! You've got me thinkin'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good ideas, Rebecca! At diaper changing time (a challenge for us, too!), I take Nathan over to his bookshelf and let him pick out a book... or I suggest books until he says "uh-huh!"

    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh what a lovely post! I always felt like the attitude I brought to diaper changes etc.. would set the tone for our experience. I once read a beautiful message that said, "every act can become one of service". That always helped me to focus on truly loving personal care with my children.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent recommendations Rebecca!
    I think the most important thing for our children is keeping with a routine. The same bath nights, teeth brushing at the same time in the morning and before story at night. Hand washing as soon as we return home from an outing. (Along with hanging up coats and putting away shoes!) If the whole family develops the same rhythm then everyone benefits.
    ~ joey ~
    PS. To make bath time fun we have 4 small baskets of themed Schleich figures (ie: farm animals/pets, wild animals, water animals, dinosaurs) You could also create baskets that coordinate with an activity from the day or a favourite bedtime story! Part of the routine is gently drying off the few toys with a towel! ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really enjoyed this post thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Always love to visit here my friend. Such a lovely post - thank you. I look forward to taking this wonderful idea into our home :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on personal care! Our family struggles with it even though our daughters are now 6, 4 and 4. We've made some progress recently in our rhythm, adding things here and there, without overwhelming anyone, and now may be the time to start working on personal care for the girls.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks a lot! The idea of personal care basket is great, we gonna start using it from today! :)

    By the way, I just love your blog, it's so inspiring!!

    Laura

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love this post! Love the idea of a personal care basket and the essential oil after hand washing. So lovely.

    Becca

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh so great! We LOVE Weleda producst and they are the only premade products I trust. I am so happy to see you opened up an Etsy shop! Miss you!!! XO

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great post. I'm excited for your pursuing your dreams of waldorf teaching. If only they had a waldorf school near us... We sing or say silly things for brushing teeth and things like that. I've learned with especially Noah that if I can make him laugh, he'll normally let me do what I need. I talk about seeing the sugar bugs in his mouth and he giggles and opens his mouth wide open. I just recently purchased laying down the rails, a charlotte mason handbook and it has some good gentle ways to instill habits and manners in your little ones.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is a lovely post Rebecca! I'm so excited about your etsy shop too! A few months ago we switched to mostly changing diapers standing up instead of laying down. We change our little guy in the bathroom now. He brings a book in and looks at it while I change him and often he also wants to sit in the potty for a few minutes. It has worked so much better for us. He feels more in control and squirms away less and it keeps him from kicking me half to death. One of the moms at our Waldorf parent-child class suggested it and it has been such help!

    I also really like the ideas of using the essential oil after hand washing and having a personal care basket/ stand. Just lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  13. i have been doing waldorf at home care for mixed ages for nearly 10 years now -- we love this everday aspect of our day -- neccessary, unhurried, gentle and loving .... don't you love this way to educate?
    light and love to you ...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for sharing. I think a lot of people struggle with this!
    Greetings Severine

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a wonderful post!! I have been wracking my brain for a way to to make tooth brushing more fun and effective...I'll have to see about creating a gentle way to get Oliver to let me help!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great Post, thank you so much for it, I set aside some quiet time for personal care for my little man today, he seemed to enjoy it. Also thank you for the link to "Lifeways" I had never heard of it, even though my daughter attended a Waldorf School and I am very into biodynamics. I thought I was up on my Steiner lol! Anyways I am very interested in Lifeways now and am even considering enrolling in their training. I think my city needs a Lifeways center and perhaps I am the person to do it!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Rebecca, this is lovely- thank you! It is true, personal care for small children can be fairly traumatizing for them- with brushing tangles, flossing teeth, etc. I imagine if someone came at me several times during the day and did those things to me, I'd feel assaulted- and it's probably all the more so with small children, who go about in a dreamy state so much of the time! I think it is key to always remember that small children are real little people- and to honor that.
    I love your soft contoured wood for your personal care station!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wonderful post Rebecca! You are right, the joy of homecare is often overlooked, and such a beautiful part of the ritual. Thank you for these great tips.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Rebecca,

    Very thoughtful post. I am relatively new to any kind of waldorf anything :) I have 4 daughters, and incorporating a lot of things from the waldorf way has been, well, difficult. I have a hard time breaking away from duties and chores in order to work with the girls, and trying to include them in my work is just, sometimes a disaster. I am curious as to how you are able to do what needs doing, yet also teach the little ones in your home.

    Enjoy your blog very much!
    Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wonderful ideas and I love how beautiful, clean and simple it all looks. Thank you for posting this!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lovely post. After reading a lot of the books recommended on the Lifeways site (I went there after reading Home Away From Home), I could add (I apologize in advance if you or another poster already mentioned this) that we need to talk to our infants/young toddlers whilst we are "handling" them. For example, before changing their diaper, we would say to them "Now I am going to pick you up"-then-"I am going to put a fresh diaper on you", and so on.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Rebecca, Thank you for this post! The idea of making personal hygiene a pleasurable experience is sadly lacking in most children's lives. Usually they are just hurried through whatever needs to happen and they hate it. I have to admit that I have been guilty of this as well. I massaged my son's hands the other day (after reading your post) while washing them and sang a little song. Even though he is seven, he just loved it and wants me to do it every evening. I am so glad that I read your post before he was way too old for such things.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I found that having little songs for each different task really helps. We have a tooth brushing, a hand washing and a getting dressed song. For nappy change I find just letting my little one hold something like her hair brush or a head band. Sometimes I sing - but I don't have a specific song for that. I think that songs gently ease the child through the transition time. I love your suggestion for magic drops - must find some lavender oil

    ReplyDelete
  24. Lovely post. Thanks for sharing. We sing the "This is the way we ..." song fo most of our personal care moments and it works like a charm.

    ReplyDelete
  25. What wonderful ideas, thank you for sharing. I am definitely going to incorporate a few of them into our daily life.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Appreciating the hard work you put into your website and in
    depth information you provide. It's good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same outdated rehashed material.
    Great read! I've bookmarked your site and I'm adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.


    Here is my website ... visit link

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
    you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is fantastic, let
    alone the content!

    Also visit my page; know more

    ReplyDelete
  28. No matter if some one searches for his essential thing, therefore he/she desires to be
    available that in detail, thus that thing is maintained over here.


    Feel free to surf to my web site ... site
    my web page: more info

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it ;) I am going to return yet again since I book-marked it.
    Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich
    and continue to help other people.

    my blog; website
    My web site > more information

    ReplyDelete
  30. Saved as a favorite, I like your blog!

    Here is my blog ... website

    ReplyDelete
  31. An interesting discussion is definitely worth comment.
    I think that you ought to write more about this topic,
    it might not be a taboo subject but typically people do not discuss
    these subjects. To the next! All the best!!

    Here is my webpage site
    my web site: more info

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello, its nice article on the topic of media print, we all know media is a great source of information.


    Review my web blog ... site
    My website > Click here

    ReplyDelete
  33. You made some decent points there. I looked on the net to learn more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views
    on this site.

    Here is my weblog :: more info
    Also see my site - click here

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know
    a few of the images aren't loading correctly. I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I've tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.

    my website; site

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks for finally talking about > "Personal Care for Young Children"
    < Loved it!

    Feel free to visit my website :: more info

    ReplyDelete
  36. It is the best time to make a few plans for the long run and it is time to be happy.

    I've learn this publish and if I may just I wish to counsel you some interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write subsequent articles regarding this article. I desire to learn more issues about it!

    Here is my homepage - site

    ReplyDelete
  37. Good day! I could have sworn I've visited this blog before but after going through many of the articles I realized it's new
    to me. Regardless, I'm definitely happy I discovered it and I'll
    be book-marking it and checking back often!

    My website :: more information

    ReplyDelete
  38. Great post... I really like your blog and inspired too... Thanks for sharing... I will come back soon for more info..!
    extra large beach towels

    ReplyDelete
  39. Great post... I like your blog and inspired too... Thanks for sharing... I will come back soon for more info..!
    extra large beach towels

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you! I read and appreciate all feedback.. Thanks for stopping by!