Sometimes I believe the “Waldorf Toddler Years” are the hardest areas to find information about regarding exact specifics as to what to expect and do, especially in the home environment. Many of things one reads in the books touted for the Waldorf Early Years (including Heaven on Earth, Beyond the Rainbow Bridge, etc) seem to be more for children around age 3 (and I would argue that if your oldest is three and in the home environment with no older children around to imitate, that many of these activities should actually be brought in later than in the Waldorf Kindergarten! More about that in a later post!)
The two main focus areas for the first two years are walking and speech. Therefore, things to think about include gross motor movement and speech. Here are some quick suggestions in these areas:
For those children who are walking – walking and pushing weighted things, getting something off a table and putting into a bucket repeatedly, something where the child is squatting and then standing up to put things into a container, (and then you can do this with the child standing on a squishy throw pillow), toddling outside in all kinds of weather, squatting to play
For those more advanced walkers – walking on different surfaces in bare feet, stepping over things, going up and down stairs with a small railing, climbing on all four’s over things on the floor (to get into a bear’s cave maybe?), different textures to feel and walk on outside in barefeet if possible
For all ages – massage, water play, fingerplays, toeplays, being swaddled and unswaddled in blankets of different textures, sitting on a blanket and being pulled around the house on a “Magic Carpet Ride”,
But the point is we approach these things with love and with imagination. Be silent with warm looks or warm gestures and do what you want the child to do or set a small scene for the older toddler with a few simple words – a few words really do suffice! Use music for your simple scenario. (“My Big dwarf collecting jewels!” and sing a song about a dwarf or “My beautiful butterfly just emerged from the cocoon!” etc.)
For two year olds working on speech, now YOU need to prepare as they will ask you over and over what something is. You can answer that in one word, but then pull out a Mother Good rhyme or a song to sing. That will expand their vocabulary even more and keep you from going into Adult Land with scientific explanations of how fish have gills to breathe and etc, etc.
Other things to work on:
Bodily care, toileting or diaper changes, is HUGE. I cannot stress this enough. Times for bodily care should involve love, their involvement, singing and joy.
Meal times. Again, unhurried, unrushed, singing, having your child help with preparation and clean-up.
Nap times/Rest Times. Sing lullabies, have a blanket that is special for sleeping, have a routine involving physical touch of gentle massage or foot rubs
Bath times. Singing, finger plays and toe plays, gentle rub downs with the towel (those textures again)
Outside time. This is another place where verses come in handy. If a child sees a flower, you can recite Mother Goose’s “DaffaDown Lily”, if they see a goose you can recite “
Participation in household life. Your very gesture is so important, it should not be you rushing around trying to get the whole house clean in one day. It is taking each article of laundry and smoothing it out, folding it tenderly, putting it in the pile to be put away with love for your family. What is important is not only that the child sees the work being done, but imitates that gesture of love and care. That extends into caring for plants and animals, this is the very first “environmental education” that a child gets with you, right at home.
Music – as mentioned many times above, music and rhymes and verses should take precedence at this point over any written word.
Inner Work/Personal Parenting Development: The most spiritually mature people should be the ones coming into contact with the youngest children. This is a very important time for your own work and development. If you are anxious, practice being calm. If you are impatient, practice being patient. If you talk in a stream of conscious way, practice being silent. This is a time to develop your spiritual and religious beliefs. It is a time to become more aware of the things unseen.
Joy! Having a toddler should be joyful. This age will never come again, enjoy it and marvel with them at their wonder!