A Review: How to Raise a Wild Child

I've been reading a few books at the same time, so this one took me a bit longer than it would have normally, but it was so well worth it. A few days ago I gave a little glimpse into some of the thoughts How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott D. Sampson had me mulling over and now I am happy to share a few more insights with you.

This book was pretty much perfect. It was part parenting manifesto, part environmentalist love letter to childhood and nature, part practical. It was just the right amount of story, idealism and action plan, and I can't quite get over it. I was really worried that it would be a something that wasn't tangible, just a series of nice ideas with no real implementation possible or a lot of preachy-ness on things I already new about. But it wasn't that at all - instead, through personal stories, solid research, real life examples, and just pure passion, Dr. Scott relayed a series of concrete ideas and solutions that parents and educators can use to instill a love for nature in their children while simultaneously saving our education system, curing the obesity epidemic, and saving our planet. (Yes, he's left me THAT hopeful. The man should be our secretary of education and interior combined.)

Wonderful ideas aside, one of the best things about this book was the structure. Dr. Scott walks the reader through the issues our nation (our world, really) is facing in regards to a vanishing appreciation for and knowledge of nature and then does a wonderful job of linking it to the massive changes that have occurred in the last few decades in childhood and education (none of them that good). He then explores the role of the "nature mentor", a trusted adult who may or may not have a vast experience in the outdoors, who guides children, their own and possibly others, through nature exploration. Dr. Scott address each major developmental stage and looks at how parents and teachers can expand their children and students' natural horizons. And, in the last section of the book, he looks at a couple of other barriers and potential partnerships between children and nature, such as technology and the rewilding movement. He ends with an incredibly moving picture of a potential future, should we, parents and educators follow through with the many ideas and tips delivered in the book.

This is one of those books where I'm going to need to just purchase my own copy. Given some time to let everything sink in, I'll need to go back to consult or to revisit ideas (there are great summaries at the end of each chapter along with specific and concrete tips for raising a wild child), which is similar to how I felt after reading Kim John Payne's book, Simplicity Parenting (another recommended read). I also feel like this needs to be required reading for all educators. Dr. Scott is deft at picking up on the issues plaguing public education and offers real solutions that I know would move us in a tremendously different and better direction. I sincerely feel that working from the direction of the classroom, as well as the home, would be incredibly effective in making a change in how our nation views our environment.

I cannot say enough good things about this book, so I'm going to end with a list of things I truly just loved about the book:

• It was hopeful, encouraging, and non-preachy.
• There was a solid mix of story, example, and practicality - it was easy to get through and a joy to read.
• My heart sung during the sections discussing children's need to play to learn and I am determined to put together an outdoor playscape - I'd love to see this done at our local schools, as well!
• He mentioned Waldorf schools a bunch of times. 
• It was well organized and thoughtful; the concepts felt accessible. 
• I was left with so many ideas and plans it was almost overwhelming, but in a good way!

 Please, please, please pick up this book and read it. It is a must for parents who desire to be worthy living in this beautiful world and to make it worthy of our children. Whether it's something that just puts a fire under your bum to do more or inspires you with ideas you hadn't had before, it's totally worth the read!

Crowning Achievement (Har, Har, Har - Pun!)

I've been oggling sweet little birthday crowns that every Waldorf mama I admire seems to have for her little ones. I finally decided I need to make a couple for my babies and happened have just the right amount of felted wool sitting in my big box o' fabric, waiting to have something done with it.

After about two hours of work, I finished up a crown for my soon-to-be birthday boy.

Here's M.'s crown, all finished:

The pattern was freehanded, but I was inspired mostly by these crowns on Frontier Dreams. What I'd really love to get more felt and add little pictures and things, or at least make the letter on the front solid rather than sort of mosaic looking (I didn't have a large enough whole piece of leftover felt to do so this time). I think for now, particularly for M., I'll likely leave it a bit plain, at least until his likes and interests become more clear, though I suppose I could put boobies on his crown, but that might look a bit weird to those outside of our immediate family.

I'm in the midst of sewing E.'s together, which will look very similar, but the purple felt will be in the front (her favorite color). She's quite excited, but somewhat disappointed she has to wait until spring to wear hers. Apparently it's very unfair that her little brother gets to celebrate his birthday first - after all, he is little shouldn't his birthday be last? (I seem to recall having this same sentiment when I was her age and I had to get ready to celebrate a new little brother's first birthday before my own.)

I love this sort of project. It requires very little skill on my part, but it still looks so nice. I'm a strong hand sewer (but don't put me in front of a machine), and making this crown strengthened that skill all the more, especially since I backstitched for the first time since I was probably ten or eleven to secure the band in back. Some embroidery would look lovely on there, I think, and I did pick up some matching thread, but I couldn't find my needles...and I'm not really sure on how to embroider (but I have a book!).

I have a couple other little projects up my sleeve, including a really cute one for Valentine's day. I'm hoping as I go through my very large box of fabircs and crafty bits I'll slowly add some lovely things to my children's playthings and to the very little art in our house - something I'm desperately trying to remedy. Desperation works nicely in creating a bit of beauty.

A Taste of Michaelmas

As I've been exploring Waldorf education and Rudolph Steiner's philosophy I couldn't help but stumble across the immense amount of holidays and festivals that are celebrated in Waldorf schools and home schools or by families who identify with Steiner's beliefs. While I was raised in a Christian household and am married to a Catholic (who seems to have all sorts of hidden holidays I didn't know about), a lot of these Christian oriented festivals and their corresponding stories were new to me. What's more, I was drawn into the effort as well as simplicity (if such a thing were possible) the parents put forth in making these somewhat obscure days special for their little ones. 

My own bit of fluff - trying my hand at making a Waldorf inspired hand kite

 Of course, as one learns about Waldorf education, you realize that it is about so much more than sweet little natural toys, making flower crowns, and celebrating the summer solstice (I love this bit from Waldorf Essentials about the "fluff" families are often drawn to in Waldorf). It truly embraces the belief of making childhood count for something (something good and beautiful), but I suppose one of those things that helps make childhood all it should be is celebrating. And celebrating different seasonal holidays is a wonderful way to create a feeling of rhythm throughout the year (and months and weeks and days), something strongly encouraged in Waldorf education and any mother who wants to stay sane. 

Michaelmas is the next upcoming festival (September 29) and as a family we've decided it's something we'd like to celebrate. Now, for those of you who aren't in the know, Michaelmas, as I understand it (if you are in the know and see something off in the explanation to come, let me know!) is a celebration of a couple of things: One, the battle of archangel Michael and his subsequent defeat of Lucifer, which is often shown as a knight defeating a dragon (St. George is wrapped up in this is as well since he is a noted dragon slayer apparently). Two, Michaelmas is also associated with harvest celebrations, where people partake in the bounty of the wood and field (geese and blackberries where two common food related themes I had noticed).

Below is a children's story that I told (and later wrote in very rough form) to my daughter. It is the story of St. Michael made a wee bit tamer for the five year old set as well as brining in the harvest festival elements so often associated with the festival. If you like you're more than welcome borrow the story to tell your own little ones, but I do recommend telling the story sans text. Little ones love to be told a story, and even if you think you're lousy at it (I know I am), it will be enjoyed nonetheless, trust me.

Mama's Michaelmas Story

Once upon a time, in a beautiful land filled with farms and fields, lakes and rivers, forests, hills and mountains. Many animals lived in this land: deer, boar, wolves, squirrels, and even frogs and toads! The people who lived in this land were good people, they worked hard, cared for their land and the animals that lived in it, and loved one another very much.

As good as things were most of the time, there was one big problem. In the mountains, not too far way, there was a dragon. He was as green as an emerald, with jet black eyes, and was as big as a house. This dragon would watch the people of the land in their villages, happily taking care of their homes, fields, and each other and it would make the dragon, who lived all alone in the cold mountains, very angry.

So, once a year, just as the people were finishing gathering the harvest, mending their woolen winter clothes, and readying their homes and animals for the long winter, the dragon would come and burn one of the villages down to the ground. The people of that village would lose everything – all their food, all their clothes, even some of their cows and sheep, which the dragon would eat right up! The people of the village the dragon had chosen to burn that year would be very sad and worry, because they had lost all they had prepared for the long hard winter and didn't know how they would survive.

In one of the other nearby villages, there was a young knight named Michael. He had seen the village that was burned down and had many friends there. It made him very upset to see people he cared so much about with nothing just before wintertime, especially when they had just worked so hard to prepare everything they would need. He helped his friends from the burned village find places to stay for the winter and new clothes, but he still felt angry. Every year this happened and it just wasn't fair!

No one wanted to fight the dragon. The people of this land were a peaceful people and not many kept things like swords and shields. Besides, the people were very afraid of the dragon – he was so big and fierce and they were so small! But Michael did have a sword, one he had made himself, and a shield as well, and he was just upset enough to finally say, “I will go to that dragon and I will defeat him!” The villagers were proud of Michael and as he left his village they gave him many supplies: a horse to make him fast, food to fill his belly and help keep up his strength, and a shining cloak of gold and red, as bright as any dragon's fire.

Michael road his horse across the land, towards the mountains. He galloped through open fields, trotted through narrow forest paths, and crossed over rough and gravelly hills. Finally, he came to the dragon's mountain.

He stood at the base of the mountain and summoned as much courage as he could. He called out, “Dragon, I dare you to come down and fight me!” He waited for a moment, but there was no answer.

He called again, louder, “Dragon, I DARE you to come down and fight me!” Again, there was no answer.

Michael was starting to not feel so brave. He thought about how big the dragon was and how he could breathe fire and eat huge cows in one swallow. He knew he had to call out to the dragon again, so he started to think of his friends and family back home, especially those who had no home this year, and the ones who didn't have a place to last winter last year, and how this happened every year. Finally, he was ready to call out again, and when he did, it felt as though everyone who wanted that dragon defeated was calling out with him. Do you want the dragon defeated? Call out with Michael if you do!

“Dragon, I DARE YOU TO COME DOWN AND FIGHT ME!”

From a high, high rocky ledge, the dragon leaped down, green wings spread wide, smoke coming from his nostrils, a sneer on the dragon's face.

“You think you can defeat me?” The dragon chuckled, getting ready to swallow Michael in one gulp.

“I will defeat you, dragon!” Michael yelled, getting ready to fight, even though he was pretty sure the dragon would just burn him to a crisp.

The dragon stopped and looked at the small night with his dragon-fire cloak. “Hmmm,” he said, “You know, no one has ever challenged me before. Everyone usually just runs and hides and isn't as brave as you. I'm impressed. I'll let you fight me. I could really just burn you to a crisp now, but instead I'll give you a go. Let's fight, little knight!”

And so the fight began. The dragon would blow his fire and Michael would leap aside. Michael would run to skewer the dragon with his sword, but the dragon would suddenly fly into the air. The knight and the dragon would go back and forth, blowing fire and parrying with the sword. Eventually, the two of them began to grow tired, and Michael would land a blow or the dragon would singe the knight a bit, but nothing to cause any serious damage. After a while, Michael and the dragon became so exhausted they had to stop fighting, unable to go on, but neither defeated.

The dragon, who was really a coward at heart, knew that if they continued to fight, no one would win, or worse, he would be defeated. As Michael struggled to get up and continue the fight, the dragon yelled, “Stop! I won't fight you any longer. I'll go away and never bother you or your family or your land's villages again.”

“But I don't want you to harm anyone ever again. I must defeat you!” The knight and the dragon looked at each other, waiting to see what the other would do next. Finally, Michael had an idea. He had looked around him, at the cold, dreary mountainside where the dragon lived. It was hard and colorless, devoid of life. It seemed it would be a lonely life, living here, lonely enough to make any creature bitter and angry, let alone a grumpy old dragon.

“Now I'll make a deal with you, dragon. Let me go free and promise to never hurt anyone, and I mean anyone ever again, and the villagers and I will make a feast for you. We'll do it every year, right at this time, and you can come and fill your belly for the long winter right along with us. At the end of the feast you can make a huge bonfire for us to warm ourselves by and celebrate the end of the harvest.”

The dragon thought for a moment, considering the knight's offer. “Yes, I will agree to this, but with one condition.”

“What's that?” Michael asked.

“You'll make a special treat just for me. Though, maybe I'll share it, if I feel like it.” Michael agreed.

The dragon brought Michael (and his horse) back home again and Michael told the villagers about his battle with the dragon and the deal he had made. That very night the villagers had their first feast, celebrating Michael's bravery right along with the end of their bountiful harvest. The dragon filled his belly, as did the villagers, and all went home happy and no longer worried about being left out in the cold.

For many years feast for Michael and the dragon were held, even long after Michael and the dragon where gone. Once the dragon was gone, people would still leave food out for the dragon, just in case. Or people would bring things to others in need, lonely and cold like the dragon before them.

Back to School

I think I really need to start taking some grad courses. You know you have school deprivation when you easily pick up a textbook-grade paperback and flip through it like it's Us Weekly (you also know you've been out of school too long if you debate whether or not you ought to italicise the name of a magazine, both because you care and because you don't know the answer).

A few weeks ago I showed up at our library with a list of seven books. Seven books that did not contain characters that were married to sexy Scottish warriors, scheming dwarves (who also somehow manage to be sexy, in that smart guy kind of way), or have anything even remotely to do with Edwardian England (hello, Downton Abbey withdrawal). They were all books related to Waldorf education, either from a parenting or a curriculum/education perspective.

Over the next few days the books came in and I spent a lot of time at the library, schlepping small children, who both love books, but would have preferred to be outside (well, I suppose the baby didn't care, but E. most certainly did).

I don't know that E. would agree, but I'll say, so far, it's been worth it. I'm about halfway through the pile, having read three and a half of the books (I'm literally smack in the middle of my fourth) and I have learned so much. There is a sense of empowerment that comes with being presented with new tools in life, particularly in parenting. There have been so many areas where I have felt helpless and have known in the back of my mind that my way of doing things needed to be changed. Now I understand why I need to make changes, and I'm attempting to make those changes. It's not easy, but it feels so good to try and to see positive results.

I doubt all this sort of vague hinting about at what I've learned and am still discovering is terribly interesting, but I hope to eventually synthesize it into more bite sized (and interesting) bits here, if only for my own reference.

So, after I become an expert in Waldorf education, I fully intend to return to my "fun" books (including and not limited to presidents' killing vampires, more hot Scottish warriors, dragons, and maybe moving back in time to Victorian England, either with Austen or Dickens, not sure). Learning new things is undeniably good, but one does need a bit of variety, right?

What are you learning about?

Time Warp

What is your favorite age? If you could stay that age forever, would you? (Prompt courtesy of Mama Kat)


I have to think back pretty far to reach my favorite age. I have to bypass teenage pregnancy (which I'll never regret, but people DO look at you funny), my troubled years in high school, awkwardness in middle school, the misery of making friends after our move to Maine (I was the quintessential Mass-hole), and the death of my Grandma Ruth. 


Once you get through that mess, you hit about eight. That's not to say 9 through twenty-five stunk, it's just that eight was...well, eight was just about perfect.


We lived in Groveland, Massachusetts at the time, in a beautiful colonial on a quiet suburban street.

My dad and grandpa did a ton of work and an amazing job renovating this almost 300-year-old house, which you can read about here.

We lived in an actual neighborhood, something that is somewhat scarce in our current neck of the woods. There were lots of kids right around my age and we participated in the usual roving gang of kids activities, like flash light tag, secret clubs, and adopting a stray dog that spent a lot of time going through our trash cans.

Halloween! I'm the kiddo in the white turtleneck next to the scarecrow. All these kids grew up to be amazing and kinda gorgeous, by the way.

At eight, I was never bored. I spent crazy amounts of time outside. I had ambitions, ideas, stories, pictures, a voice. It's not to say that I don't have any of that now, because I do, but it was so pure and so uninhibited. There was no concept of, "What will they think," because "they" didn't exist. The only other people in my life were my family and my very best buds, and they all loved me unconditionally, so it didn't matter what I did - it would all be great.


At eight, you're all innocence still (or, at least if all is right in your world, you ought to be), but you are cognisant of the world enough to really be smart about stuff. It's a perfect balance of a willingness to see an unjaded and beautiful world as well as an understanding that maybe everything isn't perfect, but you can do something about it. Rudolph Steiner, who I'm reading an awful lot about lately, would say an eight year old is spending a lot of her time interacting with the world via feelings. Kids are discovering empathy at this age, and truly feeling the brunt of their emotions. They are understanding how emotions work and preparing to someday control them so they can be used to benefit others. It's an amazing time to experience the world. Maybe because I tend to feel so intensely is why I can connect so easily to eight-year-old me.


But would I want to be eight forever? No, of course not. I think most adults, when they think about it, wouldn't want to go back. There are wonderful things about childhood, but once you've tasted adulthood, you know there is no going back. Not necessarily because being a grown-up is so much better, but because what you've seen and done can't be unseen or undone. What we've experienced as children and young adults has helped us unfold into the full person we've become - and really, that's not such a bad person.

What I want to hang on to is some of that eight year old perspective. The world is a wonderful place. My family and friends love me (including some of those folks in the picture above). I am capable, smart, and beautiful. Flashlight tag is fun (heck, any kind of tag is fun). And you know what? If I want to be a ballerina, then, damnit, I can be.


How old are you, really?

A Birthday In Pictures

A bit more about the silks...

Silky Goodness

The girl's birthday is Monday. She'll be five. I can't quite believe it. For one, it hardly seems as though enough time has past since she was born, and for two, I hardly feel old enough to be a mother of a five year old who will be registered for Kindergarten in less than a month.

But her birthday is coming whether I want her to grow any older or not, which means presents. This year, though five is one of those big birthdays, my husband and I decided to go light. We know she's going to get lots of stuff from her grandparents and aunts and uncles. She may not be the only grandkid any more, but it's clear the arrival of her baby brother won't stop her doting family members from spoiling her. She also just got a ton of stuff in February and March from well meaning friends and family who wanted to have a gift for her as well as the baby when they came to visit. All very nice, but we've officially accumulated more toys than a Toys 'R' Us warehouse. I really don't feel like adding to the hoard. 

Baby Brother modeling Big Sister's birthday gift

With that in mind, I decided play silks would a great gift. Now, these probably aren't exactly like the play silks you can buy on Etsy or through Waldorf-based toy stores, either online or in person. Those are a bit lighter, more scarf-like, and are way more expensive than the $24 I spent at Joann's Fabric. While searching for some to buy online I saw prices as high as $75 for six, rather small silks. I love my daughter, but there was no way I was spending $75. I also saw tutorials on how to hand dye your own silks with Kool Aide. Awesome idea, much less expensive, but I have a newborn - it would have never happened. 

So, as mentioned, off to Joann's I went and I bought six 2 foot pieces of satin in a variety of colors. Then I found a seriously adorable little wooden chest and a glittery foam crown, deciding this year, the girl was going to get a princess treasure chest filled with beautiful silks and a crown to match. 

I'm really excited. 

Okay, what's so cool about play silks? Well, if you're a four-almost-five-year-old girl, you like silky, shiny, pretty colored fabric (this goes for 25-year-old girls, too). They are filled with endless possibilities, from fancy dresses, super hero capes, baby blankets, or backdrops for Barbie's next fabulous gala. And since my daughter is constantly getting into my fabric stashes, I thought it would be great for her to have her own stock to play with. 

I first heard about play silks when researching the Waldorf philosophy of education back in college. While I'm not completely sold on all things Waldorf, there are definitely aspects I love, particularly the strong emphasis on imaginative play and storytelling. In my opinion, more than any other toy that's considered a "Waldorf toy", play silks are the best, most open ended, most easily recreated, and can translate with any kid, even if you have nothing to do with this particular style of education. 

Pieces of fabric are right up there with balls and sticks as kids' first toys, and they are certainly kids' first imaginative play toys. How many of us built forts or created costumes from old sheets and blankets? The silks take it one step further by adding a really nice aesthetic and texture that helps keep kids coming back for more and more. 

So this is my first Waldorf toy and the first gift I've made for the girl (though I really did absolutely nothing...I don't know how "homemade" it actually is). Next project I'd love to take on that's Waldorf based and hand/homemade?: 

These hand kites can be found here on Etsy. 

I think these hand kites look so cool and so much fun. I can totally see the girl having a blast picking out ribbon colors, helping me tie them to a dowel or other handheld wooden object, and then sprinting around our yard this summer like a little sprite.

Stay tuned to see how everything goes over on Monday. I'm hoping the girl is just as excited as I am!