The Homeschool Journey

Computers - When?

This is a rehashed post from my old Yahoo group (which has been replaced by a discussion forum). It was part of a discussion about computers and children. The following is mainly about what we did as a family.

 

We simply did not have a computer before our eldest son was 10. Our work before was different - and Christopherus did not exist. Other families need to use their computers during the day or they could not be at home with their children. This might just be something people have to live with.

In general, I believe that one must put the topic of computers into a larger context. How much does the child get to play outside? Does s/he watch tv and videos? Is s/he in a busy frantic city or in a sleepy rural setting? How healthy are general family rhythms? And, most importantly, how does the child react to the computer?

So here are some thoughts, based on what we did as a family....

* No computer at all before 10. Not even in play, not even on Mama's lap. This is an adult tool, not for young children. Treat it as you would a power tool such as a lawn mower or electric saw.

* At 10 or 11 you could get a mild computer game for your child and/or perhaps look at web sites together. Computer time not to exceed an hour a week and no use of the internet except with an adult.

* By 12, 3 hours a week of games and some time looking up specific things on the internet with you in the same room.

* By 14, 3 - 4 hours of games per week and use of typing facilities, Wikipedia and internet as needed - but no internet access on her computer. She must use yours for internet access and ask first, so you are aware of what she is doing.

*By 16 unrestricted use of the computer. She should be able to use it sensibly by now. If she wants to use chat rooms, now is the time - not before.

These kinds of rules will prove almost impossible for some people - especially if your child's social contacts seem based on computers and such. There is no easy solution to this - but you can always have strong and clear rules in your home. One thing I would certainly prohibit is any kind of handheld or virtual reality type of games run off the computer or television. I would also not allow any access to chat room until late teen years. I also do not recommend unrestricted use of the internet without a parent present until the teen is about 16.

And running through all this is the warning - observe your child! It could be that she has a healthy take it or leave it attitude toward computer use - if this is the case you are blessed and it is unlikely that use of this machine will be any big deal. BUT - such children are rare in my experience. Most get sucked in one way or another. Serious red flags should be waving for you if your child's behavior is at all effected by being on the computer. If he is listless (and yes, I said he on purpose there - this seems to effect boys more than girls), restless, out of himself, twitchy or bad tempered after using the computer - if limiting computer use results in furious rampages and tempers or tears - then you have an addictive situation on your hands and cold turkey (ie no computer at all ) might be the only solution. I am not exaggerating. Addiction has to do, for the most part, with stimulation - and the stimulation of the computer can be as powerfully negative and unhealthy for your child as if he sat down and ate a 5 pound bag of sugar or other addictive substances. In the end, the issue is about health. And, I would say categorically, that use of computers by children in no way optimizes their health. It might not be too bad - that is how my husband and I have felt about its use by our age 10+ sons - but it certainly does nothing to enhance their health. And, our sons lived on a farm with no TV and maximum once a week video until they were 13.

Is She Ready to Read or Not?

Something that is very important to ponder is the difference between teaching a child who is not ready for something and allowing a strong impulse in a child to unfold. I would hope that no parent who is interested in the healing benefits of Waldorf education would ever teach their tiny child how to read or write - but equally, would also hope that if they had a small one with an overwhelming desire to read that they would never prevent it. By that I mean take away books or pencils or say "no".

However, the danger that I often see with parents is the assumption that once a child shows an interest in something like writing that the parent assumes a certain progression and that "this is it - she is starting to read". If a 3 or 4 year old show interest in reading, it may well be that they want to spell their names or the names of people significant to them. They might want to read signs and the writing on a cereal box. But this does not mean that it's time to teach them their letters or to get out the readers! My almost 25 years experience with children in many different realms tells me that they do not, by and large, learn in a linear fashion. Learning takes place in cycles and in fits and starts -the elegance of homeschooling is that we can recognize these patterns and adjust our expectations to them. Then homeschooling becomes a case of shaping the curriculum to fit the child - and not the other way around.

Many, many tiny children go through a phase of wanting to read and/or write. If the parent remains neutral about it - giving them paper or spelling out words for them or writing things for them ONLY AS THEY REQUEST!! - then most children are satisfied and for a great many of them, the phase passes. Some might return to an interest when the parent introduces academic work in first grade. Others might take a few more years to become interested again.

And, of course, there are a number of children who teach themselves to read at 4 or 5. That's fine, too. Again, I would just leave it - neither encouraging nor discouraging. If this reading carries on I would still - perhaps especially! - recommend that one continue with a kindergarten routine - that no formal teaching or formal reading time be part of the kindergarten routine. If the child reads on her own - that's fine. She will need the support of the extra emphasis on nurturing her senses, strengthening her physical organism by powerful rhythms in the home environment and making sure that her head is not simply leading her body along. What one does not want is a child that burns out.

And that is the danger. It is not simply because Steiner said these things because he felt like it. He observed the effect of intellectual head-orientated work on the physical organism of the child and based his recommendations on that. He saw that the child until about 6 1/2 is busy making up his own physical form and "coming into" (incarnating for those of you who can deal with that term) his body and needed his life energy as it were ( the etheric forces that Steiner talks about) to be free to build a healthy vessel for the soul and for the later intellectual powers to enfold.

And we can see the effect of early intellectualism all around us - overstimulated, choice-burdened, early taught children who burn out at 9 or 10 and refuse to read, refuse to go to school, are put on medication, become apathetic or hyper.... the list goes on and on.

So I would say it's not a matter of "imposing" something on a child - no more than I think of it as imposing on my child that they can't eat too much sugar or that they can't run out into the traffic. Sometimes as parents we need, out of our experience and knowledge, to oppose something our child might seem to be interested in. Or - and I would say this is more often the case - intuit into what he is expressing, hear behind his words or actions and help meet his needs in a developmentally appropriate way. So much about learning to be a part of this world, of growing up has to do with health. For me this is the greatest power of Waldorf education - a way to understand the child and to enfold him in a way of parenting and educating that enhances his potential to be healthy - in mind, body and spirit.

I write in great length about this in my language arts book for those who are interested. Many of the audio downloads have a lot about these issues as well within a larger discussion of, for instance, kindergarten or first grade.

Handwork and Crafts with Older Children

It seems that everywhere one looks there are wonderful on-line stores and home businesses selling all manner of lovely craft items for children - young children. I can't think why, but there is a distinct lack of craft kits and ideas for older children. Maybe people think that older ones (somewhere over 10) can just do adult crafts - but that really isn't the case. And, of course, the Waldorf curriculum has definite indications for what craft and handwork activities are done when - and there are many!

 

I don't want to reproduce the handwork/craft curriculum here - it is available other places. Instead, I'd like to list ideas for homeschoolers with older children who are running out of inspiration for things to make with their older (10 and up) children.

 

First of all, I need to mention HearthSong - they seem to make a real effort to cater to the needs of somewhat older children - many of their kits are very suitable for children up to about 12 or 13 or even older. We have used many of their kits over the years and have found them well organized with easy to follow instructions and with beautiful and ample materials. As it is February when I am writing this, some of you might like to think ahead to challenging Easter projects for your children. HearthSong has a wonderful Ukrainian Easter Egg kit which is certainly challenging enough for teens (and adults!). They also have a Decoupage Goose Egg kit which I haven't tried but which I am sure lives up to the high quality of their other kits. Visit them at www.hearthsong.com  Here is a partial list of some of the kits which we have bought from them over the years and which my sons enjoyed doing:

 

lino kit

pine needle baskets

beaded snowflake Christmas ornaments

Various elaborate candle making and decorating kits

tie-dye kit

embroidery kit

 

Other possibilities which look interesting include a bead loom; a Mexican sugar skull kit; mosaic stepping stones; and various macrame, beading and jewelry making kits.

 

When no kits have been available or once we were confident to "go it alone" my family has often shopped either at our local Michael's ( a craft store chain) or bought mail-order from Dick Blick:  www.dickblick.com You can find supplies for all the above activities as well as ways of further extending them. Using their materials, my sons

 

made various shaped candles and dyed and decorated them

carved balsa wood as a precursor to proper carving

got more things such as plain napkins to tie-dye

tried our hand at glass painting - watch out - it's very toxic!

made some wonderful handmade books and paper

enjoyed scratch art (quite a nice way to work with black and white contrasting in the 6th grade curriculum)

worked on calligraphy

made a few simple things from leather

decorated boxes as presents

learned to emboss metal foil sheets

 

I hope you find many activities for your older children as well! And if any Waldorf-inspired crafts people are reading this, do consider making up some kits to sell - I know they'd be popular!