A Child-Centered Education, Where Children Feel Seen
One of the best scientific predictors for a child’s ability to realize happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships is how the adults in their life consistently show up for them.
At Cedarwood Waldorf School, our teachers strive to see and recognize each one of our students, greeting them each morning individually, and working with them over several years to build on their unique strengths and meet their individual challenges, empowering them to thrive.
In their recent book, The Power of Showing Up, psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel and social worker Tina Payne Bryson show that setting a child up for success — either in the classroom or at home — can be as simple as taking some time every day to really see them for who they are, not for who you want them to be:
Much about seeing our kids is simply paying attention during the day, but it’s also about generating opportunities that allow your kids to show you who they are. Nighttime can be a great time to do this. There’s something about the end of the day, when the home gets quiet and the body feels tired, when distractions drop away and defenses are down, that makes us more apt to talk about our thoughts and memories, our fears and desires. This goes for all of us, adults and kids.
What’s required is a bit of effort and planning in terms of the family schedule. Kids need an adequate amount of sleep — we can’t stress that enough — so ideally you’ll be gin bedtime early enough to make time for your usual routine plus a few minutes of chat or quiet waiting time to allow your children to talk if they are inclined. They might share details of their day or ask questions that help you gain a fuller understanding of what’s going on in their world’s — actual or imaginary.
Read an excerpt of Siegel and Bryson’s book covering two strategies that can make a child feel seen.
Learn More:
Why Waldorf? Classes form in grade 1 and journey together all the way through middle school with a central class teacher and a team of dedicated subject teachers. Growing together in this way, students get to know each other’s strengths and differences, and teachers support each child in striving to become better students, artists, musicians, performers, teammates, and community members. When one student struggles, the whole class takes up the work of seeing them through.
When everyone in our community is engaged and supported, we all go farther. Learn more about the child-centered principles of Waldorf education.
Curious about a Waldorf education for your child? Let’s connect!