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I’ve been really into “waldorf”-ing it at home lately, and if any one is interested in this child development philosophy here is some recommended reading:

• Children at Play
• Earthways; Simply Environmental Activities for Young Children
  
• Festivals, Family and Food

I’m enjoying those for Lil’ E’s age, and a quick search of amazon for Waldorf Education will bring you a lot more. I’ve also found some neat books with creative activity with toddlers:

• First Art; Art Experience for Toddlers and Two’s
• Rainy Day Play
• Preschool Art; Collage and Paper
• Preschool Art; Clay and Dough

There’s lots more but these books were at my library- and I’m guessing you can find a lot like them at yours!

I have to say, cutting the tube and stopping the “pow pow” has produced a delightful “terrible two” compared to the weeks prior to this change. He enjoys his music and books with new enthusiasm and looks forward to our walks and collecting natural things - there’s just so much to say about that but I don’t know where to start. It has been difficult for me in some ways, because I used to work at night or while Lil’ E was occupied, enjoying the flexibility. This summer I was asked to work daytime hours, which worked for the past few months because Hubby was home too. Lately I am transitioning into doing both jobs simultaneously for five days a week, and no matter how many ways I think of it, I can’t seem to make it “work” in my head. If I am truly working and “on the clock”, then I am at my lap top, at my desk, on my phone, and NOT doing a diaper - let alone reading a book or playing with play dough. Every time I do these things with Lil’ E I “stop the clock”, which makes a 6 hour day stretch into 8 or 9, at least. Is it even possible? I’ve even looked into preschools this week, even a couple days a week, and concluded they are: A. not affordable for me, at least not right now, and B. defeat the “purpose” of me wanting to stay home and raise my son. What’s a girl to do? I enjoy my job and can’t imagine any other way I could make such good money from the comfort of my own home, however, as Lil’ E is no longer a nursing babe but an active, bright, male toddler, I am beginning to wonder what choices I have in making this a more fair and responsible situation for his sake.

One of the things I have thought of is getting half my day over with in the early morning. Being on the West Coast now, if I worked at 5 am I’d get a good 3 hours in before he wakes up. Then I’m really only taking another 3-5 hours out of the rest of my day with him, which isn’t that bad. The trouble is, I’m a night owl and really need a great deal of discipline to fall asleep earlier and get up at 4:30 in the morning. But when I think of all the mom’s who are nurses on the night shift, etc, I realize lots of women have done a lot harder things to be able to stay home with their children in a two-income society. Besides, I’m young and energetic, I should be able to make this thing fit into place, some how or another.

Well, that’s my ranting for tonight. Ideas welcomed, even if I don’t listen to you!

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 10:27 pm and is filed under Motherhood, Parenting, Work-at-Home-Motherdom