Regular contact with other families can be a vital lifeline for parents with young children - a chance to make friends, ask questions, learn new skills and gain confidence in their own abilities as a parent. Rudolf Steiner's insight into the spiritual, sensory and intellectual needs of early childhood has inspired a unique kind of parent and child group. Drawing on this approach, Dot Male's book shows parents how they can join together with others to create a supportive family community. Illustrated with case studies from around the world, her lively, accessible guide to running a thriving parent and child group explains how to: create a calm, harmonious space ; use rhythm and ritual to structure a session ; devise appropriate toys, crafts, games and outdoor play ; celebrate seasonal festivals and the cycle of the year ; fulfil key health, safety and legal requirements. Written with the needs of busy parents in mind, the handbook can be used as a quick read for inspiration and ideas or as a comprehensive reference. Each chapter includes an introductory overview, a summary of key points, and, for those who wish to explore the issues further, book lists and useful contacts.

Waldorf Games Handbook for the Early Years - Games to Play & Sing with Children aged 3 to 7 A offers a handy guide to playing games with young children. This classic games book offers a standby resource for parents, teachers, forest school educators and play leaders. The games are tried and tested. They draw on worldwide Steiner - Waldorf creative education, where a child's work is their play. Child growth is explored and how this is helped by a rich treasury of action, finger, circle, clapping, beanbag, chasing, water, tumbling, story and singing games. There are both traditional favourites and also new games created to engage with digitally challenging behaviour.

In Group Filial Therapy (GFT), therapists train parents to conduct play sessions with their own children to help meet children's therapeutic needs, and to transfer appropriate skills to family life. Based on parents' application of Child-Centred Play Therapy, taught and supervised by filial therapists, this evidence-based method is highly effective for working with families from diverse backgrounds and locations. This book provides an accessible guide to the theory and practice of GFT, and for the first time offers step-by-step guidelines for implementing the GFT program developed by Dr Guerney, the co-creator of Filial Therapy. Important practical considerations are addressed by Dr Guerney and Dr Ryan, such as how to determine the composition of groups and the duration of programs, and how to conduct Filial Therapy intakes. The facilitative attitudes and skills needed to be an effective Filial Therapy group leader are also described, and comprehensive instructions for implementing Dr Guerney's 20-week model of GFT are provided. The book closes with examples of how the program may be adapted to meet the needs of special groups. Replete with examples and dialogues bringing to life the group process, this definitive guide will enable therapists already familiar with the method, as well as those wishing to learn it, to maximise the fulfilment of therapeutic goals for participating families. Practitioners in mental health, social services and counselling, as well as parenting experts, play and filial therapists and therapists in training will find that this book expands and enriches the services they can offer their clients.

6 lectures and an essay, 1919-1920 (CW 297) World War I destroyed the structures, values, and self-confidence that created the seeming greatness of the nineteenth century. In its place stood ruins and the shards of a civilization. In response to this, Emil Molt--the director of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory and a student of Rudolf Steiner--decided to establish a school to educate people who could create a new culture. Thus, the Waldorf school movement was begun. Rudolf Steiner agreed to act as the school's consultant, and his insights guided the school in accomplishing this ambitious task. The goal of this education was that, through living inner work guided by the insights of Rudolf Steiner, the teachers would develop in the children such power of thought, depth of feeling, and strength of will that they would emerge from their school years as full members of the human community, able to meet and transform the world. These lectures occurred around the opening of the first Waldorf school. They serve as an excellent, inspiring introduction to Waldorf education as a whole. Here Steiner outlines--with freshness, immediacy, and excitement--the goals and intentions of a new form of education and speaks to parents of prospective students. He explains the school's guiding principles and describes how parents must participate, with understanding and interest, in the awakening of their children's creative forces so that a healthier society can come about. German sources: Die Waldorfschule und ihr Geist (GA 297); "Die pädagogische Zielsetzung der Waldorfschule in Stuttgart," from Soziale Zukunft, Feb. 1920 (GA 24).

With advice on parenting coming from several angles, what do you listen to and what do you ignore? Develop your own biblical philosophy of parenting and use it to filter the many ideas that come your way. In this book you’ll learn how to: Identify character qualities to address problems Build internal motivation Transfer responsibility for change to the child Teach kids to be solvers instead of whiners Use creativity to teach your kids spiritual truths Avoid the “boxing ring” Envision a positive future And much more! With these strategies you’ll be able to move from behavior modification to a heart-based approach to parenting. Instead of relying on rewards, incentives, threats, and punishment, you’ll learn how to identify heart lessons to teach your child and implement them in practical ways. The Christian Parenting Handbook by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, founders of the National Center for Biblical Parenting, compiles fifty parenting principles that use heart-based strategies to teach you how to face daily challenges. When parents focus on the heart, kids learn to ask different questions about life. Instead of asking, “What’s in it for me?” they learn to ask, “What’s the right thing to do?” You’ll soon see how a heart-based approach to parenting looks deeper and brings about greater, lasting change. The daily interaction you have with your children can impact them for the rest of their lives. With these fifty heart-based strategies, you’ll develop your own biblical philosophy of parenting and gain perspective, greater motivation, and confidence that you’re moving in the right direction. As you envision a positive future for your children, they’ll experience hope and direction and you will too. Start applying these principles today!

[All orders originating from Japan must order through Maruzen International Co., Ltd.: TEL: +81-3-3275-8582; FAX: +81-3-3275-9072; http://www.maruzen.co.jp] NEW! CD-ROM, Handbook of Parenting, Second Edition, Volumes 1-5-$150.00 (see below) Completely revised and expanded from four to five volumes, this new edition of the Handbook of Parenting appears at a time that is momentous in the history of parenting. Parenting and the family are today in a greater state of flux, question, and redefinition than perhaps ever before. We are witnessing the emergence of striking permutations on the theme of parenting: blended families, lesbian and gay parents, and teen versus fifties first-time moms and dads. One cannot but be awed on the biological front by technology that now not only renders postmenopausal women capable of childbearing, but also presents us with the possibility of designing babies. Similarly on the sociological front, single parenthood is a modern day fact of life, adult child dependency is on the rise, and parents are ever less certain of their own roles, even in the face of rising environmental and institutional demands that they take increasing responsibility for their offspring. The Handbook of Parenting concerns itself with: *different types of parents--mothers and fathers, single, adolescent, and adoptive parents; *basic characteristics of parenting--behaviors, knowledge, beliefs, and expectations about parenting; *forces that shape parenting--evolution, genetics, biology, employment, social class, culture, environment, and history; *problems faced by parents--handicap, marital difficulties, drug addiction; and *practical concerns of parenting--how to promote children's health, foster social adjustment and cognitive competence, and interact with school, legal, and public officials. Contributors to the Handbook of Parenting have worked in different ways toward understanding all these diverse aspects of parenting, and all look to the most recent research and thinking in the field to shed light on many topics every parent wonders about. Each chapter addresses a different but central topic in parenting; each is rooted in current thinking and theory, as well as classical and modern research in that topic; each has been written to be read and absorbed in a single sitting. In addition, each chapter follows a standard organization, including an introduction to the chapter as a whole, followed by historical considerations of the topic, a discussion of central issues and theory, a review of classical and modern research, forecasts of future directions of theory and research, and a set of conclusions. Of course, contributors' own convictions and research are considered, but contributions to this new edition present all major points of view and central lines of inquiry and interpret them broadly. The Handbook of Parenting is intended to be both comprehensive and state of the art. As the expanded scope of this second edition amply shows, parenting is naturally and closely allied with many other fields.