A Graduated Approach to Parent Education
The Work
This course is designed to instruct, inspire and model a comprehensive, contemporary approach to parenting. Parents begin with an intensive three month study. Essential Elements of Family Life are presented, home-visits are included, and parents have the opportunity to observe these principles at work in The Rose Garden, a Waldorf based, nature-oriented early childhood program. Three further phases of study are available for parents who choose to deepen their understanding. Trough the ensuing phases, Other Essential Elements are introduced. Parents are encouraged and supported to put the principles into practice in the daily round of their own unique lives.
The Essential Elements:
- Family Culture
- Family Rhythms
- Spatial Organization: De-clutter
- Training the Child’s Senses
- Movement as the Basis of Brain Development
- Creativity: Child’s Play
- Outdoor Play: No Child Left Inside
- Story and the Essential Nature of Images
- Artistic Expression
- Family Work and Play
- Into the Future: The Family Grows
Other Essential Elements:
1. Discipline One: Balance all the Elements
2. Discipline Two: Into the eye of the storm—Cheerful and Kind
3. The Questions they Ask: God, Death, Birth, Divorce and others
4. The Family Shadow: Do your own Shadow Work ( so they don’t have to act it out.)
5. Their Life Challenges: How Do We Help Them?
The Structure of Study
The program operates in four three-month phases.
1.) The first phase consists of twelve weekly visits. All work is done “on-site”, rotating between the Rose Garden and the family’s home, investigating the Elements of Family Life.
2.) The second phase consists of six bi-weekly on-site visits, and six bi-weekly phone conferences. This phase introduces Other Essential Elements.
3.) The third phase includes three monthly visits as well as weekly phone conferences. The Essential Elements, from the first phase of work will be revisited, and refined.
4.) The fourth phase consists of bi-weekly phone conferences, and a concluding Rose Garden visit and home visit. All work is reviewed in this period.
Phases Three and Four offer parents further support, in which continued visits and a review of the work will help to “lock-in” the learning. This creates a graduated progression. Phase by phase, the work is deepened, so by year’s end parents will have had the opportunity to fully integrate the learning into their daily family lives.
The Place
This work will be done both at the family’s home and also at The Rose Garden.
The Rose Garden is a magic-filled haven for both children and adults. The Early Childhood program operates on a year-round basis, offering the children the full “round of the seasons.” It is deeply nestled in six acres of ancient well-loved pines woods. A small stream meanders through the property, the perfect place for children to putter in ankle deep water searching for salamanders, crayfish and minnows, or for adults to rest and listen to its joyous song. A hillside of broad-leaf deciduous trees keeps summer temperatures cool, and creates sledding fun in winter. Wooded trails wander along, perfect for an afternoon stroll.
Rose Garden sessions allow the parents an opportunity to observe a fully integrated model which operates on the Elements which they are studying.
Home sessions give parents an opportunity to ask questions particular to their own family and their own home. Home consultations will help parents with the nitty-gritty “how-to”s of family life.
Follow Through
On-site sessions, whether Rose Garden or home visits, will be followed up with regular telephone conferences. Reading material will be given and parents can deepen their learning through homework exercises, as well.
The Method
In this ground-breaking method Sharifa offers parents the opportunity to work with her as a personal consultant, as well as engage their learning in observations of the creative Rose Garden environment. Using the insight gained through individual hands-on weekly instruction, parents will be guided in its application, and learn to bring these ideas right into the heart of their home. They will thereby begin to create their family culture in a way that is in harmony with their own highest vision and goals.
For further information, tuition fees or to visit The Rose Garden:
434-823-7026
