Parents, explore a variety of LifeWays tools and resources to support and enrich your home life with children.
The LifeWays Blog
This free resource will come to you each weekend bringing inspiration and gentle reassurances encouraging The Living Arts : Creative Exploration, Practical Activity, Nurturing Care and Social Awareness . The blog is beautifully crafted and edited for you by Mary O'Connell with contributions from leaders in the Early Childhood community.
The LifeWays Seasonal Newsletter
The LifeWays FREE Seasonal Newsletter arrives in your inbox four times a year delivering insights and anecdotes from parents and caregivers around a central theme. You may anticipate Cynthia’s personal message to encourage and support you on the journey of parenting, and more. Join others in the LifeWays community worldwide as we share our personal stories of transforming our own lives with children and learn about the upcoming opportunities for community workshops and online courses as well as the latest news on LifeWays community workshops and Online Courses , and the LifeWays Early Childhood Certification Training.
Books

Parents, LifeWays offers a variety of books to inspire and encourage you in your home (and homeschool!) life.

Life is the Curriculum , by Cynthia Aldinger - explore how the best curriculum for the young child springs from life itself.

Childhood is a Verb , by Bente Goldstein - pure inspiration for activities that engage the will of the child in meaningful ways.

Joyful Toddlers and Preschoolers , by Faith Collins - Imagine a life where your toddler or preschooler is happy to do what you ask, and is able to move on, easily, when disappointed. Imagine getting all of your housework done while your child plays, or happily helps alongside you. Imagine truly enjoying your time with your child, and creating a life that feels fulfilling for both of you.

Rethinking the “Pre” in Preschool , by Meg Freeling – This e-bookle t focuses on what naturally comes before school rather than what must happen to prepare for school.

Tune into Life: The Benefits of Unplugging the Screens in Early Childhood , by Mary O’Connell - this gem of an e-booklet is l oaded with ideas, helpful hints, and personal stories by Mary O’Connell about how she successfully eliminated screen time and gives parents the tools needed to offer engaging and easy-to-implement activities to replace it.

Discovering Joy in Parenting : The First Seven Years, by By Cindy Brooks and Joya Birns - In addition to detailing ways to use rhythm, ritual and reverence to foster joy in family life, the second half of the book is filled with practical suggestions of ways to “untangle knots between parent and child”.

You are Your Child’s First Teacher , by Rahima Baldwin Dancy -Discovering the different stages of learning that children go through from birth to age six will give you the wisdom and understanding to enrich your child’s natural development in the right way at the right time.

Words for Parents in Small Doses , by Judith Frizlen -  This series of weekly contemplations will guide and inspire your parenting. Judith speaks with a warmth and wisdom drawn from her years of experience as a parent and director of Rose Garden, a LifeWays Representative Program in Buffalo, New York. 

Observing Young Children , by Mary O’Connell - This i s a stunning, full-color book with lots of photos as examples of the archetypal development of the young child. Parents  can use this tool to follow the timeline of their child’s development and provide just the right support for the child’s emerging skills.
Online Courses

LifeWays online courses of offer parents a chance to ponder and prepare their homes and their hearts to meet the needs of their unique family. Courses can be completed as your personal schedule allows and each comes with lifetime access.


Living Arts Through the Seasons - This course will support HOW you want to parent and offer activities, traditions and simple daily things that help you live your values with your family.  A new three-month edition opens each season.

Healthy Home Rhythms – enroll anytime! - This popular online course, developed by Kerry Ingram at Mothering Arts, supports you to create a balanced home rhythm rooted in presence and joy. 

Discipline with Loving Awareness – Returning in May 2019 - Cynthia’s  L.O.V.E. Approach to Discipline has b een joyfully appreciated ever since she first offered it as a workshop at a large early childhood conference twenty years ago. The time-tested tools available in this course have served as inspiration to parents, caregivers and early childhood teachers for two decades.

Home as the Model, Life as the Curriculum – Date TBA for 2019 – Have you wanted to learn more about the magic of LifeWays? Join Cynthia and Mary for a four-week course exploring how the best curriculum for the young child springs from life itself. Learn how Life, the Child, the Adult and the Environment all form the perfect learning ground for the young child.  

The Living Arts – Cornerstones of Care – Returning in September 2019 - Join Cynthia and Mary   for a four-week co urse exploring ways to use the Living Arts as the cornerstones for a solid foundation of learning for the young child and enrichment for your parenting. Each week we will explore one of the Living Arts (Practical Activity, Nurturing Care, Creative Exploration and Social Awareness) and learn how to bring these activities into daily life with young children.

Inspired Homemaking – Returning April 2019 - Join  Rahima Baldwin Dancy  online for this five-week course in which you will build up a picture of your home life while you explore what is working for you and what isn’t on the physical, rhythmical, emotional, and spiritual levels of your home. Be inspired by the experiences shared by Rahima and other participants as you determine what you want to do next toward creating a home life that is more supportive for every member of the family!

Creating Your Family Culture , an Elemental Approach – enroll anytime - In this Step-by-Step, Self-guided Course, You will discover and define your own family values then develop ways to practice those values every day with your children, intentionally creating a unique culture that sustains your family and brings you joy!
LifeWays Certification Training :
Transform your life with your children through this intensive, 200+ hour, four-season experience which will open your mind and heart to the children in your life. 

You’ll learn about:
  • making music for yourself and for children,
  • moving with grace, strength and positive gestures,
  • making puppets and telling stories,
  • crafting beautiful, purposeful things,
  • mindful caring for your home or work environment,
  • setting up your own child care business,
  • creating daily/weekly schedules that invigorate rather than exhaust,
  • creating simple, wholesome meals,
  • understanding yourself, children and other adults better,
  • human and cultural development from Rudolf Steiner's research,
  • offering nourishing and nurturing care to yourself and others during illness, and
  • celebrating life!
girls food carrots cooperation
Transform your life with young children!