September 2021
Hello friends,

Shall we get the controversial stuff out of the way first? Why not? Here are a few thoughts on why I think children should not wear masks.

My concern is not only what the masks do to children physically (it has been clearly shown by now censored studies in Germany that the masks effect children’s breathing even more than they effect the breathing of adults)--but what it does to a child to be basically saying the world is unsafe. You have just arrived here not so many years ago and there is an existential threat to you. We need to stay away from other people, not touch them, keep masks on and be ever alert to the possibility of a disease which kills---but in fairly narrow circumstances. What if we behaved like that with regard to cars? According to the WHO 1.3 million people are killed each year—each year!!--by cars. And that does not include those injured in accidents or those whose lives are effected by the pollution from cars. But cars are just a part of modern life and we are willing to take a risk. So why don’t we take a risk with COVID?
I grew up in NYC. I spent my childhood and teen years in close proximity—streets, stores, subways—to all sorts of other people who undoubtedly had all sorts of nasty pathogens. Tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis—those are only a few which were abundant in NYC. I went into our local hipster co-op some months ago to find that the water fountain had been roped off ‘to keep you safe from COVID’. I have distinct memories as a child of homeless people slobbering into public water fountains, even spitting in them—yet I, like all but the most germ-fearing New Yorkers, drank from those fountains regularly. One might let the water run a bit...but there was no fear. No fear, no illness.

And now we have a situation where millions of children across the globe are basically wearing warm moist Petri dishes on their faces in the name of protecting them from a disease that doesn’t really effect children. Obscuring half of the human face has been normalized. Even worse perhaps is that for heading toward two years now—a hefty chunk of time in any child’s life—fear and suspicion of the Other has dominated the social experiences of children. Perhaps you homeschoolers have found ways to be with people who embrace life and trust their immune systems---but I know for sure that in many if not most Waldorf schools here in N America, fear and a bowing to a clearly arbitrary exercise of concentrated power, often in the hands of the unelected, dominates. Do you know that ‘Waldorf’ early years teachers now have finger-plays for little ones to help with putting on their masks and that they recommend that parents wear masks at home so the children will imitate? Words fail me.

Here is a very well researched article written by a man who has some interesting ideas about education. This article originally appeared in Forbes magazine but was then memory-holed and has disappeared from their website. Fortunately, there are ways of accessing censored material so here you are: https://archive.ph/9MeFZ

And another:
Tests and Testing
The main topic this month is actually tests and testing, not masks. Here is a link to a recording where I discuss tests and testing and how Christopherus works with this issue.

I refer to a geometry test from our sixth grade curriculum---here is that test for you to look at.
I have done a couple of livestreams on our Christopherus locals group—but then ran into a big problem the other day. I am very non techie and really need a click and go situation. But my determination to be as independent techwise means that if something goes wrong I have to be able to fix it. I am not sure how to solve this but we are working on it! It seems that the problem this time is with locals….and as they are still quite new and quite small, there are glitches...I have to think if this is the best way forward for Christopherus.

In the meantime I really want to record a number of talks on the theme of coping as a parent in these incredibly dark times. I think that what I will do for now is simply record them and put them on a page on the Christopherus website.

I am listing the topics now so that I can stimulate some feedback and comments from you all---please, please write and let me know if there are things you’d like me to address or if you would care to share your thoughts….You can email me directly (see below) or via the locals group.

We will send out an email when the recordings are ready to listen to.

  • The Myth of the Resilient Child
  • Developing One’s Conscience
  • Raising Children to Become Free Adults
  • Coping During Times of Crisis
  • Balancing at the Edge of the Abyss
  • Support from the Spiritual Worlds

I think there’s a bit of an overarching theme here, eh?

I know that many of you really connect very deeply with what I say and I sincerely hope to be of assistance during these difficult times we live in. If you know anyone who you think might benefit from these talks, do spread the word! You might like to send people to the archive of this newsletter to read and listen to past issues to give folks a bit of taste of where I come from on such difficult topics.


Til October,
Blessings on your homeschool journey,
Donna
donna@christopherushomeschool.org