Dear friends,
Some of you will have noticed that there was no January edition of this newsletter. This is because I was recovering from Covid and not up to it.
My intention with this newsletter was to write about my road to recovery and my journey of self-healing. In the face of the developing global situation, that idea has paled….
However, children get sick no matter what is happening in the world so here are two articles which can be helpful as parents consider best ways to help their children when they are ill:
My experience with illness, whether of children or adults, is that Time is the most important factor: time to be ill, time to convalesce and then time to consider what changes have occurred during that illness. Once a child reaches their early teens, it could be a good habit to foster, to make time to talk about what being ill was like, what significant dreams might have occurred and how they might now feel a bit different. Illness is an important part of life, one that can bring many lessons if one learns not to fear it and shut it down.
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War in Europe
As I write, the long-dreaded war in Eastern Europe appears to have broken out---with further complications very possible between Taiwan and China.
Regardless of how exactly this develops, there is, in my mind, no doubt that this is a turning point in a period of time which has seriously changed how many people locate themselves in the narrative of our world--- how people regard truth, science and reality; what the right role of government is; and what exactly global elites have in mind. This last item is of course no secret now---one can no longer claim this is a conspiracy theory when they gleefully promote their plans on websites and through press announcements though one has to get past the warm fuzzy rainbow talk to really penetrate what they mean. Do bear in mind that ‘inclusive’ (for instance) does not include, say, working class truckers trying to have their voices heard.
Anyway….we do not know how these next days, weeks and months will unfold but it is clear that the possibility of a global economic crash is very real, on top of everything else. Christopherus is vulnerable to supply chain breakdowns because, in part, of our reliance on our local printers (and all the businesses they rely upon) as well as the postal service.
In addition, last week we saw a cyber attack on the Ukraine, supposedly the fault of Russia (maybe, maybe not). The elites who warned us a few years ago about a global pandemic have been warning us about a global or at least US-focused cyber attack for the past few months.
so…..
IT MIGHT WELL BE PRUDENT FOR FOLKS TO PURCHASE THEIR CURRICULUM MATERIALS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
In times of stress and fear, children need time to play. If adults around them are frightened or worried, the single most precious gift one can give to children is to let them play imaginatively with their toys. They might act out war games or fragments of adult conversation---do not question them about anything they do in their play. This is the child’s natural way of working with what comes to them from the world. It is soul work---sacred, and not to be impinged upon by adults.
Rather, if you see, for instance, a child repetitively killing one of his dolls, allow him to do this, but ensure that the bedtime story he gets (over and over and over again) is gentle and focused on the good. Never ask your child about his inner life but always be ready to listen into and behind what he says. And if he does ask a pointed question, answer simply, even if you have to say ‘I don’t know’. Your clarity of heart is a balm to him. Your understanding of world events means nothing to him.
I don’t know if it happens any longer, but some years ago a team of early years Waldorf teachers would go into refugee camps such as in Gaza, and set up play tents for the children. They used puppets amongst other things and after a short simple puppet show (using no words of course), the children were allowed to then play with the puppets and other simple toys (silks, boxes, bricks, simple dolls and so on). This was incredibly healing for the children and utterly grounded in the reality of child development, which takes its course in all children, of whatever race, gender, religion, culture. People like to talk about resiliency in children---play and treating the children appropriate to their age (ie not discussing things with them, thus bringing them prematurely into self consciousness and into the adult world) is utterly healing.
Here is a link to our locals group where people can listen to a number of talks I have created on the topic of parenting in dark times. One of the talks is called The Myth of the Resilient Child.
As always, long non directed walks in the woods, in a park, at the seaside, are also a way to refresh and heal, for both adults and children.
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Praying with your child
Pray with your child—let her hear you thanking God for the good things in your life. And let her hear you pray with concern about those who are suffering. It is an illusion to try to shut out suffering---to bring up children in such a way that one only focuses on the good is to cheat them out of one of life’s most important lessons, the redemption of evil. It is not that one welcomes suffering into a child’s life, but one can, with vigilance, find ways to acknowledge it and then to offer it up to God. A child who takes such a practice into life is one who is well equipped to deal with whatever comes toward her in life.
When your child is in bed, talk to his Guardian Angel with or for him. Encourage your child to speak with his Angel whenever he wants to.
As children enter their teens, all of these things are important---but you also need to talk to your child a bit about what is happening. Do not rush this---it is best to wait for your child to ask a question though if you see she is clearly worrying about something, it might be that you need to draw her out. She is now too old to play with her toys and a journal could be good. Reassure her that no matter what she writes, her journal is hers alone and no one will ever look at it. Just as her play was her sacred space for working through what happens in the world, so art work or something such as journalling, can fulfill the same role.
Continue to pray with older children---as they enter and pass through their teens, they need a good working relationship with the Divine more than ever. If your child is embarrassed or won’t join prayers do not force the issue. True prayer cannot be forced---a young child does it out of imitation and an older one can benefit from witnessing their parents praying. Let your child know, through what you do not what you say, that we are never alone. Spiritual help is always there if we take the time to ask and then to listen.
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Support from fellow homeschoolers
It be a bit odd to give a warning about cyber attacks and then move on to promoting our online discussion group...but, well, here you go! People might like to join our locals group to get support from fellow Christopherus folks---please join us! There is so much going on in the world these days---it could be helpful to connect, even if only virtually, with others. Of course, making efforts to actually be in the flesh with like-minded people is the best option---but is not always readily available for everyone.
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As a Christian, I take Christ’s words to ‘watch and pray’ ever more seriously. This verse, written by a Christian Community priest (the church inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner) could be helpful to some of you:
For the Peoples of the World
O Christ, Thou knowest
The souls and spirits
Whose deeds have woven
Each country’s destiny.
May we who today
Share the world’s life
Find the strength and the light
Of Thy servant Michael.
And our hearts be warmed
By Thy blessing, O Christ,
That our deeds may serve
The healing of peoples.
Many blessings to you and your families,
Donna
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