How Do You Get Started?

Learn about Waldorf. Go to Waldorf Resources, Christopherus Homeschool, Waldorf In The Home, Wonder Ranch and read, read, read.

Join a Waldorf Homeschooling discussion group. My group is called Waldorf Homeschool/Special Needs, it focuses on homeschooling special needs children with Waldorf methods. Donna Simmons of Christopherus has an excellent group called Waldorf at Home. One of the original Waldorf discussion groups is WE_HS and is highly recommended.

If you are a reader, check out my Recommended Books about Waldorf, Bipolar, Parenting and Homeschooling.

Learn about homeschooling in your state. Go to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association to find all the homeschool requirements by state. Understand your rights!

Decide how you want to homeschool: Independently, through a charter school, through an umbrella school. Each of these has it's own pros and cons. Where you live and how much money you have available can help you make a decision.

Visit homeschooling sites to see what options you have: A to Z Home's Cool is a very comprehensive site.

Begin to make some changes in your home. Limit 'media' exposure. Can you just say the TV is broken and take it away (or do you even want to) or do you gradually wean your children off TV? I find that in the summer I am more lax with TV but when school starts the rule is no TV or computer on school days and then I limit exposure on weekends. I highly recommend you eliminate game boys as well as Nintendo, X-box, etc. Game Boys are especially isolating for children. They may keep them entertained but they don't get them out in the world. Electronic media also keeps them from using their imagination. They may play out what they see on TV but, remember, that is what someone else thought up! Frankly, I think our society has become way too isolated through use of computers, TV's, and electronic media. Remember, they need to socialize!!!

Begin to put your rhythm in place. Begin to institute little rituals that let your children know it's time for dinner for instance. Ask them to set the table, sit down and say grace, hold hands and say what you are thankful for....anything that brings you together as a family and sets the mood you want. Work on yourself to put that rhythm in place. If you are like me....you want desperately for everyone to do everything your way....and I feel this way because trying to get a bipolar child to cooperate with me challenges me right down to the roots of my soul...so I try to control everything else! Just let me control something!!! I scream. I'm working on it.

Research curriculum and see what will work for you. Live Ed! is one of the truly Waldorf homeschool curriculum available. Oak Meadow, though many think it is Waldorf is much more mainstream. Christopherus Homeschool has a wonderful Overview of the entire Waldorf curriculum and also offers consulting services as well as many other helpful publications.

Find a place to have school. Many will tell you "home is not school" but I can assure you that having a place to do schoolwork and having a place for all the supplies you need, having a blackboard, etc. is life saving. It saves my sanity to have one room where "it" all goes. And when I go into the school room and sing "Shoofly Don't Bother Me" my kids know it's time for schoolwork!

Just do it! Now someone gave me this advice last year. She told me to stop reading so much, stop asking so many questions, stop looking and just get out there and do what I knew. I needed that, to be empowered! I began to realize how much I do know. I have a new found confidence in myself and what I know. I no longer consider myself a "Waldorf Newbie" but a Waldorf Old Timer!