A Place to Begin: Parent-Child Classes at Susquehanna Waldorf School
The days of caring for a baby or toddler can feel impossibly long, and yet somehow, the season itself passes in an instant. Early parenthood is filled with wonder, change, questions, and a kind of fullness that can be difficult to explain until you are living it yourself.
It can also be lonely.
At Susquehanna Waldorf School, our parent-child programs offer families something simple but meaningful: a place to slow down, connect with their child, and spend time in community with other parents and caregivers who are navigating this season alongside them.
Little Ferns and our new Joyful Beginnings class welcome families from throughout Lancaster and York Counties. You do not need to be enrolled at SWS or planning ahead for preschool or kindergarten. You simply need a little one and a desire for connection.
Little Ferns: Growing Together Through the Toddler Years
Little Ferns welcomes babies and young children through approximately age three, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
The morning unfolds at a gentle pace, with time for free play, songs and verses, a shared snack, and simple handwork for adults while children explore the space around them. Little Ferns meets Thursday mornings with Ms. Becky and Friday mornings with Ms. Kat from 8:45 to 10:45 am. Saturday sessions with Ms. Valerie have also been offered.
The rhythm is intentionally unhurried. Children have time to explore without being directed from one activity to the next, while their grown-ups have an opportunity to be present, observe, and connect.
Each week also includes time for conversation among the adults. Parenting questions are welcomed here, from sleep and rhythm to developmental changes and the everyday challenges of life with young children. There is room to wonder together without the expectation that anyone has all the answers.
Joyful Beginnings: A Space for Babies and Their Grown-Ups
This fall, we are also reintroducing a new class, “Joyful Beginnings,” a parent-infant class for babies from approximately six weeks through the crawling stage.
Led by Ms. Tabea Steinbeisser-Fitz, a longtime SWS early childhood educator with a background in midwifery, Joyful Beginnings draws from both Waldorf education and the work of pediatrician Dr. Emmi Pikler.
Central to the Pikler approach is deep respect for the infant as an active participant in their own development. Babies are given time and space for self-initiated movement, allowing them to discover what their bodies can do without being hurried into positions or milestones.
For parents, this can mean practicing something surprisingly difficult: slowing down enough to observe.
There is time on the floor, time to watch your baby explore, and time to talk together about respectful caregiving, sleep, attachment, rhythm, nutrition, family life, and the many questions that accompany a baby's first year.
A Place for Parents, Too
We often talk about parent-child classes in terms of what they offer children. There is another part of these programs that matters just as much.
They are for the grown-ups, too.
Early parenthood can feel isolating in ways that are difficult to anticipate. Suddenly there are a hundred new questions, your days look entirely different, and finding people who truly understand this particular season of life can be surprisingly hard.
Gathering in the same room each week creates space for relationships to form naturally. Conversations continue after class. Parents exchange ideas, recognize pieces of their own experiences in one another, and often build friendships that extend far beyond the program itself.
“I appreciated connecting with other parents going through the same challenges as I was, and gleaning simple ways to make parenting feel a bit less overwhelming. I am grateful for the wisdom and grace extended in this class. It’s changed the way I parent and view my children.”
This sense of community is an important part of Waldorf education at every age. We believe children thrive within relationships, and families do, too.
Come As You Are
There is no need to know anything about Waldorf education before walking through our doors. You do not need to be considering Susquehanna Waldorf School for your child's future education.
You are welcome simply because you are raising a little person, and this season was never meant to be navigated alone.
Maybe you will leave with a new song to sing at home, a different way of observing your baby's movement, or an idea that makes bedtime a little easier. Maybe you will simply have enjoyed two hours when no one expected you to be anywhere else.
And maybe you will meet someone who is in the same season of life and understands.
Sometimes, that is exactly what a family needs.
Join Us
Little Ferns meets Thursday and Friday mornings from 8:45 to 10:45 am and welcomes children from birth through approximately age three with a parent or caregiver.
Joyful Beginnings meets Fridays from 10:00 to 11:15 am and welcomes babies from approximately six weeks through the crawling stage. The eight-week fall session runs October 2 through December 4.
To learn more or register, contact SWS Admissions at 717-426-4506 or admissions@susquehanna.org, or visit our Parent-Child Programs page.
A Gratitude Note from Dr. Tom
As we enter this season of gratitude, I'm reminded of a poem written by a Waldorf teacher that begins with the two lines...
Home is where the heart is
So let this heart beat strong.
For the children in our care, home and school is the heart of their world. The support of our parents and the hard work of our teachers create a nurturing culture that we are grateful for at this time of Thanksgiving.
For our students, the heartbeat of the day starts with a greeting from a teacher, a rhythmical verse with classmates, and a measured song of reflective meaning. The challenge of the main lesson transcends memorization and recall to focus on the essence of learning: reflection, debate, understanding, and application. When I observe our dedicated teachers at work, I am thankful for their energy and talent to create authentic learning materials that challenge critical thinking and nurture self-discovery.
Susquehanna Waldorf's teachers are aware of society's influences on young people that can lead them to feel entitled to many things we can take for granted. Each teacher accepts the challenge by modeling reflective behavior and designing lessons that build awareness for all we have. How exciting to think about the impact of our grateful and resilient students will have on our future world! To borrow from the principles of Waldorf schools...
As an individual in society, our students are empowered to serve humanity with the strength of will, depth of feeling, clarity of thought, and the ability to work with others.
Thank you again for all your support of SWS. Have a warm and reflecting Thanksgiving!
Tom
