Our guest blogger and school counselor, Christa Marvenko-Athas, has some useful insight for parents coping with this stressful time. Take a look at her suggestions of how laughter can help.

There is not much that seems funny these days. We are continuously living in a state of stress and trying to cope the best we can. As you scroll through social media platforms, or watch recaps of popular comedians and talk-show hosts, you will see many people trying to use humor as a way to cope.

May Day is also our community’s family day and a very special celebration each year.

May Day is celebrated each year on May 1 and is a traditional celebration of nature’s revival after a long and cold winter. The Waldorf School of Baltimore celebrates May Day by honoring our students’ families, grandparents, and friends. 

Our teaching staff is using creative solutions to keep a balance between screen time and other educational activities based on developmental capacities.

On any regular school day a guest could walk into the Waldorf School of Baltimore and find children engaged in activities from reading to playing string instruments to exploring the great outdoors.

What guests won’t see are children glued to screens – in fact, a guest would be hard-pressed to find a screen at all. The school embraces slow technology and is screen-free during the school day on the Pre-K through eighth grade campus. As the school transitioned to distance learning, continuing to be conscious of developmental needs is a continued, top priority for the school during this time said Executive Director Pat Whitehead.

During this hectic time, children can be ushered into developing valuable life skills.

Allowing children to have ample amounts of self-directed, independent play is part of our Children’s Garden daily rhythms. Waldorf children are able to develop imagination while working through challenges with free play during their earliest developmental years and experts say these skills can last a lifetime.