Tending the Currents

03/18/2026

Sometimes I will hear from parents:

“My child is smart… so why isn’t this clicking?”

They’ve tried different curriculum or alternative school.
They’ve slowed down.
They’ve added more practice.

But the struggle is still there.

What I’ve found is that many learning challenges aren’t actually about the content… it’s about the foundation underneath the learning.

In my work, I bring a Waldorf-informed, body-based approach to academics. I blend movement, rhythm, and individualized support so learning can become more integrated and accessible.

This can look like:

• Practicing math facts through rhythmic movement and coordination
• Crossing the midline activities to support reading, writing, and brain integration
• Painting to strengthen visual tracking and spatial awareness
• Using hands-on materials like beeswax, plasticine, and wool paired with movement to deepen memory and focus
• Supporting retained reflexes and sensory needs through purposeful play

These activities are intentionally chosen to support how the brain and body work together so that skills like reading, writing, and math don’t feel like such an uphill climb.

It’s like an ultra holistic tutoring that supports the child in body, mind, and spirit to help learning and behavior click.

03/08/2026

Parenting and learning rarely look like “everything is perfect” or “everything is struggling.”

Usually it’s more like:
Some things are going beautifully… and a some spots could use a little tending.

Today, I wrote a little about Extra Lesson, a holistic way of supporting children’s development through movement, sensory work, and individualized activities.

Sharing here if you’re curious.

Extra Lesson isn’t just not widely discussed - most people have never heard of it. This blog shares more about what Extra Lesson is and how it can benefit children.

03/07/2026

This exercise has children draw a 1 with one hand and a 8 with the other rhythmically for about a minute then switch.

AND THEN they do it with their eyes cosed 😳

The child’s breathing changes, the brain is talking bilaterally, the hand is busy, and the eyes are working.

This child’s journey has been amazing.

1️⃣ The first few weeks- he could barely create an 8 shape

2️⃣ The next few weeks - his drawing took up most of the paper

3️⃣ The next few weeks - his shoulders were high but he was coordinating the movements better

♾️ this week, after the drawing, the child looked up at me with SO much pride.

This drawing is balanced, coordinated, and organized.

When the child can see their own progress, it’s so motivating for all of us 😍

02/21/2026

Waldorf Extra Lesson is depressingly hard to explain. Once, at an event for my spouse, someone asked me what my job is. I looked them in the eyes and said “I don’t know” and proceeded to walk away 😂

Of course not because I don’t know but really because I don’t have 30 minutes to explain to them how the child holistically develops and how the work I do strengthens, harmonizes, and brings more ease to the children I work with.

Today, a child who is experiencing difficulty with reading began working through a 6 week painting series that:

👀 helps the eyes learn how to track from left to right (required for reading the English language)

🧠 requires the child to cross the vertical midline, bringing more communication between the two sides of the brain

✋ coordinates the hand with the eye: these two must work together to synchronize visual input

Waldorf is more than just the body. What I bring has intention to support the entire developing person.

🫐 the color blue here calls in soul activity through the eyes. Because children’s relationship to their bodies are so often disrupted in our culture, this painting series helps them harmonize the their life force energy with their physical bodies.

Children often yawn, take deep breaths, and slow their movements down.

This is a sign of rest & digest : a movement away from the overactivity of every day life to a space where they can process and grow without baggage.

Plus - it was her favorite thing! At the end of her hour long session, she said “I loved it all!”

02/17/2026

Sharing this lovely post written by my friend to help us all orient to the Year of the Horse with intention and direction.

Happy Lunar New Year! 🌑

https://www.earth-guides.com/post/the-horse-year-opens-at-the-still-point?fbclid=IwY2xjawQBvnFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETJaMFhkT1pCTVJPS2oxSWJ3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHh4AYtH7b9_WERsyqUAphaCn5E-G62JJgDHOikYi2kfouVvIyugNxexOc3ZK_aem_rRxKbXLHLnI9LDo5otaAkQ

The Year of the Horse is associated with movement — freedom, momentum, vitality. And that energy is coming.But February opens differently, here in the Midwest.Before a horse runs, it stands.It feels the ground. It gathers its weight inward.Late winter is not forgiving terrain. Ice still holds. Spe...

02/13/2026

My approach to working with parents and children is:
💪Body-Based
💃Movement-Centered
🫂 Connection-Driven
🌳Slow-Paced

"My career journey truly began after the birth of my first child in 2014. As a young mother, I faced countless obstacles many parents today experience from a traumatic birth story to breastfeeding issues and a colicky baby all while navigating relationships with partners, parents, and peers. "

I invite you to read more about my story and my philosophy:

Hello! I’m Emily, and I am so grateful you are here. My career journey truly began after the birth of my first child in 2014. As a young mother, I faced countless obstacles many parents today experience from a traumatic birth story to breastfeeding issues and a colicky baby all while navigating re...

02/01/2026

Our bodies weren't made to develop in this high stimulus world. Many of the things we are told to do or buy in the early years of parenting are more to support consumerism than to support your baby.

Did you know your baby isn't even able to meaningfully grasp a toy until they find their vertical midline at 3 months of age. This means every toy before 3 months is completely unnecessary - it creates more noise and clutter that the infant (and you) need to process.

Last month I wrote about the reflexes, and this month I am sharing a little more about how to support their development in infancy.

A brief discussion of how the reflexes promote necessary, foundational development in infancy that sets the stage for structural alignment and later development.

01/30/2026

I’ve thought so much about this space! I wanted it to breathe, to feel safe, and to inspire a sense of healing from the inside out.
It has been a joy to create it, and now it is even more fun to be working with children in this space 😍

01/13/2026

Bringing the body into alignment is often a two part process: release what no longer serves and integrate the archetype.

Introducing my new blog and first blog post - An Introduction to Primitive Reflexes

Primitive reflexes are an important part of child development that set the stage for higher learning and complex movements.

01/05/2026

The dream team is back

Parent & Child Classes Inquire Now In partnership with Forest Lake Nature School These 2-hour seasonal outdoor sessions for caregivers and children are to offer rhythmic opportunities to explore nature, play, and connect in community. This non-separating class includes nature play, seasonal circle t...

12/30/2025

How many samples of Sherwin-Williams paint have I purchased in the last month? …17 is the answer.