Heaven on Earth: A Handbook for Parents of Young Children (Paperback)

by Sharifa Oppenheimer (Author), Stephanie Gross (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As we witness the shifting of old forms that once stood as the foundation of our daily lives, parents—who must prepare the next generation to meet this changing world—have more questions now than ever before. Although our culture and the nature of the family may be changing, the atmosphere in the home continues to create the foundation of a child’s life. In Heaven on Earth, parent and educator Sharifa Oppenheimer reveals how to make the home environment warm, lively, loving, and consistent with your highest ideals.

Heaven on Earth balances theoretical understanding of child development with practical ideas, resources, and tips that can transform family life. Readers will learn how to establish the life rhythms that lay the foundation for all learning; how to design indoor play environments that allow children the broadest skills development; and how to create backyard play spaces that encourage vigorous movement and a wide sensory palette. Through art, storytelling, and the festival celebrations, this book is a guide to build a "family culture" based on the guiding principle of love. Such a culture supports children and allows the free development of each unique soul.

Responding to parents’ questions from more than twenty years of teaching, Oppenheimer has created a gift from the heart. This is a practical, inspiring resource that brings her informed, intuitive understanding of young children into the heart of the home.

About the Author
Sharifa Oppenheimer was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as day care director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through teacher-training programs at Sunbridge College in New York State, and at Rudolf Steiner College near Sacramento as a master teacher offering practicum and internship opportunities. She has written many articles on Waldorf education, helping the parents of her students create supportive home environments. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa is the mother of three grown sons, who received Waldorf educations. She lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Steinerbooks (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880105666
• ISBN-13: 978-0880105668
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for parents of small children, March 12, 2008

By	V. Linnean "Alaskan Realtor" (Anchorage, AK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a new mom (my son is now 1 year old), I was searching for information on how to raise a child in todays overly technological society. The first book about raising children that I read was "You Are Your Child's First Teacher," by Baldwin Dancy. I found this book to be very difficult to read, and I wanted more how to apply the information instead of so much theory.

The next book was "Beyond the Rainbow Bridge, Nurturing our Children from Birth to Seven," by Patterson, Bradley & Riordan. This was a great intro to Waldorf style parenting. It was a quick, easy read with a lot of good information, but again it left me wanting to know more about how to implement the ideas of fesivals & rhythms.

I finally purchased "Heaven on Earth" (recommended by a Waldorf kindergarten teacher at a parenting meeting I went to), and I finally found what I'm looking for. This book has the theory, talks about how children learn, is easy to read, and has all the how to information I was looking for. She gives the elements of festivals, then goes step by step through a few sample festivals, including a fall apple festival and an Easter festival (which I plan to do this year).

She talks about toys, gives sample stories to tell children at different ages, talks about discipline, rhythms, how to set up an indoor play space and how to set up an outdoor play space, how to incorporate children into your daily chores and much more.

It would be very difficult to incorporate everything she talks about in this book, but it's easy to pick and choose a few things you want to improve or change. I knew I wanted to do some annual festivals, but had no idea where to start. I love her ideas for children's birthdays, Christmas and Easter.

Perhaps the most important and useful feature of this book is the appendix. Here you can find websites and sources for children's natural toys & dolls, art & craft supplies, wool longjohns, cloth diapers, organic skin care and much more. She also includes a pattern to make a simple doll.

I would highly recommend this to any parent of children under the age of 7.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had young kids again!, April 9, 2008

By	HeartofAvalon "abellygoddess" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This book is a wonderful resource to own if you are a parent of young children, a nanny or preschool teacher, or a grandparent. I wish that I had had this book when my own children were small. Not only does it share developmental understanding about children, it gives actual activities with enough examples for the caregiver to implement. I was a preschool teacher and nanny for many years, and I am even familiar with many of the Waldorf ideas, but this book really makes the whole experience accessible! I learned so much!

I love the notes in the margins to help find information quickly, or as a reminder once you have read the book. It is a book that I could see going back to over and over. One of the ideas that I loved was the one about helping children through problems. Instead of telling them what to do, or talking about it with them, tell them a story using their toy animals and such, letting the protagonist animal have their same issue. That way they can see their own issue dramatized and they can take it in so much easier and with less stress. No lecturing...just a story. How's that for a great idea? (I know the Native Americans often problem solve with stories, but I could never figure out how to do it "naturally." Now I know!) And that's just ONE of the ideas.

The book also gives ideas for the day to day rhythms of family life, seasonal celebrations and birthdays. It reignited my respect for the magical essence of young children, and my passion to help them flourish!

This book is a keeper.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful resource for parents!, January 18, 2007

By	Sara Marshall (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I absolutely loved this book. I am the parent of a young child and feel so fortunate to now have this resource to consult throughout my daughter's childhood. Ms. Oppenheimer has provided parents an easy to use, well-written book with so many ideas for enriching the lives of young children. I loved the suggestions on nighttime rituals, family festivals and the science behind movement and play. I will be turning to this book many times for guidance and suggestions.