Our Waldorf Homeschool Journey

Hi Everyone

Getting back to Rudolf Steiners 4 Temperaments…I’d like to finish with The Choleric Child.
There is at least one of these children in every class, often 2. They are the born leaders. The children who appear to constantly want to be the centre of attention.Every act seems to be geared towards, the “look at me!”idea. They are wonderful friends to have, and are warm hearted and giving. Often their favourite colour is red.

I do not have one of these children. Bear in mind that every human has all 4 Temperaments in them, so the choleric temperament will raise it’s head every now and again, no matter what the dominant temperament may be. I’m seeing quite a bit of it with StJohn who to date has been completely sanguine,with the odd melancholic mood.

Well as he nears his 7th birthday, his choleric temperament is raising it’s head. How to deal with it??? Again patience is the key. I must admit I’m finding it difficult at the moment. The need to be louder and more visible then any other member of the family gets on my nerves. I work hard at everyone having a place and creating a gently calm atmosphere. Not just for school, but for the entire day. StJohn at the moment just digs his heels in. Things like, No!I’m not doing that! or wait for it…this mornings joy…picking my cat up when we’re quietly having breakfast and carrying her down the stairs because he doesn’t want her in the dining room. He does it knowing full well that under normal circumstances I’d go beserk. Usually saying, “Put the cat down,she always sits next to me on the floor, sit and have your breakfast.”

But to his apparent disappointment, I continue eating my yoghurt (which at this point tastes like cardboard). I do not rise to his bait. I wait him out (which let me tell you being predominantly sanguine and wanting to just get on with the day, takes some doing!)

The key is patience…waiting as long as a day, picking a calm well rested time and discussing it in a firm and direct manner that his leaving the breakfast table and getting rid of my kitty down the stairs, is so totally unacceptable. Explaining that breakfast time is the time our family joins together for the first time each day, we have a verse and focus on our blessings, to just up and rearrange the family is not in his job description.

So dealing with this child or at least the temperament when it arises is damn difficult. I was listening to a Rudolf Steiner lecture briefly before lunch today,as StJohn had stormed out of the room after a whopping tantrum. I was feeling pretty low, but keeping it in as Juliette was having such a good time with her work. Anyway we finished our work Jules and I and I told them I needed some quiet time and went to listen to some words of wisdom. Searching for help at this point….I focused on the problem and found the exact lecture.

Dr Steiner talks about watching this child as he storms around and causes chaos. Take everything in that he does but do not reprimand at this point. Absorb the details, and then the following morning, after a healthy breakfast and a good nights rest, you talk it out.

I do this in detail, in other words I will say… Yesterday, at this time, when we were about to start our form drawing you threw your block crayon across the floor, remember over there in the corner of the room? This behaviour is unacceptable, because in our classroom/home we treat our crayons with respect and gratitude. We treat each other with respect. You did not treat your belongings or your family with respect yeasterday. This is wrong. Please do not let it happen again.

Generally StJohn will apologise and then that is it, it is over and sorted. But it’s not easy, for me I find the choleric temperament the most difficult to deal with. Most of the time I just don’t see the point of the whole hoo-ha!I generally just want to say…Just chill out! But that would have absolutely no effect!

May you be blessed with patience and wisdom if you are blessed to have a choleric child. Remember choleric adults are the ones who change the world, or at least make the world sit up and listen.

Please remember that this is just a brief look at Rudolf Steiners 4 Temperaments, to really understand then, a good place to start is his small easy to read book below:

I have this little book, and I read it often…It sleeps next to my bed. It gives you a great understanding of your fellow man.

Now I was planning on telling you all about the Vimala Alphabet but my headache from todays dramas with StJohn is horrid! And I still have to research the Mule Deer. Strangely enough I’ve never heard of the thing. Go figure.

Have a fun filled week.

Sue.

Filed under: The 4 Temperaments, Waldorf Homeschooling on October 28th, 2008