Relationships – Common Ground and Steiner

One of my biggest aims in supporting homeschooling families is helping husbands and wives communicate and relate to each other.  By finding common ground, gaps can be bridged and partners can build some depth in their relationship - depth that meets the needs of both Mom and Dad.  Most of the time when a mom tells me that Dad isn't supportive of Steiner/Waldorf/homeschooling, it is just a symptom of a much larger problem.  There is a big hole in how they communicate and Steiner just makes that gap seem bigger than ever.

My husband, Erik, is a huge film buff.  He's your average man who loves to see things blowing up (that's the 10 year-old boy that lives inside most men), but he's also got a desire to understand where the filmmaker was coming from.  What we found is how Steiner's indications are alive and well in many of the films that he enjoys.  This morning I was relating to him an excerpt from "Handwork Indications" in the introduction written by Hedwig Hauck:

"Our age is a technological one, and grows ever more so as the years go by.  Machines now perform the work that was until recently done by the human being himself: he is obliged to serve the machine, although, in many cases, he is quite ignorant of its construction and of the force by which it is driven.  He can take little or no interest in an occupation of this kind, and weakness and emptiness in his soul-life is the inevitable result."

He grabbed his boxed set of "Matrix" and pulled out the second movie, "Reloaded".  We watched a portion of the movie in the first 30 minutes of the film where the star, Reeves, is talking to one of the older residents of the underground city.  The discussion is surprisingly similar to the quote above - learning to appreciate the technology but not becoming so removed from it that we allow it to overcome us.  We have become servants to our own conveniences.  Steiner warned of this which is one reason that he believed the curriculum needed the arts - handwork - keeping us out of our head, connected with our hands, and related to our hearts.

"Terminator" ... a franchise that pride's itself on destroying machines that took over the world.  The irony that our men would enjoy films like this when we are talking to them about limiting media in our homes!  MOMS!  Use this as common ground!  One thing that I know cements Erik and I is our ability to find ways to meet each other in the middle with regards to our passions. We have really enjoyed looking at some of Steiner's indications and how they are present in today's media.

Taking the time to find ways to relate to your partner will benefit you as a couple - he will appreciate you for making the effort and will likely return the favor.  I use movies as an example, but there must be a way to your partner's heart...mind...both! 

Is it books?
Movies?  
Philosophy?  
Gardening?  

Rather than looking at how far apart your interests are, look at ways to come together to see the positive in it all.  How would Erik view me if I was always down on what he liked?  Does that mean I have to like all the movies he likes?  NO!  He's been to some where I just thought "hmmm...no thanks" just like there are some projects I undertake where he's not so sure he wants to jump in, but because we have common ground in other very important areas we can be happy for each other.

So with that... go hunt down your hubby and teach him to knit!  

Not confident with your handwork skills? Join our Thinking, Feeling, Willing Program HERE.