Our vision and values

At Whole Family Rhythms, our vision is to connect and inspire mothers, carers and communities with each other so that they feel empowered to raise children who are wholly connected with themselves, to others and to the earth we live on.

We believe that peace begins in the home.

Meagan from Whole Family Rhythms Cooks with her Children We believe strongly that our unique Family Values should and can inform our daily lives and that living authentically aligned with these values models them for our children.

We value, respect and aim to enhance both our diversity as a community and our common threads through active listening, empathy, understanding and compassion.

We strive to be an inclusive community to that everyone who identifies as a 'parent', regardless of racial identification, ancestry, nationality, native language, socioeconomic background, family structure, age, belief system, gender identity, gender expression, sexual identity, ability, appearance, occupation, and political affiliation feels that they are a valued and essential part of this collective.

We are always looking for contributors who share this vision and these values. Click here for more information.

About Meagan

Meagan founded Whole Family Rhythms in 2013 after being deeply inspired by the idea of RHYTHM being a transformative and nourishing part of a child's daily life.

Meagan’s interest in conscious and mindful living began while she earned her degree from McGill University in International Development, World Religion and Philosophy.

Meagan Wilson, founder of Whole Family Rhythms After the birth of her first child, she developed an interest in play-based learning, natural parenting and Waldorf Education and went on to complete her Foundations in Steiner Education and Anthroposophy at Sydney Steiner College. She has received her certification as a Simplicity Parenting Family Life Coach and holds a certificate in Waldorf Early Childhood Education from the Toronto Steiner Center.

Some question that continue to inspire Meagan are:

How can I support, nurture and guide my children in a way that honours their unique being?

How can I model for my children, the deepest values that I hold?

How can I prepare my children best to enter fully into the Anthropocene ?

Meagan's style of Holistic Parenting is reflected in her series of Whole Family Rhythms Season Guides. Her work with one-on-one coaching helps to support parents who are striving towards a more conscious way of parenting and who often just need reassurance that they are on the right path.

What they're saying...

In a world of rushed motherhood, of doctor appointments and hospital stays, your guides have helped me adapt a rhythm to try and keep some consistency in my girls’ world, as well as assist me to engage in meaningful moments of calm with them through craft and handiwork. So thankful for that helping hand!

Amanda Le Roux

I purchased the Fall and Winter Guides from Whole Family Rhythms to use with my family, including to support my husband who is a stay at home dad. We have a strong sense of our family rhythms but we need reminders occasionally to keep things simple. These guides help us stay grounded in our practice of simplicity and offer practical tools. Even if I don’t have the materials suggested in the guide, I can still use the craft ideas and personalize it to our family.

Katherine Coughlan

I love the Whole Family Rhythms Guides because they are practical and beautiful. They provide me as a mother and caregiver with so many ideas and resources to help me create our own rhythm, and to frame our daily life in a beautiful and meaningful way. The way in which the Guides focus on rhythm, family values, simplicity, healthy and joyful eating and children’s creativity and wondering speaks right to my heart, and helps me feel strong and confident in my role as a parent.

Camilla Heen Hellkas

FAQ

Do the Guides use a Waldorf/Steiner Curriculum?

Although they are inspired by Waldorf philosophy and education they also borrow concepts from Montessori, the Forest School Movement, Unschooling, Reggio Emilia and other alternative education concepts.

What is the difference between The Guides from the Southern and Northern Hemisphere?

The seasons and festivals are flipped depending on which hemisphere you live in. For example, Easter activities can be found in the Southern Hemisphere Autumn Guide and in the Northern Hemisphere Spring Guide, while Christmas activities are found in the Southern Hemisphere Summer Guide and in the Northern Hemisphere Winter Guide. Some of the crafts and stories are also slightly different in order to suit the hemisphere you live in.

How do I use and personalize the Whole Family Rhythms Guides?

I encourage you to look at your own lives, schedules and activities and to personalize your Daily Rhythm accordingly. Perhaps you want to begin with spending only one or two days a week working on a focused activity like watercolour painting or beeswax modeling.

The Daily Rhythm is not set in stone, with every Guide, you will receive an editable PDF version of the Daily Rhythm so that can do you own editing and planning. You can spread the activities out over a longer period of time, do the crafts or baking on the weekend with the entire family or skip over parts of the rhythm to entirely to suit your needs. The timing of activities is also flexible. I have tried to keep school pick-up times in mind as well as older children in the home, but perhaps you have a younger infant and naptimes are the perfect opportunity for you and your older toddler to share an hour together. Every family will have a slightly different rhythm that works for them.

What ages are the Guides for?

The Guides are ideally for children ages 2-6 but younger and older siblings have used them with joy too! You can also click here to view a sample week from each of the four Seasonal Guides.

Where can I buy the Guides in Print?

You can purchase the 4 Seasonal Guides (for the Northern Hemipshere only) from The Paper Pipit Shop. They ship internationally.