Waldorf Schooling Anyone?

[Libris]

Does anyone here homeschool using Waldorf/Steiner curriculum? I'm thinking it might be a good way to start homeschooling my dd. She's only one, but I really like that it encourages free play, singing, finger play etc... and spiritual-scientific education in cultural units.

We're not sure if we'll homeschool our dd, but we want to "preschool" and "afterschool" her for sure. I'm honestly a bit worried about our local school system but before I prejudge, we're going to tour it. DH thinks that if we participate in dd's schooling, are in the pta and afterschool her she'll end up with a first rate education no matter what district she's in. I have to say, that I'm a bit skeptical... it's a very rural school and my MIL (at teacher in another district) said it's the worst school in the area. I'm afraid because it's rural it will be very- well... "christianized" I don't want other people teaching my daughter religion. I don't want dogma force on her. I'm just really worried about this. That's why I love Waldorf because it incorporates the needs of the spirit in a non-dogmatic way.

My husband is just very prejudiced against homeschooling, I think in part because his mom is a teacher and his schooling experience wasn't bad. I'm prejudiced against public school because I was homeschooled and have a bad experience in public school before my mom pulled me out. I'm trying very hard to give this school a chance though. But I worry, even if the school appears to be great, how will we know until our child is -actually- enrolled there?

[Autumn]

Please take a long hard look at Androsophy and Rudolf Steiner. it's not so benign as you might think. On the surface it looks good to any pagan parent but as you read more you'll get creeped out.

Montessori offers many of the free play benefits without the VERY covert religious programming.

[Ceres]

You can incorporate the bits about Waldorf philosophy that you like and leave the rest. Most people I know who homeschool (and I know quite a few) find that they begin doing one curriculum or one philosophy and end up mixing and matching with what suits them and their children best.

As for the public school in your area - why give it a fair chance at all? It isnt as if public school has been shown to in any way benefit children in the long run in any way, including socialization. To me, its kinda like saying you will give twinkies a shot and if they dont work out, you will go with whole grain bread ;)

[Lyrien]

I'm not a big supporter of 'afterschooling' a child. Children spend 6 or more hours per day having to be on their best behavior, sitting behind a desk, and learning in a way that may or may not be 'their' way. I think it's too much to ask of the child to sit at home and 'afterschool' for an hour just to catch up on what they should, and could, have been learning during the day. This on top of the assigned homework is just too much.

From the time my oldest was born I researched homeschooling. The entire time my husband just listened and voiced his doubts, but never flat out said no. When the time came for DD to start school I began talking to him about curriculum and ideas, but he said absolutely not. I was crushed, but refused to HS without both parents on board. We sent her to school. A rural school in a Christian town. (and yes, much Christianization went on in the school.)

Because I'd been homeschooling preschool, she was light years ahead of the other students. The school would not allow her to start early, they wanted her to start on time, establish friends and social networks; THEN ask her to move up two grades. She didn't want to, she thought she'd be picked on and made fun of. She went until the third grade before we pulled her out and began homeschooling. My husband is now the biggest supporter of homeschooling and wishes we had done it from the beginning.

Just my story to say that I know where you're coming from.

[Willow Rosette]

One thing that strikes me is your MIL saying it is the worst school, if she is a teacher she would probably know. I dont know how many schools are in your general area but if you feel the need to try out the school system you can always find out what schools are at the top and do either an inter distrect transfer or or and out of district transfer (if the best school in the area is not in the school destrict you live in).

I would also try to find parents in both the school she would be going to as well as where she could be transfered to and see what they think of the school. That was how I decided what school to put my daughter in. The best school in our town is not in our destrict so I talked to a lot of parents that have children in the schools close to me and not only got a parents opinion on the school BUT (and this was the big part for me) the type of children she would be in schoool with.

She is now in the best public school in my area and is absolutly loving school. Im by no means trying to side with your husband but if you do want to "try out the public schools" this was how I did it.

Good luck.

~WR

[Cat]

She's only 1, so you have a lot of time to figure this out. My personal feelings are that you should give HSing a chance first, and if you both agree it isn't working she can try ps. Because a poor school system isn't the only reason you want to hs, and your other reasons aren't being addressed.

I think its important the parents agree on schooling options, and you don't agree with your dh on psing any more than he agrees with you on hsing--impasse. You shouldn't so it his way simply because that's what most everyone else does. Try to reach a compromise agreement.

I agree with Belle about afterschooling. If you have to do that for your kid to learn, pull her out of ps and teach her yourself. Kids need time to be kids. They need time to relax, to play, to breathe.

[Libris]

Thanks for your advice everyone!

I do worry about afterschooling her cutting into the time she needs to actually -be- a kid and play. My mom and I were talking and apparently, my 10 year old nephew has at least an hour and a half of homework every day, after her homework was done, we'd have no time at all to work on other subjects.

I was looking more into Waldorf and yeah, it does seem kind of creepy. I think if I did homeschool, I'd borrow elements from it adapt to a new curriculum.


One of the reasons we're trying to decide so soon is that there is a pretty good school (at least it appears to be good and MIL recommends it) about thirty minutes from us. But the waiting list to go there out of the district is really long, long enough that if we want her to go there we have to get on it very soon. But, we would have to pay both that county's property taxes and our taxes- I'm not sure we can afford it. Still, we don't have to pay the taxes until she's actually enrolled. I think it would be a good safety net to get her on the list anyway just in case. But my problem with her going to this school is that all her friends would be at least a half an hour away, and being a more affluent district, her peers will always be better dressed than her. We aren't going buy her clothes from the gap etc... and I worry (from experience) that she'll get made fun of so badly that she'll hate going to school. Actually this is the reason my sister and I were homeschooled in the first place. That and the schools were teaching only to the standardized tests with little thought for science, music and art.

I know it seems like I'm getting worried really early, but because of our situation we have to get on the waiting list soon if we're going to have her in a better school.
I think what makes most sense, is to start homeschooling her for preschool and if it seems to be working out well, just try to homeschool her instead. There are several good private schools around (Montessori) that she could apply to later if she wants to go to a big school. I also just realized that because her birthday is in late September, she'll be in Kindergarten a year later than most other kids... that means she'll be even farther ahead! My biggest worry about homeschooling is that I wouldn't be able to find other parents to form a group with so she could get social interactions with those in her peer group. Most homeschoolers around her probably have very Christian influenced curriculum. I guess I'll just have to see what happens.

At least I can stop worrying about it since it seems like we have a plan- homeschool for preschool and if it works out well, homeschool more and get on the list for the "good school" just in case homeschooling doesn't work.

Thanks again for all your help!

I'm going to open another thread for advice on learning activities for one year olds.

[brymble]

We tried a Waldorf-inspired approach for my son, and it didn't work out for us. Damien has a natural inclination to technology, and the "protecting" a child from technological influences before a certain age didn't really work out. He actually approached me and asked if we could learn another way. When placing your priorities and committments in your child's education, just remember that it's more important to be committed to your child than to any educational system or philosophy. Purism can damage your child just as much if not more than sloppiness and inattention.

Just remember parenting is not a contest. And that includes so-called "attachment parenting" (a term I don't like using even though I agree with its practices and philosophies, because in my area it has been used with an unfortunate elitist attitude that actually has nothing to do with its philosophy, as a verbal "weapon" to separate human beings from each other more than bonding them together.) Keep the focus not on being a "better" parent ("better" than whom?) so much as meeting your child's needs in the best way you can.

Furthermore, I really have to say that I have a bigger problem with some Waldorf parents than I do with the educational philosophy itself. Calling mainstream-parented kids "bad influences" and parents who allow their children to watch TV "abusers" is not the kind of influence I want my child to have. It is niether spiritual, nor compassionate, nor in the best interest of the child to place oneself "above" one's brothers and sisters in the human community.

Because it's spiritual basis makes it ineligble for public funding (you can find public Montessori schools, even in poor communities, for example) Waldorf schools must by necessity always be private, tuition-funded institutions. This, combined with Waldorf's emphasis on "purity" and "protecting" the child from "undesirable" influences has the unfortunate, unintended effect of creating an environment which allows and even passively encourages classism, elitism, and sometimes even blatant racisim to breed and fester unchecked. *shudders* When considering Waldorf schools or education programs, make sure they offer scholarships and/or a sliding scale, even if you don't need it yourself. The absence of financial assistence options may indicate an underlying philosophy in which attempts at keeping the "bad influences" out are based on race, or ecomonic or social class, rather than on the intent of the parents.

I really must stress that these unfortunate trends really have more to do with the culture that surrounds Waldorf (and often other "pure" systems of "alternative" education), than with the philosophy and practices of Waldorf itself. Remember the first Waldorf school was for children of factory workers! And I'm hoping that it's better in some areas than others.

Sometimes it's necessary to protect your child from those who would "protect" hir too much!

And it's certainly not the case with most Waldorf schoolers. The real nuts have just latched on to Waldorf as their mode of torture for themselves, their kids, and the rest of us. If they didn't have access to Walfdorf, believe me, they'd find something else to be crazy about! Likewise, the really "good" parents have just adapted to Waldorf as their method of parenting (or more likely adapted Waldorf to their own parenting philosophy and to their child's needs). Conscious parents without acces to Waldorf will find something else, too. So it's not that either the problem or solution is necessarily Waldorf itself. Just be aware, however, that the dysfunctional purist mindset does exist, and be conscious of it.

Also, I have noticed that Waldorf-based homeschoolers tend to be a little more laid-back than those who send their kids to Waldorf schools, probably, as Radikalwomyn pointed out, they have more freedom to adapt to their child's unique needs. (And also possibly because they're so worn out from the energy-demanding realities of homeschooling that they learn to relax real fast, because it's something that they have to deal with, rather than paying an "educator" to do it for them!)

[brymble]

There are several good private schools around (Montessori) that she could apply to later if she wants to go to a big school. .


Montessori schools probably won't let you apply later than 4 or 5. It's a system of education in which the child has to be prepared, and progress from one stage to another in an uninterrputed line. Therefore, Montessori schools, even public ones, stress starting the child young and preparing them for the Montessori environment. Starting a child with Montessori too "late" lacks the preparation they require and disrupts the process.

[Libris]

"undesirable" influences has the unfortunate, unintended effect of creating an environment which allows and even passively encourages classism, elitism, and sometimes even blatant racisim to breed and fester unchecked. *shudders* When considering Waldorf schools or education programs, make sure they offer scholarships and/or a sliding scale, even if you don't need it yourself. The absence of financial assistence options may indicate an underlying philosophy in which attempts at keeping the "bad influences" out are based on race, or ecomonic or social class, rather than on the intent of the parents.



Wow, that's really unfortunate. I would never want to instill classist/racist values in my child! I just want her to have the best start to following her dreams, whatever they may be. I'm not really concerned with raising a 'genius' or uber nerd, I just worry that she won't have the opportunities in our public school that would help her find what she loves and succeed. For instance, there is basically no music program until 7th grade, no science education to speak of until high school and very little art. They've even cut out recess past 2nd grade! The more I learn about Waldorf the less appealing it sounds. I really liked the idea of tieing everything to a major theme to make it more memorable and I may still do that, if I homeschool, but I doubt I'll do much else in the way of Waldorf.

Thanks for the information!

Also, thanks for letting me know about Montessori policies. I'll have to check in with the school closest to us and see when she has to enroll. This school is secondary school so I'm not sure where the kids get the Montessori training before they enter it. Maybe there's a Montessori elementary school around that I've yet to discover...

Thanks again
Jessica

[brymble]

Is this your first child?

New parents often have a little anxiety over giving their child the "best" start, and can tend to project a lot of anxiety into their little one's future education, worrying about choosing the right school or the right parenting and educational practices, etc.

Remember what I said about parenting not being a contest, and that both the crazy and conscious parents being able to find something else if they don't have access to a particular system? You're already conscious and active in your child's life and are putting energy into growth and development. You're making conscious choices. Do you know what that means? You can't screw up! If the choice is made consciously, it doesn't matter what the choice is - it's the conscious involvement that makes a choice "right" or "wrong", not the "choice" itself! It's you and your conscious choices that makes Waldorf, Montessori, homeschooling, or public education "right" or "better", not the other way around. You don't have to validate or justify your decision-making as a parent with this or that school or philosophy. If you're conscious in your decision-making, whatever you choose is going to be what's best for you and your child; it's not the system or philosophy that makes a parent "better". Quite the other way around! Remember, you're driving the bus!

Does that mean you won't make some choices that seem to backfire or result in challenges instead of smooth sailing? Nope! We're all human, and we're all on the same Earth trip together, even if our personal "movies" are unique, so sometimes it's bound to be a bumpy ride. There are no easy answers. The Universe will throw us a few curveballs and keeps us on our toes so we don't get complacent and keep growing. Isn't that wonderful? Enjoy the roller-coaster! There is no failure only feedback!

[cesara]

For instance, there is basically no music program until 7th grade, no science education to speak of until high school and very little art. They've even cut out recess past 2nd grade!

I send my kids to a public "school of choice" that teaches academics through the arts. The focus is not turning out adept artists of different flavors, but rather teaching through the arts because different children learn better via different outlets.

For example, if the kids are doing a section on First Nations they might make a totem pole in fine arts, learn a rain dance in dance, do a skit in drama, and learn a song in music. The program works all the arts into the learning process and your child will receive the information via several artistic outlets.

My older children have excelled greatly since we moved them to the new school...and my 6 year old son is doing very well since he started last year in kindergarten.

There is also a new school of choice that is going to be opened soon that caters to the sciences.

Do more research and see if there is not something similar in your area...you never know. :)

[cesara]

Is this your first child?

New parents often have a little anxiety over giving their child the "best" start, and can tend to project a lot of anxiety into their little one's future education, worrying about choosing the right school or the right parenting and educational practices, etc.

Remember what I said about parenting not being a contest, and that both the crazy and conscious parents being able to find something else if they don't have access to a particular system? You're already conscious and active in your child's life and are putting energy into growth and development. You're making conscious choices. Do you know what that means? You can't screw up! If the choice is made consciously, it doesn't matter what the choice is - it's the conscious involvement that makes a choice "right" or "wrong", not the "choice" itself! It's you and your conscious choices that makes Waldorf, Montessori, homeschooling, or public education "right" or "better", not the other way around. You don't have to validate or justify your decision-making as a parent with this or that school or philosophy. If you're conscious in your decision-making, whatever you choose is going to be what's best for you and your child; it's not the system or philosophy that makes a parent "better". Quite the other way around! Remember, you're driving the bus!

Does that mean you won't make some choices that seem to backfire or result in challenges instead of smooth sailing? Nope! We're all human, and we're all on the same Earth trip together, even if our personal "movies" are unique, so sometimes it's bound to be a bumpy ride. There are no easy answers. The Universe will throw us a few curveballs and keeps us on our toes so we don't get complacent and keep growing. Isn't that wonderful? Enjoy the roller-coaster! There is no failure only feedback!

Grreat advice. :)

[Libris]

Thanks Brymble, that is really good advise. She is our first child and we're definitely fighting the feeling that every thing we do may screw her up in some way. It's just so incredible to be responsible for so much and we've been so afraid we'll make big mistakes that will hurt her. Your post really helps put things in perspective. I definitely have to consciously tell myself to stop stressing so much LOL

Cesara, I'm so jealous! I wish we had a school like that close by!

[brymble]

You know what the best thing you can do for your daughter is right now? I would set aside all your worries about education and schooling. Believe me, the decisions will still be there when it is actually time to make them, so there's no point in stressing about them now and missing the present moment, because as vital as the preschool and school years are, she's not going to have another babyhood, either. At least not on this trip 'round the merry-go-round.

So I suggest you set your anxieties down, and don't pick them up again until you're actually facing those decisions. Instead, pick up your daughter. Look her in the eyes, open your own eyes really wide, and puff out your cheeks. Blow raspberries and spit bubbles. Make a silly face, and say, "Ooooooooo-umma-numma-numma-numma-bop-bop-bop-brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-pblttt!" Play peek-a-boo. Let her pat your face, pull your lower lip, and squeeze your nose.

I promise you this will do your 1-year-old more good than the very best preschool in the whole world.