My wife's sister sends their kids to Waldorf school. They were going to homeschool them but my mother-in-law insisted that they go to school and is paying for it.
Put it this way...
They also believe in "The Secret". They are militantly anti-Vaccine. They eat only raw meat (including chicken). They believe cancer is all in the mind. They do (and teach) Reiki. They believe in homeopathy. They never used diapers on their kids (they say that they are humiating to children).
...and of course, they believe in Waldorf schooling.
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Last edited by FlamesAddiction; 04-05-2011 at 01:55 PM.
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My wife's sister sends their kids to Waldorf school. They were going to homeschool them but my mother-in-law insisted that they go to school and is paying for it.
Put it this way...
They also believe in "The Secret". They are militantly anti-Vaccine. They eat only raw meat (including chicken). They believe cancer is all in the mind. They do (and teach) Reiki. They believe in homeopathy.
...and of course, they believe in Waldorf schooling.
Well I know that the raw meat is BS...not sure about the rest.
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My wife's sister sends their kids to Waldorf school. They were going to homeschool them but my mother-in-law insisted that they go to school and is paying for it.
Put it this way...
They also believe in "The Secret". They are militantly anti-Vaccine. They eat only raw meat (including chicken). They believe cancer is all in the mind. They do (and teach) Reiki. They believe in homeopathy.
...and of course, they believe in Waldorf schooling.
Wow. Nice of them to put all of the crazies in a nice convenient single location....
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You should check out the public school system. I hear it is quite a bit cheaper. I know that it can be a cruel system, but not for your kids. Think of how popular your kids will be when they show up to High School in the Bentley.
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You should check out the public school system. I hear it is quite a bit cheaper. I know that it can be a cruel system, but not for your kids. Think of how popular your kids will be when they show up to High School in the Bentley.
...yeah they can let them borrow the Grey Poupon...
but anyways...Alberta's Waldorf schools are subsidized by the Province so they aren't as eye-wateringly expensive...but would for sure require us to work longer and give up quite a bit to make it happen.
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Last edited by Fozzie_DeBear; 04-05-2011 at 02:36 PM.
While I won't make a specific recommendation one way or the other around Waldorf (or any other crackpot idea listed in this thread) I do often wonder if the parents economic standing does have a relationship to the childrens education. Obviously there are some very good private schools that cost mucho coin (Strathcona Tweadsmuir for one local example) but just more generally.
I'm fortunate enough that my wife doesn't have to work and can be home when the kids get home from school. She ensures they get their homework done, had time to read with them and do the crafts, could attend field trips and volunteer at school (and yes my kids are in the public system). This must have some positive effect over those parents, be them single parent families or otherwise, that rely on after school daycare programs and the like. You think?
I think that economic standing of the parents can have an effect on the kids education...the most significant effect would be on the lower end when the parents struggle to put nutritious food on the table and are too busy making ends meet to spend good time with the kids...but once kids are well fed and are well-looked after I would imagine that the impact of income on educational performance would be much less.
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"It was a debacle of monumental proportions." -MacT
We checked out the one in Cougar Ridge a few years ago. We had heard good things about it plus they also offer an after school program, which was something we also needed.
The largest difference in the program is that it essentially extends kindergarten until Grade 2, as they believe that children are not developmentally ready for the more traditional academic approach. Children are not taught reading in Grade 1. If you start your kids in Waldorf, you are therefore pretty much committed to the Waldorf program until Grade 3 so that your child's reading can catch up. They claim the Waldorf approach is a better fit for boys, and to a certain extent, I can see it.
Then, there are the rules... no logo print clothing at school and no TV watching at home. Etc. etc.. It was all a little too strident and granola for us.
The public school my kid is supposed to go to next year which is changed from the awesome school of this year from overcrowding is something like 65% ESL students and is ranked near the bottom of the province. As much as it would be nice for my kid to learn chinese, korean, swahili and arabic, I'd rather the teachers focused on things other than basic english by grade 6.
Is that negotiable at all? Have you tried begging and pleading? If they still say no I'd pay more for a private school, too.
I think that economic standing of the parents can have an effect on the kids education...the most significant effect would be on the lower end when the parents struggle to put nutritious food on the table and are too busy making ends meet to spend good time with the kids...but once kids are well fed and are well-looked after I would imagine that the impact of income on educational performance would be much less.
I believe there is pretty solid evidence that suggests a link between nutrition and cognitive development in children. It's a big reason why the cycle of poverty is so hard to break.
My wife's sister always brags about how Waldorf kids do better in tests than kids at public schools, but I pointed out to her that the average Waldorf kid likely has economic and social advantages that a lot of public schools kids don't, and those kids bring down the average.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
While I won't make a specific recommendation one way or the other around Waldorf (or any other crackpot idea listed in this thread) I do often wonder if the parents economic standing does have a relationship to the childrens education. Obviously there are some very good private schools that cost mucho coin (Strathcona Tweadsmuir for one local example) but just more generally.
I'm fortunate enough that my wife doesn't have to work and can be home when the kids get home from school. She ensures they get their homework done, had time to read with them and do the crafts, could attend field trips and volunteer at school (and yes my kids are in the public system). This must have some positive effect over those parents, be them single parent families or otherwise, that rely on after school daycare programs and the like. You think?
Sorry to derail the already derailed thread, but this sort of attitude is tiresome. Many women choose to work and have children. It is not just an economic matter for many people.
The condescending tone of "I'm fortunate enough" drives me nuts. We are fortunate enough that my wife doesn't have to work, but she still chooses to do so. That is what works for us.
There is no one way to raise a child. Many people with stay at home moms that were very involved in their development turn out to be nuts. And vice versa.
Sorry to derail the already derailed thread, but this sort of attitude is tiresome. Many women choose to work and have children. It is not just an economic matter for many people.
The condescending tone of "I'm fortunate enough" drives me nuts. We are fortunate enough that my wife doesn't have to work, but she still chooses to do so. That is what works for us.
There is no one way to raise a child. Many people with stay at home moms that were very involved in their development turn out to be nuts. And vice versa.
Sorry for the rant. Just tired of this attitude.
I hope I can make enough for my wife to stay home with our son. I would consider myself very fortunate if this were the case.
I really don't understand what attitude you have a problem with.
Waldorf
