Steiner schools, plastic presents and family meltdowns

[WutheringBites]

I’ve namechanged because it’s a bit spottable. Basically, I went to a lot of effort to buy really cute old style fisher price toys for my nieces (who live abroad) and have been told third hand that their parents have hidden them because the children (preschoolers) aren’t allowed to play with anything “plastic”. Apparently it’s against the rules of their nursery.

I’ve now been told, parents are upset because I got them something similar last year.

AIBU that

1. I feel really put out that the children aren’t getting the presents I went to quite a lot of expense and effort to get;
2. That no one bothered to tell me that they weren’t allowed anything except wood?
3. That they didn’t get last years presents either.

And is this rule about only wooden stuff something I should have known? Is it a general Steiner thing?

I’m also really sad that it puts an extra distance between me (as their Aunty) and my DC (as cousins) when we already live in a different country. Due to family pressures it’s really difficult for me to travel to see them; and they don’t come to us at all (but I’ve invited them lots). I feel so upset. I only have one sibling; and no cousins, etc. 😰 I feel I’ve messed up, but didn’t know; and I know I’ll just end up sitting sobbing if I try to phone and talk about it. Arrrgh. 😰

I know a few people who have gone through Steiner education, middle class hippy types. Another friend tried it for her children and they were very unhappy. I thought it was horses for courses but this thread is a real eye opener.

Please accept my apologies if this issue has already been covered on this thread, but I am seriously concerned about the links between Steiner schools and various members of Jacob Rees Mogg's family including his daughter and brother and the Steiner school movement in the UK. The links are detailed here:

gregoireperra.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/what-every-parent-should-know-about-steiner-waldorf-schools-by-andy-lewis/

My concerns relate to the following issues:

The influence that Steiner schools have on children, specifically regarding them believing in supernatural / magical concepts, especially given the issues relating to racism and the alleged superiority of the "aryan race".

The fact that Steiner schools seem to enjoy the support of various academics and people of influence including academics, the Rees Mogg family and, of serious concern, various psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other mental health professionals.

Parents who send their children to Steiner schools, in my personal experience, seem to come from a demographic of liberal, affluent intellectuals that are not infrequently involved in cults focussed on 'human potential", yoga, life coaching and "wellness". Like the Steiner schools themselves these cults appear very "love and light" on the surface but frequently manifest disturbing associations with criminality and / or far-right political groups on close inspection.

I would very much encourage fellow mumsnetters to educate themselves about the issue of Steiner schools and their promotion by various politicians as a matter of urgency, especially given our current precarious situation re Brexit.

Plastic’s made from oil. Oil is the product of millions of years of decay and compression of organic matter.

Stick that up your wooden faceless toys Mr Steiner.

When DIL was pregnant, she got friendly with another mum who was big into Steiner etc. She started to get a bit into it all until Other Mum told her she used Rescue Remedy to prevent her toddler having tantrums.

DIL checked the ingredients and found it was 20-something % "grape alcohol" or similar: this woman was basically giving her kid alcohol!

hood I didn't know that.
One of the most disturbing beliefs I think they have, is the idea that individual children can literally be demons.

In fairness, the Rees Mogg connection in that blog is very thin and rather contrived as a link to Jacob RM.

Not that that’s any argument in favour of these strange schools.

This thread reminds me of this legendary blog post which I think deserves another airing!

sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2009/04/finnians-montessori-room.html

Beer

Never seen that before. It is awesome.

Wow, those links are an education I had no idea. Gentle hippyish parents could easily be drawn in without realising what was behind it.

Beer I would love to see 'Finnian's space' once Finnian is trashing it like any 3 three old.

That's all so fantastically wanky!

I take it Finnian is her first....?

Omg poor Finnian

The bio at the bottom says she 'unschools' her three children. Unless she isn't the author of course

Is it no plastic or no battery?

‘Unschooling’? WTF is that?

Is that home ed (sorry, Finn) or is it no ed (even sorrier, Finn)?

So it’s home ed? Or in pre-school years, er, looking after your kids?

Seems a particularly pointless description.

Its what good parents do at weekends. So your kid is interested in Egyptology? You buy them a few books, talk to them about it and take them to the British Museum.

I love MN Steiner threads. They're always fascinating for the short time they last

ontheboardwalk thank you for posting the OFSTED report, shocking reading. Inappropriate physical handling?? FFS, why hasn't this place been closed down? It doesn't sound at all safe.

Egyptology?

My kids are interested in shit pop stars and make up.

That's very cryptic Kate does this mean powerful Steiner types will put pressure on MNHQ to shut it down.

Ruffina Ah if you were a proper unschooled parent I am sure they wouldn't be

twosoups1972 here’s another one for for you to read for Kings Langley. They still weren’t taking safeguarding seriously on the 3rd inspection. They actually closed the Steiner school down however it looks like they are reopening the kindergarten. You can apply with a £90 admission fee!

files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50042861

Wutheringbites please don’t let your family make you feel isolated because of their beliefs.

I lost close family members due to Steiner beliefs and how we, with our TVs and such nonsense, didn’t fit in their new world.

We got them back again when the child was 11 with undiagnosed Dyslexia and unable to read. Apparently the stubborn Steiner teacher (you have the same teacher every year you are at the school) said they would read when they were ready.

Parents got frustrated and finally pulled them out of the school. A few sessions with a dyslexia tutor and an alternative way of remembering words and they were able to read.