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. 😰

Individual teachers i may system may be a problem. But the whole steiner system of education is built on dangerous bollocks.

Before this thread gets pulled. Ousted report for Steiner in Exeter. Inadequate in all categories.

files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50038861

Afaik each Steiner school is different

I sent DS to a Steiner playgroup and went to some Steiner classes on child development- seemed alright. A bit middle class but nothing really too woo - I just thought the leader was a bit of a "character" who liked making up stories and singing about fairies

Then I read up on a mumsnet thread I think and decided against continuing with it

DS seemed much happier at a much brighter coloured playgroup that let him wear wellies and kick a ball about so I kept with that rather than remembering slippers and avoiding clothes with logos - I shop in charity shops and finding ones without was a bit of a bore.

I did discover though upon asking around that the Steiner school local to me isn't particularly enthralled with the woo side, and fairly relaxed as they go in comparison to others around. It was the racism side that did it for me but when I asked - the local school shed that load of bollocks years ago - to quote someone who attends

I far prefer the idea of full time forest schools if you want alternative schooling

Anyway OP - they sound pretty thoughtless not to have thanked you for last years and let you know. Maybe find some knitted slippers or something for next year if you still want to gift

Are you saying Jeremy Hunt has it right. I think his system is built on dangerous bollocks that is creating stress for children and very poor learning outcomes. Also the religious aspect of last year having compulsory GCSE in RE had more dogma than the entirety of my schooling.

Our local comp has failed 3 years running ..... Your point is? Your local Stieiner is shit or all are? I wouldn't say all our local comps are failing based on the evidence of one.

Huh? No I'm pretty glad they've shed the racism side. If it hadn't I would think they were a shit Steiner school. I'm quite relieved they seem less barmy than others

/derail on Steiner cultishness

I went reading on the internet (all very unscientific) and came across this snippet

"Steiner’s doctrine of reincarnation, embraced by latter-day anthroposophists the world over, holds that individuals choose their parents before birth, and indeed that we plan out our lives before beginning them to insure that we receive the necessary spiritual lessons. If a disembodied soul balks at its own chosen life prospects just before incarnation, it fails to incarnate fully—the source, according to anthroposophists, of prenatal “defects” and congenital disabilities. In addition, “the various parts of our body will be formed with the aid of certain planetary beings as we pass through particular constellations of the zodiac."

social-ecology.org/wp/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/

Immortal souls in 'wrong' bodies is very fashionable just now. I knew I would find something similar, after all a cult is a cult

(sorry for the derail)

I don’t think any of the other struggling schools failed on basic safeguarding checks by not doing basic DAB checks on teachers or gave teachers jobs simply because the were known to the school.

That report!...oh my god what an absolute disgrace.

waldorfcritics.org/aboutus.html

Bloody hell, didn’t realise Steiner schools were so out there!

They wouldn't be getting anything at all from me next year, they won't feel deprived as apparently they haven't had anything from you for a couple of years now.

It's completely unreasonable of them not to let you have details of any restrictions on the toys they're allowed.

beagador My education has given me a really good grounding in spotting placenta weaving any yoghurt widget farming..... That quote is firmly in that category. People please descriminate when you read things or people tell you things. Ask why are you being told this and what is reasonable. Question the basis of information and cross check it (triangulate in current business speak) . Benchmark against what you know to be true ( not what you have been told). Balance what is reasonable against what you would like to believe because it underpins how you have always thought. I am not saying your previous beliefs are wrong btw...just make sure you are being consistent and make sure thàt they are really true. Question yourself...you should not be afraid to do this if your core belief is solid.

Your view of Steiner schooling is based on other people's view. It really is not as bad as you think.

Your claim that Steiner schooling in general is fine is based only on your personal experience.

Essentially, even if people post their own negative individual personal experiences to counter yours, you get to fold your arms and say that because your experience of Steiner school was positive, then nobody can criticise Steiner schools in general.

Of course people can criticise Steiner schools in general, and it is not true that each Steiner school exists on its own terms, each one different from the next, with teachers and admin making it up on the ground as they go along. Steiner teacher training is very specific and Steiner schools all operate on the same principles. The woo is carefully hidden but it informs every detail of what goes on in every school.

We took our DD out of her comp because of basic safeguarding issues. It is not just Steiner schools that are guilty of being shit.

Teachers are taught to lie about the underlying theories. If they say they do not follow all of the original theory then ask them what they do not follow? The whole theory is racist, so unless they have made major changes to the theory - which no Steiner school I am aware of has - then yes they are all practising a religion on teh children that is racist.

Absolutely math.... You are correct. Your friends experience was rubbish.not everyone's is. You have said the system is crap not the version you know.

Unescorted Any school that did not do DBS checks on teachers would lead to a scandal with headlines in all the newspapers and charges. Because it is illegal.

Mine did not reach religion there for all do not. Base it on your knowledge not a generalisation

I meant any state school.

Abdication...yes it did.just not a high profile school. So not national headlines.

Abdication = abducat... Sorry

Based on this thread - I'm glad I took DS out

He's a know it all answer back type naturally.

Least he's figuring out how to not piss people off gradually.

So am I normally. In fact I usually ignore the Steiner threads.

Unescorted
The insinuation that there is something wrong with the security of the beliefs of people who are fully confident in their conclusions about Steiner but whose conclusions do not coincide with yours is really quite a sly one.

I have no horse in the race. My own DD2 went to a wet on wet watercolour class run by a Steiner teacher and had a bad experience that put me off Steiner and caused me to investigate art in the Steiner scheme of things, which led me to all the rest of it. I sent my children to another type of school. I also had my friend's experience related to me - positive for some years but turning increasingly negative, followed by a crisis for her child.

I am educated enough to sift and sort material and to form reasonable conclusions. That was very much the point of all my formal education including the subject I read for my bachelor's degree.