Steiner schools, loony, bonkers, the parents I mean. My sister is turning I fear.

[Quincywincy]

Ok I'll preface by saying we could afford private education for our dc if we felt so inclined (we don't)So this is not a simple case of sour grapes. My sister and her dh moved away from London so (according to them) they could get their son into a good school, they even chose their house on this basis.

They put his name down good and early then just two weeks ago (he was due to start this september)they go to the school and both were freaked out about the fact that their dc would get some kind of homework.They suspect he will not be academic (their words not mine)

They decided this was not the school for them and they opted for the local Steiner school instead.

All well and good but I'm a little bit peeved that they are both refusing to come and see us at our house as we have a TV (strictly against Steiner rules?) DC has placcy sparkly toys and get up to all sorts including eating sweets and being loony every so often.

Erm, we not good enough for them now? Do you know any Steiner parents, is this the norm?

Sorry, know they are not the same thing....

a child I know has asperger's and goes to a steiner school here in Belgium and has done really well. really depends on the school.

I think Steiner people vary in how 'strict' they are. Like Indiasmum, I went to a Steiner toddler group - we really enjoyed it. There was a relaxed atmosphere, and at snack time all the children sat round a table to share fruit and wholemeal bread (after a non-religious 'grace'), which made a change from the bunfight that is usually seen at toddler groups. The group also fostered a sense of awe/wonder at the natural world and an appreciation of the rhythm of the seasons. The crafts for parents were optional. One time we made a felt mouse finger puppet (making the felt ourselves out of natural wool!) and we were given black beads to put on for the eyes, so it looks like the ban on black isn't universal. Also a few of the toddlers attending the group had TV characters on their socks/ T shirts etc and this was never remarked on.

I've visited our local Steiner school for their Advent Fair. They had lots of fantastic crafts and the children put on a very impressive unicycle display, but looking in the classrooms one thing that shocked me was there was hardly a book to be seen in the school. In one classroom I saw a bookcase which only had 2 books on it, both about Norse Mythology.

Melpomene - which school and nursery were these ? (if you don't mind me asking ).

This is all quite reassuring as I was initially very excited about Steiner methods then very quickly disillusioned with the Steiner schools in our area; these toddler groups sound lovely and I am glad that others are seeing a positive side to the methods.

"put on a very impressive unicycle display"

Sorry, but am laughing quite a lot at that!

PMSL at unicycles and Norse Mythology. Bless 'em.

We have been to our steiner playgroup too. It's nice - baking and songs round a table, with a lovely leader (though I do feel a bit tense as I'm always afraid I'm about to be outed as a telly-watching, meat-eating fascist who is no longer bfing DS at 2).

The black thing is dismaying though (although I accept they're not all the same). If children are supposed to be allowed to express themselves, what if they like black? DS adores it and seks out the black pen - I expect because of the high contrast and its effectiveness for scribbling. Also seriously dodgy saying things like "black is too dark" when the word "black" is commonly used as a word for people.

One thing that bothers me about our steiner school - which we walk through when we go to the playgrooup - is that all the kids seem to look exactly the same. All the boys have shoulder-length hair and beachy/hippy clothes, all the girls have that cabbage patch countrified look, they're all white and they all have the same air of supercool confidence. It wuld be a very hard place to be a bit different.

Now you see, I get freaked out by school uniforms . State schools (with a few exceptions I am told) make the kids wear exactly the same clothes as eachother. Now that's what I call weird.

I do hope that the schools that still ban black crayons, etc, drag themselves up to date soon. Seems soooo silly and can't see a good reason for it at all.

I have a friend whose child recently started at a Steiner play group and your post explains a lot of things to me. On her last visit she spent much time railing against dds Barbie collection (dd totally mystified and a bit hurt), refused to join us on a trip to an indoor play area even though it was pouring with rain and refused to allow her child to watch any videos. I wouldn't mind but said child is an absolute brat - screams when it doesn't get its own way (and then gets it) unable to go to bed unless mum goes too. Don't think it is entirely Steiner-induced as she has always had lentil-weaving tendencies, but new school does seem to have seriously reinforced them!

I hate uniforms too, but at least they're compulsory. Ie they all look alike because it's the rules. If kids at a comp didn't wear uniform, you might expect to see some variety. The steiner kids all look alike because they're all very similar socially and financially (ie moneyed extreme lentil weavers!) which doesn't seem to be the most mind-broadening of educational experiences...

If she gets her own way when she screams then i'm not surprised she behaves this way !!

I am all for child centred/led 'stuff', but DS does have rules and def doesn't get his way if he screams.

I think it's fine to ban TV, Barbie, junk food if that's what you think is best, but you can't than take a child somewhere where it's all laid out in front of them and expect them to be restrained.

Wonder why she didn't suggest meeting at the park or something...

"Mary had an immaculate conception"

Aloha--did you mean Virgin Birth?

I know they probably both sound equally strange but they mean very different things.

"Immaculate conception" means that Mary was born without stain of sin.

"Virgin birth" means she didn't conceive Jesus by means of sexual intercourse. I suppose you could argue that virgin births are possible if you used IVF.

Sorry to be pedantic but I think it's important to be precise about people's religious beliefs.

That was me actually, Eliza.

I have just tried to write what I meant (lots of times) and keep making it sound wrong.

I meant the belief that Jesus was put into Mary by God.

I think....(didn't mean to offend) (and still don't).

In reply to TheodoresMummy, we are in Cambridge.

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.