9 Ways We Expand on Waldorf

I whole-heartedly value the concepts behind Waldorf Education, so much so, that my life’s work has been to bridge the gap between what a young child experiences at a Waldorf school and how this approach can be brought into the home.

There is no textbook definition of what a Waldorf-inspired early childhood should look like, but there are narratives and ideas that can become fixed and rigid. It’s our job as parents to question these supposed prescriptions and to decide if and how they will fit into our unique home, family culture and values.

9 ways We Expand on Waldorf:

1. We listen to pop music
2. We teach our children to read phonetically when they are ready
3. We consume media consciously with help from here
4. We are not opposed to simple, manageable extracurriculars from a young age
5. We trust in the scientific method and in the consensus of majority scientists
6. Our children love their plastic anatomically-diverse dolls
7. We bring social justice vocabulary and conversations to our young children explicitly
8. We allow a freedom of choice on a large range of artistic mediums and tools from a young age
9. We omit the word God from many traditional verses and replace it with “Love” or “Universe” instead

I’d love to hear more from you on this topic – what are some of the ways your family has expanded on the Waldorf-inspired themes you have encountered and embraced?

Leave a comment below to let me know.

I have also posted on my Instagram @meaganrosewilson about this topic and we have had some very insightful discussions in the comments. Pop on over there and join the conversation!