Within the first five minutes of arriving at the campus I'd made my mind up to enrol Lucinda there when the time came. It was after that five minutes that I became a little less sure.
The school, about 10 minutes north of our place, is undoubtedly impressive.
The campus is lush with gardens and veggie patches and chicken coops and little classrooms that look like hobbit holes.
I've read about the Steiner philosophy and I agree with a lot if it. I love the focus on learning skills like gardening and self-sufficiency, cooking, building and knitting.
The idea that young children should be kept away from technology? I just bought an iPad and Lu is showing early signs of an amazing Tap Tap Ant talent.
Sunrise in our very un-Steiner suburban hobbit hole
The thing is, on paper I agree with so much of what you might describe as a 'hippy' mindset. But being at that school today suddenly took me back to dozens of meetings with people at fairy-lit parties on bush blocks over the years.
The setting is phenomenal and I've met someone interesting. We're getting along just fine and all of a sudden they start talking about my aura or asking me about what my spirit animal is and I just feel like rolling my eyes.
You're ruining this for me.
It's the same with Steiner. I would genuinely love for her to be educated in a place with hobbit hole classrooms and amazing gardens. I would love for her to go off to school and to break up her maths and science lessons with tending a veggie patch and looking after chickens.
Then I overhear a teacher talking about something 'cosmic' and there's that feeling again.
You're ruining this for me.
I came home feeling slightly dejected and sat down, still being clung to by a tired and sick baby. We watched Dan and his friends chainsaw up the last of the tree and then all sat down and ate a BBQ steak dinner.
Maybe we're just not Steiner people.
Does anyone have any experience with Steiner they'd care to share? I'd love to hear it.
I'm hearing you. I'm all for that positive stuff and a dose of hippy thrown in, but the reality is that the world can be a challenging place and I just wonder if Steiner prepares children for that? Is it too warm and fuzzy?
ReplyDeletePs do you know what your spirit animal is? I'm kind of teasing but have to admit to doing an amazing guided meditation once where in it I was walking with a big great wolf. It was cool. Now I sound like a wacko!!!
From memory, I think mine may have been an elk or something. I remember seeing it in the name of a pub the day after it was 'diagnosed' and thinking it was a sign that I needed a beer :-)
DeleteThat meditation sounds interesting though, I might take it more seriously after an experience like that.
Yeah, It was a cool experience. It was with Mike and Cheryl Maddock who were/are sharmanic practitioners. Mike was drumming, the sound and energy was amazing. I'll never forget it.
Delete:)
I totally love this post! I too have been lured in by the stiner philosophy and feel like i 'should' be attracted to sofly spoken spiritual people. But i'm not. I like my laughter loud, my colours bright and when I walk- I do it quickly. My kids are loud, creative and cheeky and I expect nothing less.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are not stiners here (unless your talking a beer stein??)
xo em
I so know what you mean with that 'you're spoiling this for me' feeling. The one Steiner family I knew was big on fairytales and imaginary things and taught stories along the lines of real live garden fairies being responsible for changing the seasons. That child was terrified of walking down their hallway at night- terrified of lots of things actually- but the parents had trouble explaining that season changing fairies that you can't actually see are REAL while flesh eating monsters that you can't see are NOT real.
ReplyDeleteNot vast experience I admit.
My spirit animal? Pantry moth. My brothers and sisters are downstairs in my tupperware right now wondering where I am.