Second thoughts...

[MusicalMeg]

Hello there! I am new to MDC (though I have lurked a bit here and there ) I'm hoping I can share my situation here and get some feedback from you all.

My dh and I recently decided to enroll ds in a waldorf preschool. We are having some second thoughts though, since the more we learn about waldorf, the more we wonder if ds/our family will be a good fit in a waldorf environment.

DS loves books, letters and numbers, writing, etc. I encourage this but do not push it. Also, I'm starting to think that we will be much more mainstream than most of the other families- our home isn't very waldorf, and I'm worried that we will end up being outcasts there Am I overthinking this?

Thanks for any thoughts/input!

[vaptek]

It really depends upon the school, from what I've seen. Some are much more mainstream than others. I'vehad a similar concern, because my family is such a group of technocrats. DD decided on her own that she wanted to start learning to read, so i've supported it in some small ways. My school doesn't seem as extreme as some of the stories i've heard here. I see kids wearing shirts with logos. When i mentioned a trip to Disney world, a teacher's response was "how fun!" When I asked a teacher about my 18 month old's obsession with numbers and letters, i actually got some good advice about how to support it without pushing it.

All that to say, I think it will depend upon your school. We've had a very open and accepting experience so far.

[sweetest]

Give yourself this year of preschool to get to know the community. Many of the families at the school have probably been there a number of years - dont feel like you wont fit it if you are not 100% like them: every family is different.

It helps to go to the community events and festivals and to get to know the families and teachers. We also love books and had to do some research on our own to "buy into" not readying early. The school can be a great support system of like minded parents- good luck!