We started Lily in the Morning Glory parent and tot program at the local Waldorf school today. It was… interesting. Class is during her normal nap time, so I didn’t know if she would start spinning wildly, channel Satan and then set the building on fire OR if she’d just cry and throw things. She surprised me and actually seemed to really dig it, playing with the other kids and chasing the bunny all over the yard. She loved snack time and just seemed to really gel. But it was hard for me. They have a lot of rules: slipper or socks worn inside, hats must be worn outside, parents must remain quiet and not talk to the other parents during class, no TV allowed at home, etc. I really don’t handle rules well and always want to break ‘em. It’s an illness, I tell you.
I gotta get the teacher to speak up when she’s talking to me. I don’t actually hear all that well and with her high pitched tone, I’m toast if she’s asking me a question. It’s not always enough to just smile and nod… I actually have to RESPOND and when I cannot hear the question, I get a little annoyed. No wonder I end up being rebellious… I can’t always hear the rules!
Luckily I hit it off with another mom and we chatted quietly (when the teacher wasn’t looking) and I didn’t rat her out when her kid ran up to the teacher and told her she was in love with Shrek. We talked in the parking lot about the airy fairy-ness of the class and I actually felt a little better about it when she told me that it had a really positive, calming effect on her child. She confided that she was convinced Rudolf Steiner must have been a psychedelics drug user: look at all the mushroom shapes, the repetitive motion and high pitched singing, just to name a few. They’re also not really in line with some of my more passionate beliefs, such as extending breastfeeding. Steiner – a MAN in a time when very little was known about the amazing benefits of breastfeeding – seemed to think six months was perfectly sufficient. Why the school hasn’t updated the recommendation is beyond me. So I don’t know that we’d choose to continue with the Waldorf education past the Morning Glory program into grade school. But, since Satan didn't posses my child, I think we’ll stick it out for a full session.
