What is a "Waldorf Parent?"

Waldorf parents come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of opinions and attitudes about Waldorf. A Waldorf parent in the strictest sense of the term would be a "parent with a child currently enrolled in a Waldorf school," but such a definition is seriously limiting. Waldorf's founder, Rudolf Steiner, talks about the "lasting impression" of Waldorf methods, and many parents consider themselves Waldorf parents long after their children have left Waldorf.

There are also other parents out there that homeschool their children with a mix of Waldorf pedagogy and other educational methods. In other cases, some families can't afford Waldorf education, but they still socialize with their local Waldorf community, and employ Waldorf practices in their homes. Some families ecompass multiple households, with one parent or the other more committed to Waldorf education. Finally, there are those parents that found themselves dissatisfied with Waldorf, and have found themselves "unravelling" from Waldorf education long after their children leave Waldorf. In these cases, even though they are no longer supportive of Waldorf education, their Waldorf experience is still a parenting issue in their family. If your child and family is, or has been, impacted by their Waldorf experience, then you are a Waldorf parent.

In my case, my daughter no longer attends Waldorf on a daily basis, yet the "lasting impression" of her time at Waldorf remains to this day. She still talks about Waldorf often, with recollections, reflections, and questions. In addition, she is raised with Waldorf influences and still participates in her Waldorf community. With this in mind, I have a great deal of interest in remaining a part of the Waldorf community as an interested Waldorf parent.