Waldorf/Unschooling Audio

[Penny]

Hi Donna - I just finished listening to this, and first of all, I must say thank you for helping me with my own understanding - I constantly battle with unschooling vs. Waldorf, it's nice to get some clarity, and to see that a little unschooling can help one's homeschool, especially in the form of relaxing (now THAT I can use!) and that one isn't a traitor for relaxing a bit!

I also found interesting your AP/Waldorf bit at the end, and I'm wondering if you have ever had thoughts about Waldorf in terms of unconditional parenting (a la Alfie Kohn), without coercion, bribes, etc. - I would love to hear about how Waldorf grows from that as well...perhaps you did that in the talks about youngers, and I just missed them?

Perhaps I've missed the whole point and this question just illuminates that fact (LOL!) - but I hope not...

Just curious -

Hope you're well - Penny

[Donna]

Hi Penny,

I feel about about Alfie Kohn's work in a similar way to how I feel about John Holt - there's a lot there to learn from - but that the fundamental differences between how Kohn and Holt view children and how Waldorf views children are so vastly different as to almost be speaking about different things!

I am, like Kohn, totally against bribes and rewards - but different peole classify coercion in very different ways. I would - and have - for instance, made my sons practice a musical instrument, sit down and memorize a poem or times table etc etc. Some people would call this coercion. I do not. I say it's a vital way that a parent must act with a child to help them get past their own walls and/or inner inertia. It is part of the parent's role of transforming and metamorphosing something in the child that needs to be done.

Having said that, it can certainly be abused and can indeed turn into what I would call coercion - inappropriate force or an inappropriate expectation perhaps at an inappropriate time in the child's development.

So these things are very subtle. But because people like Kohn, as radical as they might be in terms of some things, share the same conventional picture of the child - ie of the apprentice, of the less experienced person instead of the anthroposophical idea of the being with a totally different consciousness, - what I just said above will make no sense and seem to be an example of coercion.

[Penny]

It makes sense to me!

Your last bit summed up exactly what I was thinking (I just don't think as clearly as you!) - I wish I had asked you this question three years ago - I would've saved myself a lot of late night reading!

Thanks for the reply :)

Penny