# What is a Waldorf parent?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 11, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234 "2004-11-11T18:06:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sox2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Sox2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sox2004)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234/1 "2004-11-11T18:06:16Z")

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I know someone who is raising their young kids as Waldorf parents? What exactly does this mean? I did a quick internet search and it appears to me to be some kind of religious movement. Does anyone have any experience with this?

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**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234/2 "2004-11-11T18:13:44Z")

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> [@Sox2004](#):
>
> I know someone who is raising their young kids as Waldorf parents? What exactly does this mean? I did a quick internet search and it appears to me to be some kind of religious movement. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Well, a Waldorf salad is a mixture of fruits and nuts in mayonaisse…

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234/3 "2004-11-11T18:15:06Z")

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Waldorf schools are run according to the preceots of Rudolf Steiner, an anthroposophist who ran a school at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory immediately after WWI. You can find their view on things here: [http://www.waldorfanswers.org/](http://www.waldorfanswers.org/)

And that of their critics here: [http://www.waldorfcritics.org/](http://www.waldorfcritics.org/)

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-waldorf-parent/274234/4 "2004-11-11T18:27:18Z")

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I’m one. It’s a parent of a student who attends a [Waldorf School.](http://www.awsna.org/) It’s not really a religious outfit as much as it is an educational system that is quite different philosophically from your average public school, parochial school, prep school…OK, it’s a pretty unique approach.

My kids are absolutely flourishing in it, and this is significant given that my son’s temperament (he’s 6) is such that he would get eaten alive by a public school administration.

If this or a similar thread ends up in GD I’ll be happy to pick up the pro-Waldorf gauntlet and do a little witnessing. For GQ I’ll stick with a simple factual answer. 🙂