Will American school rankings, feeder schools, tutors & test scores really determine your child's future success and happiness? Can Nordic values play a part?
I can’t imagine how complex choosing a school is, but how great that you have options! I would definitely look for someplace that didn’t drive so hard at academics so as to kill any joy of learning in kids.
I’m sure you are familiar with the Nordic approach to sports. But I just read the following article and wondered how you will approach this with your boys as they start to get more involved in sports.
Thank you Tony! My favorite thing is when my Substack is a conversation that keeps evolving - and when I also learn something new! I hadn’t seen this, and didn’t know about this, but now- having been in Norway - it makes sense.
I’ll see if I can dig up those children’s sports rights in English, study the sports a bit more locally here in the US and then write about this.
It hits home because my boys are very sporty and competitive & one is on a travel soccer team (his own wish; he asked to be in a “harder” team because he felt the other kids didn’t play focused enough) , and one started golf tournaments last year.
But, maybe I should take a note from this Norwegian approach for our family!
We’ve had so much trouble finding a school that is a good match for a kids here in Sweden. Grateful we landed at an outdoor based Waldorf school, but that was only an option bc “private schools” in Sweden are free & accessible to anyone who makes it off the waitlist. So different from the US where most outdoor based schools are private and expensive, and therefor unaffordable to so many. Our kids struggled readjusting back to in person school in the US during covid, but are thriving now in their Swedish school that has lots of outdoor time, less stress on academic testing or memorization, more focus on physical movement & hands on learning, and much shorter days with open “fritids” free play everyday after school. A world of difference.
It’s so interesting to hear about these different experiences & choices! That’s really unique even to Finland where private schools don’t really exist - but private daycares are not much more $/e than public ones -
Ultimately we want most choices for our kids so we can opt for the one that most resonates with us & our kids. And it’s wild how differently countries view “real learning”: academics vs for example learning through play & outdoors
Would be very interesting to hear what you choose in the end. In Austria recess doesn't even exist. They have very small breaks in between lessons and some time to eat their snacks, but they hardly ever leave the classroom during school time. School days are short like in Finland. Approximately 4-5hours. Afternoon care is organised by schools.
Wow, I wonder how common or uncommon recess is at other countries? Have you heard of other European countries -about their recess? Do your kids get school lunch or do they bring their own? What’s the afternoon care like? Does it end by 3rd grade like in Finland? how’s the focus on academics/ grades?
There are so many outlets through which children learn, and it’s hard as a parent to balance it out. I grew up in private schools and while there were benefits, I feel like I didn’t appreciate the mindset they were trying to instill until I was much older. We moved temporarily to a more competitive district and were not impressed with the academics - so many kids had tutors! Play is so important and there is so much we can do as parents to foster a genuine love of learning and exploration :)
I am also from Europe and my husband is North American . We have attended both private and public schools growing up. We are choosing homeschooling/ Charter schools for our children. It’s tough but rewarding and we understand not everyone can do it. Both public and private schools are now pushing harmful political agenda... at the end of the day, every family should do what is best for them. John Holt is a great author I recommend ☺️
I can’t imagine how complex choosing a school is, but how great that you have options! I would definitely look for someplace that didn’t drive so hard at academics so as to kill any joy of learning in kids.
I’m sure you are familiar with the Nordic approach to sports. But I just read the following article and wondered how you will approach this with your boys as they start to get more involved in sports.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/article-norways-radically-different-approach-to-sports-helped-it-climb-to-the/
Thank you Tony! My favorite thing is when my Substack is a conversation that keeps evolving - and when I also learn something new! I hadn’t seen this, and didn’t know about this, but now- having been in Norway - it makes sense.
I’ll see if I can dig up those children’s sports rights in English, study the sports a bit more locally here in the US and then write about this.
It hits home because my boys are very sporty and competitive & one is on a travel soccer team (his own wish; he asked to be in a “harder” team because he felt the other kids didn’t play focused enough) , and one started golf tournaments last year.
But, maybe I should take a note from this Norwegian approach for our family!
We’ve had so much trouble finding a school that is a good match for a kids here in Sweden. Grateful we landed at an outdoor based Waldorf school, but that was only an option bc “private schools” in Sweden are free & accessible to anyone who makes it off the waitlist. So different from the US where most outdoor based schools are private and expensive, and therefor unaffordable to so many. Our kids struggled readjusting back to in person school in the US during covid, but are thriving now in their Swedish school that has lots of outdoor time, less stress on academic testing or memorization, more focus on physical movement & hands on learning, and much shorter days with open “fritids” free play everyday after school. A world of difference.
It’s so interesting to hear about these different experiences & choices! That’s really unique even to Finland where private schools don’t really exist - but private daycares are not much more $/e than public ones -
Ultimately we want most choices for our kids so we can opt for the one that most resonates with us & our kids. And it’s wild how differently countries view “real learning”: academics vs for example learning through play & outdoors
Would be very interesting to hear what you choose in the end. In Austria recess doesn't even exist. They have very small breaks in between lessons and some time to eat their snacks, but they hardly ever leave the classroom during school time. School days are short like in Finland. Approximately 4-5hours. Afternoon care is organised by schools.
Wow, I wonder how common or uncommon recess is at other countries? Have you heard of other European countries -about their recess? Do your kids get school lunch or do they bring their own? What’s the afternoon care like? Does it end by 3rd grade like in Finland? how’s the focus on academics/ grades?
There are so many outlets through which children learn, and it’s hard as a parent to balance it out. I grew up in private schools and while there were benefits, I feel like I didn’t appreciate the mindset they were trying to instill until I was much older. We moved temporarily to a more competitive district and were not impressed with the academics - so many kids had tutors! Play is so important and there is so much we can do as parents to foster a genuine love of learning and exploration :)
I am also from Europe and my husband is North American . We have attended both private and public schools growing up. We are choosing homeschooling/ Charter schools for our children. It’s tough but rewarding and we understand not everyone can do it. Both public and private schools are now pushing harmful political agenda... at the end of the day, every family should do what is best for them. John Holt is a great author I recommend ☺️