Homeschooling can be so many different things so it’s hard to draw a direct comparison. It’s possible to integrate Waldorf ideas and activities into homeschooling but in my experience it’s very difficult to replicate the community and rhythm. Waldorf schools have their own calendar of festivals that define the year and rhythms within the day and week. Kids move through the grades with the same class allowing them to spend 8+ years with the same people and often the same teacher.

We tried homeschooling and I am a huge advocate of it for families who can make it work but the dirty little secret is most can’t. My wife and my oldest are very different people and if we had constant arguments and trouble getting the kids to do anything we asked them to. For us, it is much healthier to send them to a school we feel good about. Our whole family is involved so it’s like a school for all of us really.