Childhood in Transition

For many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, their memories don’t begin in kindergarten, but outdoors: on the street, in meadows, and on playgrounds, surrounded by bicycles and long afternoons without set schedules, but spent with the various children from the neighborhood. Freedom and independence shaped the daily lives of many children; institutional care, academic expectations, and targeted support, on the other hand, often played a much smaller role than they do today. In the 1990s and 2000s, afternoons spent both outdoors and with the first digital media were typical: bike rides through the neighborhood, get-togethers on the soccer field, but also video game consoles, TV shows, and the family computer. Daily life oscillated between analog leisure and an increasingly digital world. At the same time, organized activities, academic demands, and targeted support gradually gained importance, while free time remained an important part of childhood. Children today not only grow up under different conditions than previous generations—they are also viewed, evaluated, and addressed differently by society.

This three-part series explores the changing nature of childhood and the challenges facing schools today.

Schools must foster diversity

As a generation, children today are indeed at risk of becoming a social minority, as sociologist Aladin El-Mafaalani has so aptly put it—yet at the same time, they are more diverse and disparate than almost any previous generation. Demographically, this is clearly evident: There are significantly fewer children today than there were just a few decades ago. While approximately 1,360,000 children were born in 1964, by 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office, that number had fallen to less than half—namely, about 677,000. This demographic shift is accompanied by paradoxical changes: Due to their small numbers, children and adolescents as a group are losing political clout; on the other hand, fewer children mean that each individual child comes into sharper focus, with heightened expectations placed on them—and thus increased pressure and vulnerability.

Without immigration, the German population would steadily decline. Immigration keeps it stable—and that is precisely what is changing its composition: While about 14 percent of the retiree generation has a so-called immigrant background, the figure is already 39 percent among those under 20. In the group of children under five, the proportion is as high as 43 percent. Children are an extremely heterogeneous group; diversity is no longer the exception but the norm in childhood. Yet this diversity does not go hand in hand with equal opportunity. On the contrary—social inequalities shape children’s health, educational opportunities, leisure activities, living conditions, and opportunities for participation from a very early age and with lasting effects.

Added to this is another dynamic: children’s lived environments are becoming increasingly fragmented. Children grow up in different «bubbles» and, individually, have little experience with diversity. Spaces where children from different backgrounds come together are becoming rarer. This is primarily due to the steadily homogenizing residential neighborhoods, the increasingly divergent leisure activities and lifestyles, and the coexistence of separate digital spaces. School is becoming one of the few remaining places where different social worlds can still come together at all, and as a result, its social significance is growing enormously: School is the most important space for social integration for children and their families.

The Waldorf school as a neighborhood school

Yet while adolescents view diversity with great openness, most Waldorf schools have not yet fully embraced this change. Many schools cling to traditional notions of normality and, as a result, are focusing their attention on an increasingly smaller group. There are good reasons to strive for greater diversity in the student body in the future. A comprehensive opening up of Waldorf schools could be helpful in this regard.

Openness and attitude

First and foremost, it would make sense to actively reach out to the respective neighborhood, which could be achieved through collaborations with various organizations. These could include artistic, interfaith, natural history, athletic, social, and entirely new projects—such as digital initiatives: It will be important to network with many stakeholders in the shared (urban) space and thereby facilitate encounters. Additional time is needed to carry out such projects, which could raise awareness of Waldorf schools and foster trust. Without time in the afternoons, it will not be possible to reach out to the neighborhood or implement other projects. Waldorf schools should not respond to changing conditions with closures and isolation, but rather defend the children’s interests by consistently reaching out to the community. To this end, they should provide children with experiences of diversity wherever possible. Children should learn to see and acknowledge diversity while at the same time being able to trust that their own uniqueness is also seen and acknowledged.

Waldorf schools should promote health

Mental health challenges are a defining feature of growing up today. Childhood is constantly changing in the wake of societal shifts, and recent studies show that more and more children are growing up with mental health challenges—not as a result of individual failure, but as an expression of structural pressures. Researchers emphasize that psychological vulnerability is increasingly a hallmark of modern childhood. According to the Robert Koch Institute (2023), approximately 2.3 million children and adolescents in Germany have been diagnosed with mental health disorders, and these numbers have risen significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, childhood researchers caution against hastily pathologizing these developments. Mental health issues often reflect feelings of being overwhelmed in everyday life. This affects not only children from socially disadvantaged families, but above all children from middle- and upper-class educational and income groups. Andresen speaks of a «normalization of psychological vulnerability» in the social mainstream—precisely the group that characterizes many Waldorf schools.

Schools, too, are subject to this societal pressure. Today, they are not only places of learning but also central spaces for emotional stability. While they cannot treat mental health issues, they can create structures that foster a sense of security, guidance, and self-confidence. The mental health of teachers also plays a crucial role in this regard: Nearly half show symptoms of burnout, and one-third feel there is an imbalance between their workload and the recognition they receive. A practical approach to promoting well-being: Each week, children record their achievements, attribute these successes to their personal strengths, and reflect with their teacher on how they can apply these skills in other situations. Studies show that children taught in this way develop greater well-being, a stronger self-image, and more self-confidence after one year.

The Waldorf school’s class teacher system in particular supports this approach: Long-term, stable relationships create the space in which children can recognize their strengths and develop resilience. Waldorf schools should not respond to children’s growing psychological vulnerability by isolating them, but rather should consistently apply their educational principles to foster emotional stability and self-confidence.

Our thesis makes it clear: Psychological stress is now a part of children’s everyday lives. Waldorf schools can address this by deliberately creating environments that promote well-being, a focus on strengths, and resilience, thereby ensuring that the school’s educational principles remain effective in today’s social context.

Note: A version of this text containing all references, sources, and bibliographic citations is available upon request from the editorial office.