Sometimes, I feel badly for MLG. I know that his time out of school is different than that of his little friends. For example, our family is out to eat (as we often are because I hate to cook). MLG will be happily coloring or writing on one of those kiddie menu/placemats they give out at restaurants, not a care in his little world...when it inevitably begins. "Use your pinchy fingers." (That's our prompt for him to use the correct grasp.) Now I'm sure this isn't what most parents are discussing at the restaurant table...but HOW? How can I sit there and just let him be? The "teacher" wins again.
At home, in our office/playroom space, he has a calendar, weather, poetry, and an alphabet chart, complete with "pointers" for him to read the print around the room. There's a library corner, dress up space and chalkboard easel as well. I rotate manipulatives in and out that I borrow from the classroom frequently. (I'm still kicking myself that I haven't set up his flannelboard yet!) Basically, it's a mini preschool.
One year, I went as far as to divide my Christmas shopping list up into the categories or math, science, language arts, social studies. Who DOES this?? (Although I have to say, he has a wonderfully diverse array of toys that address all areas of development.)
Is it just me, or does anyone else have trouble "turning off the teacher"??
With every holiday season comes my school's Holiday Boutique. Each year I cringe as I think about bringing twenty five kindergartners shopping. How many times can I explain that they can't buy $200 worth of items because they only have $5? How many lessons will it take to teach them that they are not supposed to be shopping for their own gifts...and Mommy might like something other than a Sponge Bob eraser and a Giants foam football? Will there ever be a year that not one student cries because they didn't bring in any money? Ugh...the mere mention of the Boutique brought on exaggerated eye rolls and sighs.
When the PTA at MLG's school sent home a questionnaire regarding our opinion of the scheduled fundraisers, I thought this was my chance to impart some of my "infinite teacher wisdom" and share EXACTLY WHY I didn't like this particular activity. I went on and on, listing all the reasons this shouldn't be a fundraiser. I imagined PTA Moms discussing all the good points I made, planning for a new event in it's place.
Not wanting MLG to miss out on the experience, I of course sent him to school with an envelope for his Holiday Boutique. I prepped him on what would be happening that day and how he should keep his gifts a secret from both myself and his Daddy. My husband shared my son's plan to buy me flowers. "He's going to be disappointed," I thought.
When I picked him up, MLG was VERY excited to share how he had gone shopping for us and couldn't wait to put his bags under the tree. To my surprise, he had taken my advice very seriously and didn't give so much as a hint about the contents.
On Christmas morning, he stopped during his own present opening spree to hand out our bags. He anxiously watched us open our presents; I could see how proud he was of his choices: My first Greatest Mom, floral designed mug; my pink flower pen and my favorite, a dainty pair of rainbow-flower earrings. MLG had purchased flowers for me, according to plan. Immediately, I put in my earrings and watched him beam.
I've worn those little earrings often since Christmas, so proud of my son who took the time to carefully choose them. When I think of it, I show him that I'm wearing his special gift and delight in the satisfaction and pride that wash over him. My heart melts every time I look at them; they have become, by far, the most priceless piece of jewelry I own.
I can't wait for next year's Holiday Boutique.
I learned a very valuable lesson in college; one that would make a deep and lasting impression on me. One of the head professors had drilled into us that coloring books stifle creativity, encouraging kids to color the pictures of others rather than create their own. "Why do you think there are no great artists these days?" she asked.
We were taught that children should be given blank paper and encouraged to "create". That by giving them said books, children would think their pictures were not good enough and try to copy instead of developing an original work of art.
Boy have I defended THAT position over the years! Before my husband and I were married, it was one of those things that HAD to be ironed out prior to walking down the aisle! I mean, how could I marry a man who would give his child, MY child, A COLORING BOOK???
I've had friends that insisted "Children like them!" Well, yes, they do. And they also would like a breakfast of fruit snacks, lunch of Oreos and dinner of chocolate cupcakes, followed by a marathon of that nasty little sponge BUT YOU CAN'T GIVE CHILDREN EVERYTHING THEY LIKE because it wouldn't be good for them, now would it?
"Coloring in the lines is good for fine motor skills." Possibly; but aren't there NINE MILLION other hands on, fun things that you could think of that are BETTER for fine motor skills that don't STIFLE CREATIVITY?? Oh, how the crusade continues...
Over the last few years, MLG has received a few. Fortunately for me, he's still young enough where I can slip those suckers right out of sight and he doesn't even realize they are missing. AND I did find good use for a short time period when he WOULD NOT put pencil, marker or crayon to paper because of weak fine motor skills; but he LOVED coloring his Buzz and Woody book. OH HOW THAT HURT! But I was using it for a very specific goal over a very short time period. Once he was off and running, so were Buzz and Woody!!
So, if anyone, anywhere is reading this...please, help me on my crusade! Hand some blank, shaped or colored paper to your child and your friend's children, instead. And tell them why it's not a coloring book...
Hello Blog! I've finally taken the first step to sharing my triumphs, trials and tribulations as both a mommy and a full time kindergarten teacher. Ideally, this is the beginning of a place where teachers, moms and teacher-moms alike can come for tips, tricks, stories, advice, camaraderie and hopefully leave with a smile. And if you happen to wear both hats as I do, I welcome you to join me in the balancing act of sending your precious little one into the hands of....*GASP*...another teacher!!
Let me pull a page from the Pre-K 3 archives to give you some background. So, after searching furiously for a 2.5 hour program that shared my philosophies of hands on, developmentally appropriate learning, I enthusiastically sent my little guy (here-after to be know as MLG) to school. Now, I knew it would be difficult to ALSO find a school that embraced my ideas regarding creativity; NO coloring pages, NO step by step, cookie cutter "art" projects, so I faked excitement over the ones that my son came home with that CLEARLY were completed by an adult. "OK," I thought, "you can't have everything, right? I can cultivate his creativity at home."
But then it happened. In November, he was sent home with HOMEWORK; he had to TRACE DOTTED LETTERS OF HIS NAME OOOON...wait for it, WAIT FOR IT...........LINED PAPER!!!!!!!!!! I could feel my face getting hot, heart pounding; my hand uncontrollably reaching for the telephone...
Somehow, I managed to contain myself. But I knew in that moment, I had made a terrible mistake; oh the guilt! My husband, family and non-teacher friends subtly gave advice ranging from getting a hobby to Xanex. However, my teacher friends GASPED as I did, rallying around me in support, full of suggestions on how to handle it, completely condoning my obsessiveness about "the first incident".
This my new friends, is why I am here!
Now that MLG is at the ripe old age of four and a half, and enrolled in a public school preschool, I am painstakingly honing my skills at developing a good relationship with his teacher and other school professionals WHILE staying true to my educational beliefs and philosophies. As I share my experiences, I'd love to hear feedback from others: how you handled a similar situation, what are you REALLY thinking, how you solved your problem, but mostly...how you handled your own BALANCING ACT!
