No More Coloring Books!

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...

The Teacher Mommy Balancing Act

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!