life, apparently

Mr.Apparently,

Can you please talk to TheKid about keeping his hands to himself. TheKid likes to put some of the kids in head locks or he will grab them from behind pull them to the floor and jump on them. I told him he needs to have safe hands and a safe body but he still continues to do. So if you can please talk to him about it.

Thank you
ScaryTeacher*

We found out today that he is being mean to Emily - who he tells me everyday is "my new bess fwend" I guess best friends let you beat them up? I'm shocked. (I'm pretty sure the head locks are just aggressive hugs but the pushing and jumping is just plain nasty behavior). We had a talk. TheHusband also had a talk with him. I hope it is all over.

Yesterday at the grocery store, TheKid points to a bald guy and excitedly yells "Hey, hims has on his head jus like Daddy's head" Take it as a compliment bald guy.

*TheKid is at an inclusive preschool with a max classroom size of 8 kids with disabilities and 7 without. They have 6 (or more?) teachers and this one takes the role of TheScaryOne. When we visited, the director said that non-disabled kids model good behavior for the disabled kids who have behavioral issues. hmmm, we got that role wrong now didn't we.


UPDATE: TheKid had a great day according to everyone and he told TheScaryTeacher "is not nice to push are fwends" Let's hope for another successful keep-your-hands-to-yourself-day tomorrow.

Labels: cuteness is genetic, day care woes, parenting awards

Today is the first day of our new school situation. TheKid goes to NewSchool 3 days and week and stays home 2 days a week. Unfortunately this means that I also have to stay home with him those 2 days. (Temporary. This is temporary I remind myself.) I am not patient, I am easily bored, and I am scared to death of staying home with my kid for 2 whole days in a row every week. This, my friends, will be very interesting.

Frequent readers (all 3 of you) know that we seem to attract crazy daycare situations. My sisters says it is the I live in - she called it the daycare outlaw state because they seem to have extremely lax regulation on child care centers. We began TVschool Jan 1 after GreatestBabysitterEver went off to college. We asked several questions when visiting TVschool and everything seemed quite nice (obviously). Here is what we learned in the 2 short months that TheKid attended TVschool:

They watch TV until everyone arrives (say 7-8am), then during breakfast (8-9:30ish), during lunch (11:00-12ish), then during snack (3-4). They nap from 12ish-3. So basically we were paying hundreds of dollars a month for TV and a nap. And, if that isn't bad enough (obviously there are 12 other sets of parents who don't seem to mind), they don't even watch what I consider to be age appropriate, educational TV. Instead they watched movies (others that I cannot link to because I don't know what they are) and Barney (no offense but I hate that purple dinosaur). I told the director that they amount of TV these kids watch is criminal. TheKid does like to watch TV but we do it rarely (like when I need a break or he is being a grouch). He often sat at the table with his back to the TV and they actively encouraged him to move chairs or turn around so he could see the TV. WTF? (Lesson: when you ask "how often do you watch TV?" and the director says "rarely" but there is a TV in every room, she is lying)

The "breakfast" served by the school consists of a handful of dry sugar cereal (Lesson: when you ask "what do you typically eat for breakfast?" and the director says "cereal" don't assume it is the same non-sugar-coated, whole grain, cereal you serve at home)

99% of the words spoke in that room took the form "NO [fill in child's name]!" Kids are mischevious. They do things you'd rather them not, things they know they shouldn't do, things that are mildly dangerous, etc. I know this. But yelling NO all day will not solve that (apparently TV does, eh?).

They don't read books everyday and rarely listen to music. I guess it interferes with their TV programs. (Lesson: don't assume that so-called-"schools" read everyday just because you see books)

etc.

Needless to say, we decided to leave the minute we walked in the door. For a while the plan was to quit after my job interview tour around the world and worry about finding daycare later. Somehow we TheHusband found a new daycare at another college (not mine) that had an open spot. The problem is that it is part-time and expensive. He is the youngest (by a year in some cases) which I think will be nice (he is learning things that he wouldn't normally learn at this age) but it is also a little scary (one of the things he is learning is to cut with scissors).

I hope this latest installment of the DayCareWoes is the last.

Labels: day care woes