After dinner the boys raced each other to the bathroom. While one waited, the other dawdled. When it got to the point that it was an issue, I suggested that the upstairs potty be put to use. He ran off thinking this was a good idea for the first time ever.
"He went upstairs?"
"Yes son. You are taking a long time."
"Oh, that makes me sad."
Meanwhile between helping the girls eat, shoving dishes in the machine that cleans them magically for me, cleaning up the floor and answering the inevitable "I need help" call from upstairs, I glanced at the stack of papers from daycare.
"Benjamin was bombed that he didn't have his homework with him today. Please help him remember for tomorrow."
Bombed?
"Nicholas had a great day, but he was sad that he didn't have his homework to share with everyone today."
And sadness washed over the Stuber house. Well, actually indignation washed over me. I had remembered the homework as we were walking out the door that morning--the homework we had not even attempted to complete. They're three. The homework was to go through magazines and find a picture of something that each boy loved that started with the letter "i". This homework, of course, supposes that the boys apparently already know how to spell if they are really to take part in this activity. So I had disregarded my homework in all honesty. Again, they're three. There won't be enough time for homework when they're actually in school? Like say, Kindergarden? Sheesh.
But the teachers didn't let me get away with it. They made a poster the size of the an entire wall in their classroom and posted everyone's "i" things, the names of those that didn't bring their homework sitting there blankly shouting to the world the parent's disregard for education. Tucker brought in the Incredibles--yeah, the movie. Someone else brought in a picture of "ice cream." So later I decide to double my efforts and both pick up the playroom and scrounge for something that begins with the letter "i".
Fireman
Firetruck
Frog
They decided to start this insanity with the letter "i"?! I had nothing. Wait. Do they EACH have to come up with an "i" thing? Do I have to find TWO "i" things?!
Fish
Food
Finger puppets
And the word "icky" wouldn't leave my head, and I couldn't even attempt to make that a creative answer to our homework problem since they say "gucky" instead of "icky." Argh.
Fighting
Fables
Feet
Why can I only see "F" words?! Mike and Ike!! They love Mike and Ike! We can make that work! We'll take Mike and Ikes in little packages to everyone for a treat, and I'll print out a picture too. It kind of starts with an "i". And then I remembered that we love Mike and Ike so much that we buy them in bulk, and you can't bring home-packaged/home-made treats to daycare in the current world. Scratch my feeble attempt to turn a failing grade into a special treat and trump everyone else's lame homework answers.
Meanwhile, the children have taken the chairs from their little table and tried to drag them upstairs, used them to get to things out-of-reach on the counter, turned them into guns (yes guns), and started stacking them on the table to make a tower. Good, they're occupied.
Fingernails
Flowers
Forget it
Then I look over and see an ENTIRE bin in the playroom of Ironmen--little ones, big ones, guns, shields, helmets. I remember they have t-shirts; they have a poster on their wall; they have Ironman on the DVR; they have movies--cartoon and real. Gah. Five minutes later I have printed out two pictures of Ironman and called it good.
Good grief.
8 comments:
What?! NO HOMEWORK FOR 3-YR-OLDS! What kind of madness is that?Playing is their job right now; school will be here soon enough. I think you should have taken bags and bags of ICE to celebrate the return of winter to the South and runny noses...lots of runny noses at daycare.
"Meanwhile, the children have taken the chairs from their little table and tried to drag them upstairs, used them to get to things out-of-reach on the counter, turned them into guns (yes guns), and started stacking them on the table to make a tower. Good, they're occupied."
I love this paragraph!
I'm with anonymous (sounds like K to me). Crazy talk, homework for 3 year olds! Still, I bet Ironman was the best 'i' item on the wall.
Anonymous up there forgot to mention that she is Aunt Cynt, and I WISH I had called her last night to get the Idea for Ice.
See, I knew it had to be a regulatory person. Ice was an awesome idea.
So, I thought you were going to explain the "bombed" comment... I guess that meant "bummed"?
I love how your boys says "gucky." I seem to pick up little phrases from all of the little people I have cared for. We still say "gucky" around here!
Homework for 3 year olds is stupid. #1 - these "teachers" aren't even certified, so who gives them the right to give your children homework? #2 - when they get to kindergarden, they will have homework probably every night from there on out. Like Aunt Cynt said, playing is their job right now. I'm 28 and probably couldn't think of anything I love that begins with an "i." And #3 - YOU are paying THEM. They need to be just keeping your kids occupied all day and making sure they don't kill each other. What's next? Homework for the girls???
Well, Ironman it was, yea! I don't have a problem with "homework," I do understand it's teaching them. I do however have a BIG problem with putting their little names on the board and making sure EVERYONE knows that these kiddos "didn't do their homework."
In the whole scheme of life, was it really THAT important to "shame" them? Sometime those doing the "teaching" could be taught a thing or two.
Two precious little guys, just being happy being three. I mean the only way Benjamin could have been "bombed" and Nicholas could have been "sad" was the teacher made them feel that way.
Oh, please, I've said enough!!!
Just wait til kindergarten...Carsyn goes to the same school where I teach and we still can't manage to get all the homework done...we often think dance class or playing outside is a whole lot more important at age 5 than reading a silly little story..she is very bright or else I might be concerned. She's also supposed to read 20 minutes a night...we read in bulk and make it last a month or so. Relax mom...no biggie!
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