Monday Teeny Poll
By GlindaWe are recovering here from what I like to call “VomitFest 2011” wherein my daughter threw up three times in less than two hours just before bedtime. It equaled three outfit changes, three baths, two bedsheet changes, two changes of outfit and showers for mommy, and three floor cleanings. Fun times, my friends, fun times. Actually, this is the only time I appreciate the marble floors that make up most of the flooring in the house. Much easier to clean than a carpet.
Anyhoo, enough about the travails of my poor toddler’s stomach.
Last week we had what I thought was a very interesting poll, and 60% of you felt that people who refuse to have their children vaccinated should pay higher health insurance premiums. 27% of you said that if we had universal healthcare, we wouldn’t be talking about raising health insurance premiums at all, and only 12% thought that vaccine-refusers should not have to pay higher premiums. To be honest, I was a little shocked at the final outcome. Not that I disagree, but I certainly thought more people would be against it.
Today via the Washington Post comes the story of poor Zoe, who was kicked out of a Montessori school at the tender age of 3 because she had too many potty accidents at school.
January 31st, 2011 at 8:36 am
I couldn’t finish reading the story I’m so furious for the poor kid. Pre-schools have every right to set their own policies about when a child is ready for their environment; as the WP points out, many pre-schools are hemmed in by regulations surrounding hygiene, staffing, and concerns re potential lawsuits. Zoe isn’t ready for the school’s environment, and THAT’S OKAY. Even if the mother is succesful in changing the school’s policy, how much fun would it be for poor Zoe to be having accidents in front of the other kids as frequently as she is? Poor thing is probably completely stressed and unhappy, which isn’t helping matters. Find another school, already. Or hire a baby-sitter/nanny. (Yes, I know that would be more expensive. But if the parents can afford Montessori, I assume they could afford a babysitter.)
January 31st, 2011 at 8:38 am
Okay, lesson 1: finish the article. I see they did put little Zoe in a new school with a more relaxed setting–and what do you know? She did fine. Montessori was stressing her out. I’m glad they moved her.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:16 am
Is it called an “accident” when it’s a three-year-old peeing in her diaper?
January 31st, 2011 at 12:03 pm
As someone who works with young children, I sympathize with the school’s position. I teach ice skating, and we take kids as young as 3 for group lessons. Some kids that young are just not ready, which is fine, but parents need to realize that it isn’t fair to expect me to babysit their crying child who refuses to even try to participate when I have 10 other kids in the class who need my attention.
And I certainly do NOT get paid enough to be expected to deal with your child’s urine. That falls considerably outside of what I consider to be my job description. Long story short, there’s nothing wrong with your child being on a different developmental track, but you need to make arrangements accordingly.
January 31st, 2011 at 4:32 pm
I also read the story, and find it quite interesting that before she started that school, she had no accidents. And after she changed schools, she had no accidents. It makes me wonder if there was something about that school that was making her anxious.
The school has the right to set their own rules with regards to these things. However, the teacher who announced in front of all of the other kids how many accidents Zoe had had that day? That’s just vicious.
I also think it was very foolhardy of the mother to not insist on her child’s name being changed for the article. That poor kid is going to get tormented when she’s older if any of her peers Google her.
February 1st, 2011 at 6:59 pm
I read the article and voted option 4. Maybe it was the preschool causing stress, maybe the girl was not fully trained yet, I don’t know. I *am* convinced, however, that as a society we push formal learning environments on our kids WAY too young. I’m not even sure about kindergarten.
February 1st, 2011 at 11:40 pm
I was horrified to discover that my daughter gets percentage grades in kindergarten! On tests! In kindergarten! What happened to the smiley-face grading scale? I don’t think I had tests until second grade. Happily she is not worried about it, and we are trying to keep it that way.