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November 11, 2006 at 3:37 pm #17769
Anonymous
InactiveHave any of you talked to your toddlers about remembrance day?
A few days ago I picked up Sarah from school and she told me that she learned about “puppies”. After a very confusing conversation that ended in her frustrated and saying “when you get a puppy you put it on your shirt”, I realized that we were talking about poppies and not puppies.
It seemed that they had been talking to the kids about poppies and remembrance day. The next day when I picked her up, her friend came up to me and said “soldiers use guns to fight people”. I was pretty surprised and approached the teacher. She said that they’ve been talking about remembrance day and told the kids that soldiers fight to protect us, and that someone asked and they told the kids that they “fight with guns but that they were taught how to use guns and that we should never touch guns b/c guns hurt people”. I was pretty upset. I told her that I didn’t think it was something that they should be talking to 3 year olds about b/c they don’t have the mental capacity to understand the information. She told me that they don’t believe in sheltering them and hiding things.
I planned to talk to the director about it the next day since she’d left already, and when I went to pick her up the next day, I was told that a child in another class has a parent who’s a soldier in the army and he came in his uniform to talk to the kids. Sarah was wearing a poppy and when I asked her about what she learned at school, she told me that a soldier came in to talk to them and that “soldiers fight us” and that they wear helmets, and that they made paper mache helmets and that when they dried they would pretend to be soldiers.
I’ve been pretty upset about this. I don’t think it’s something that most 3 year olds need to talk about b/c I don’t think that they can fully understand the information. I think that they’ll have many years ahead of them to worry about the hardships of the world and that they don’t need to learn about it now.
What do you think. I’d like some other voices of reason before I go and talk to the director. I know that I can have a tendency to overreact.
November 11, 2006 at 5:04 pm #17776InactiveThat’s a hard one. I think as parents we would like to be the ones who tell our children about these things. We had a similar thing happen when my now 16 year old was in kindergarten. It was Halloween time and we made sure that we informed the school of our religious beliefs and how we would like to make sure that Justin didn’t do anything pertaining to Halloween. Needless to say Justin came home from school and said mom when we have our fall party tomorrow we are supposed to get around a big pot and stir like we are stirring up a potion and we would get dressed like witches. So we thought we would not say anything and go to his party so we could see what was going on. Sure enough the same teachers that I told that we don’t dress like witches and that it was wrong had our son acting this part out. Now I know I will get comments on this but let me tell you that it’s my belief and I don’t push my beliefs on anyone. I am not saying that if you dress your child like that it’s wrong. But as a mother it is my right to make these decisions myself. He was 5 then and I didn’t want him running around like a witch. I know long story but these are our children and we should be asked if the subject matter is something that we want our children learning. Three years old is so young to even think about guns and fighting. I think if you don’t want your child to do that then you should bring it up. You will need to talk to her about it eventually but isn’t it your choice of the age you do that? They don’t even know what death is. Remembrance is about remembering the dead and the living but at three years old I am not sure she would understand. I don’t think it’s out of line for you to talk to the director and tell them that this is way out there. I hate the comment that they don’t shelter the kids. We as parents have the right to shelter our children from anything we want and it’s our job. I wish you all the luck with this one.
November 11, 2006 at 9:06 pm #17783InactiveThanks Kathleen. I spoke to another parent from the class tonight, and they agree as well, so hopefully I won’t be the only one saying something.
November 11, 2006 at 9:17 pm #17787InactiveLiza asked us today what Veterans Day was and we told her it’s a day that we remember the soldiers who protect our country. She didn’t need any further explanation and I don’t think any pre-schooler does. I would definitely be upset, too.
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