childpeace

sounds good, right?

now go take a look…nice, huh?  big, bright windows.  an urban Montessori experience.  $1100 a month for little Mabel’s age.  high quality early childhood education.

we two (or three, i should say!) sat at a cafe across the street from the school.  she was so excited when a group of small kids filed out the door.  i was amazed at the orderly way they processed down to the sidewalk.  we finished our hot chocolate and headed for the bus.  the kids were in front of us, walking in two straight lines.  it was kind of beautiful, all that order.  but then it wasn’t.  who wants their two year old walking in line?  and how do you keep a group of two year olds walking in two straight lines?

you tie them together.

and not with some lovely natural material, not something that the children woven themselves.  just regular, old plastic rope.  can you imagine?  is that why it cost so much?

would the parents of those kids have the same reaction as me?  does it bother them to see their children tied up?  fresh air is a good thing.  and no one wants a gaggle of kids running in the street.  but this simple problem highlights so much of what’s wrong with early childhood education for me.  it creates so many more problems than it solves.