Ready, Set, Preschool!
by Anna Jane Hays; illustrated by True Kelley
Puh-leez. I’m wary of any book that bills itself as “an educational guide for parents.” Just what I need – more parenting advice! Like I don’t get enough from parenting books, other mommies, even random strangers. Silly me for not passing the National Parenting Exam before getting pregnant.
But remembering how terrified my toddler was before starting preschool last year, I wanted to see what I screwed up. In overly long stories, we meet kids facing the usual trauma of leaving their folks, familiarizing themselves with the classroom and making friends. It takes pages upon pages to get to the point, plus simple 1-2-3-type exercises that could’ve stood on their own.
Even so, the book was missing a few things: kids who hit, bite and throw sand; kids who cling to the teacher and sob for hours; kids whose lunch bags are stuffed with chocolate sugar-coated sugary-chocolate snacks who go on a diabetic high all afternoon. And where are the know-it-all, not-my-little-angel parents? The minimum-wage assistant teacher with the attitude problem?
This book is to help your kid prepare for an imaginary pre-school. For the real world, you’re on your own.
Rating: *\
Or the clueless administrators. My wife (with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education) would work summers in a preschool (until she married this wonderful guy). At one of the jobs, the administrator had a problem with my wife (I can't remember what the problem was) at the end of the summer, and told my wife that she was giving her a "verbal written reprimand." Whatever that is. Then she told my wife to come out for my wife's going away surprise party. (Master of timing.)
Posted by: Ontario Emperor | October 05, 2005 at 08:14 PM
Sounds like any typical bureaucracy, really. I'm sorry for your wife. Most offices, even pre-schools, have a Dilbert-esque quality to them.
Posted by: Anne | October 06, 2005 at 01:13 PM