Maybe it's because I'm not heading in any clear direction. I really just post when the mood strikes. If I had a clearer direction then I would know what to write about. The blog seems like it should be about motherhood and raising girls (hence the name), but I never really write about that. I'm no expert I guess so I don't feel the wealth of information trying to find its way through my keyboard. I like to share the funny moments of our day. There are many. But lots of times I feel like a Status Update will suffice--so I don't blog about them often. Then there is my new found love of snapping shots and I could share those...but...this isn't that type of blog either.
There are the random thoughts and inspiring tidbits too. I like to do those to but I haven't really had any major "aha" moments lately.
Then there are projects around the house and my beloved "before and afters".
As you can see it's really a hodgepodge. That's okay. That's life and in the end that's what I want the blog to be...a blog about my life.
And so without further ado...
Yesterday after Olivia's dance class I was buttoning jackets and gathering my bags when a little scene went down. Nothing major but it made me think. The girls came out (these are 3-year-olds mind you) Some of the girls had stamps on their hands and some of them did not. (Livi did have a stamp, which she proudly showed off). The other moms asked to see the stamps but some of the girls didn't have stamps. When the moms asked why they didn't get stamps the little girls couldn't really say why they didn't have them...just kind of looked a little sad and confused. "My hair wasn't in a pony tail...that's why I didn't get a stamp" one girl said.
What?
Livi's hair was pulled out of her face...but not in a pony tail either, but she got a stamp. Here hair is shorter though...
So the mom asked and almost immediately the teacher (who doesn't have children of her own yet), got kind of defensive and said, yes indeed it is because the child didn't have her hair in a ponytail.
The girls have to have their hair pulled up for safety reasons--so they don't get hurt when tumbling. That makes perfect sense to me.
What doesn't make sense to me is "punishing" or "singling out" three year olds who can't articulate to their parents the need to have a pony tail for class. If you plan to give the girls stamps why not just make it a positive thing--give every girl a stamp for doing a good job, learning a new move, being a good listener etc. And then come out and announce to the parents that hair needs to be pulled up?
It just seems to me an odd way to get that important information out there. A three-year-old just doesn't get that. Can a three-year-old pull her own hair back in a pony tail? No. It's up to mommy or daddy or whoever grabs the comb for the day. So let's have a conversation with the parents instead of relying on the three-year-olds to relay the information. I'm all for teaching kids responsibility. Did I mention these girls are three?
It's in the HANDBOOK. The teacher shot back.
Okay. It's been about 6 months since anyone has picked up the handbook--I don't even know where mine is! For most of these parents, this is the very first experience with dance class. Is stamping the girl (good girl) or not stamping the girl (bad girl) really that much easier than coming out and simply saying to the parents--please have your child's hair pulled up from now on so they don't get hurt!?
Then the mom who got upset about it felt like a fool because she had made a little scene. I didn't think she looked foolish and I told her so.
Maybe when these gals have kids of their own--a handbook sitting under a pile of school papers, children bugging them while they are on the phone, a poopy diaper to change, lunch to prepare, and at least three seperate bags to pack just to get out the door--they will understand. Or are we the crazy ones?
