6-year-old: Kerry was totally doing it again at karate tonight.
RegularDad: Doing what?
6-year-old: Touching me. She does that all the time. She just follows me around and touches me. Ugh!
8-year-old: Well, she had a really rough day today, you know.
6-year-old: She did?
8-year-old: Yeah. I heard her mom telling all the other moms that at daycamp today, Kerry’s teacher made everyone practice letters ALL DAY LONG just because one of the parents complained that the kids were playing instead of getting ready for the school year.
6-year-old: No WAY! All day long? Practicing letters?
8-year-old: Well, sometimes they’d take a break and paint for a while, but then they’d have to go back to practicing letters for, like, 8 whole hours.
6-year-old: EIGHT WHOLE HOURS????????
RegularDad: That can’t be right.
Me, from the kitchen: No, she’s got it right. At least that what her mom told us.
8-year-old: Anyway. So maybe that’s why she was touching you. She had a hard day.
6-year-old: Well, I still don’t like it. I tell her again and again, ‘Please stop touching me,’ but she just keeps on doing it.
RegularDad: How old is she?
6-year-old: Four.
RegularDad: Four? Oh, well now, it’s pretty common for someone who’s four to not listen to you when you ask them not to do something. You’ll just have to keep repeating yourself.
6-year-old, from the lofty heights of maturity: Yeah, four is pretty young, I guess.
8-year-old, in a completely genuine tone of cheerful matter-of-factness: That’s really true. You know, when you were four, you didn’t listen at all. In fact… you still don’t.
I can’t figure out where to begin a comment. I’ll pick this one question. Where did this idea of preparing for the educational year come from? I mean, they go to learn not to already know. Right? Sheesh.
Eight whole hours! I would be incredulous too – why can’t we just let our 4 year olds play?
Exactly. And yes, exactly.
The girl’s mom said that the girl cried the whole way from daycamp to karate, and begged to not have to go back. She’d also, apparently, brought a small stash of Littlest Petshop toys to play with, and those were confiscated right away. She was told never to bring toys again. So… let’s review… four years old, stuck at daycamp, not allowed to play outside during summer at summer day CAMP… not allowed to bring favorite toys… can only practice handwriting skills so that she’s not behind the rest of the class when she starts…
KINDERGARTEN.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrghh!!!!!!!!!!
My 6-year-old feels so bad for her now, she says she’ll always be extra nice to her now. Even if she DOES keep poking at her.
Yikes! I thought day camp was supposed to be FUN! Well, if I was cooped up practicing letters for 8 hours, I just may have some touching of my own to do after wards, LOL.
I’m so glad you’re raising such MATURE young ladies. I LOVE that dinner conversation. What a hoot! Luckily they don’t need to “get ready” for the upcoming school year or go to day camp in the summer time. They can be with their lovely, witty Mommy.
Yow! And I thought it was bad that my five-year-old neice had summer homework so that she wouldn’t forget her letters.
Ummm…the last time I checked, school wasn’t mandatory until age six. Why are we pushing kids to do things they can’t do yet?
Did they change the definition for the word ‘camp’ and I didn’t get the memo? That is awful.
I love the way your daughters discussed the issue though. Such a logical thought process, most likely based on the fact that they’ve never had to succumb to illogical tasks like practicing letters all day at daycamp at four years old.
What are we doing to our kids?? Trying to fix the education system by shoveling them with information at 4 is NOT the answer.
Peyton does go to the CDC a few days a week, they swim, play with playdough, and run around outside. When I signed him up the teacher explained that it is NOT school, they do sing songs, or have a letter of the week. He attends about 12 hours a week, and LOVES IT.
Your daughters are great! You should save this conversation, and show your 6 year old when she is 10.