Acquara Independent School

Educational Guides

I talked to people from 9 am to 11 pm today. Exhausting.

First, Avery’s new headstart teacher came and we filled out paper work. She seems cool. But the curriculum she uses is parents as teachers which made me groan. It is the same one as healthy start that I already did with Aaron and Naim. There is nothing wrong with it per se, it is just so focused on parenting skills and basic child development. It is another example of people in poverty being assumed to be stupid and in need of “skills and education.” I have no issue with someone who really feels like they could benefit from child development and parenting skills education getting that stuff. Nothing wrong with that. But what I need, and what I think a lot of poorer parents need is QUALITY child care. Meaning, they need someone to come in and actually spend time with their child and have activities and things already planned. I want him to have quality interactions even when I don’t have time to do it myself. I want another set of eyes on him, someone elses ideas. I may be able to get some of that, but I am so bummed about just sitting there talking to these teachers while they give me handouts on how to play with your child and guess what? NO ONE IS PLAYING WITH MY CHILD! It is a waste of my time and Avery’s time. I think, you are telling me all this stuff I already know, and I could be actually interacting with my kid. Or at least YOU could be interacting with my kid. It is like WIC or anything else. In order to get my formula, food, etc. I have to prove worth by taking nutrition classes. Again, nothing wrong with nutrition classes, but this assumption that poorer parents are too dumb to feed their kids so that is why we have to teach them what to feed them and dictate what they eat is not what most parents need. Most parents need MONEY FOR FOOD and TIME so they can go look for work, etc. Not take nutrition classes. (The SNAP/TANF ones are unbelievable. They basically teach you how to shop and spread out the foodstamps as far as possible when the foodstamp money is paultry at best and does take some real skill to try to utilize them without starving your kid. Instead of spending money and resources to teach parents how to get by with so very little food, why don’t you just use the money to give them MORE FOOD?)

But anyway, this was her first visit and it was all paperwork, so we’ll see what we can make of this. I did a much more toned down, much nicer version of the rant above, hopefully she wasn;t totally intimidated by me, but her demeanor and voice changed afterwards. It was less condescending nicey nice and more realistic and matter of fact. I liked her, I hope she can be of use.

Melanie and Ruoda came and took care of Avery and that seemed to go well. Kids and I went to NWCT to see Junie B. Jones. I had trouble hearing, which has never happened before. Kids enjoyed it. We want to read the books now. Naim found a girl from VH from his Chinese class so he went to sit with her. Had pizza at Hot Lips after and I realized I left my backpack in the theatre. Went back and got it and they were working on the sound and sound checks, so maybe it was a sound system problem and no just me. Nik said he had trouble hearing it as well.

Dropped A off at D’s and Naim came home to play with Ruoda. I talked to Melanie about homeschooling schedules and stuff. The kids were so LOUD though. Driving me nuts. Rouda and Melanie walked Naim over to D’s house and later my dad came from Kansas. By the time the kids and D came back at almost ten o’clock, I was about ready to die of over communication.

Filed under: Drama, Early Intervention, Social Skills | Tagged: fieldtrips, Head Start, NWCT, playdate perplexities |