So, today is the official beginning of summer school for the Bub. And I call it summer school rather than summer camp because school is what it is. Though there is some element of fun, I'm sure, against the better advice of my friends, family and the Bub's teacher, I enrolled him in a two week pre-reading course. He is not even an hour and a half into it and already my stomach is churning with regret.
It all started months ago when I fell victim to the "sign up now or all the spaces will be filled" syndrome and signed my son up for a full summer of activities at one school. Since the day I handed over my $500 check, I've heard about a million and one awesome (and probably more appropriate) summer camps for the Bub, from music to puppets to animals. I know my son would love more than anything right now to be playing make believe and building marionettes and banging on drums instead of in a little classroom having phonetical fun.
My worry mode really kicked into gear this morning when I dropped him off and mentioned to the teacher that he was a "lefty", and she said, "Ok, we'll work with him, unless you don't want him to be a lefty?" WTF!?! I thought that sort of thinking was way way way antiquated. I was sure the days of pushing lefties to be righties was long gone... Both my lefty sisters have horrible memories of being forced to use right hands and ultimately learning to write all backwards and crazy. Regardless, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and wiped the comment from my memory (sort of), kissed the Bub and left him there. After all, it is only two weeks. How much damage can be made in two weeks? And odds are my ever-adaptable (and phonics-loving) son will take the class to heart and soar. I'm sure that will be the case, but still... Right now I am wishing he was getting his hands on some finger paint rather than working on an ABC journal when he can barely write his name. What have I done to my sweet angel? Ugh.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Remorse, Regret and Motherly Guilt
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4 comments:
I'm a lefty :-) and it never did me any harm..
OK, the single biggest thing (I reckon) is to make sure the piece of paper there on the table in front of him slopes the right way. That's to say: from left to right it should slopes downwards. This is the opposite from how a unthinking right handed teacher will probably place it: with the slight upward slope that is comfortable for right-handers.
will they also teach him to blog?
OMG. I agree! Forcing a leftie into rightie? Thought we were so over that. He'll be fine!
Don't beat yourself up too much and give him all the 'fun' stuff at home. You've read to him so much and done so much brilliant work with him. He might love it! Let us know here how he goes. Good luck and please don't be too hard on yourself!
Forgot to add. I'm a leftie and we are all geniuses, creative happy types who are also extremely good looking:) My father was a leftie and was forced to change. What was that teacher thinking of? I know some Asian cultures regard the left side as 'evil' but a teacher?
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