Lawd de stress pan di Pitney dem, i nuh easy,
I am speaking of raising my little ones and trying to do it responsibly, it s a mine field out there
But try I must
This morning I was talking to two of those that I work with about competition. They are both men with young sons, 2, 4 and 7 . We were talking about the school policy of including as many children as possible in the Christmas Nativity (the question of Nativity or not will follow later). I rather like the inclusion policy that schools now follow as it means that I would not have to wipe away tears or have to explain to my child that she is just as good as every other child but just wasn’t picked this year. The men I was speaking to found this idea wet and lame as they believe that it did not teach life skills and as one would be shat on in this life, the reception year of primary school is a good place to start building character.
Now this idea feels to me like walking all over your seedlings before they have understood that they have been planted and are in the ground, the sun is above them and they are supposed to grow upward towards it.
We are hopefully moving away from the time when children in primary schools were made to feel it like in the rest of us do. Where Mary would might be played by a Michelle Fiffer / Jennifer Aniston,/Nicole Kidman look alike. Joseph by 4 year old who had a Tom Cruise/Sean Bean( is Charlton Heston dead yet?) profile.The baby rosy cheeked would probably be a bald dolly to prevent him looking swarthy.
In my local primary school the teachers are predominantly English ( of mainly Northern European extraction) and none are racist as far I know, however none of them were brought up with the Birth of Christ as a multicultural event; “and this is the real world kiddie so Ashante, you can not be Mary. But you could make a nice green bush coming in from the left in act 2, and Ahmed you can not be Joseph or a lamb, heavens forbid, maybe you can sit by the side and clap really loudly at the end. Your good at that, help, sing the songs.”
The point is that most schools today encourage all children to participate and take their turn. In the early years they all learn that the being on the stage and taking on the responsibility of learning lines and performing is something they can all do , and they can shine on stage without standing on another pupils toes or assuming superiority based on race, gender or parents proximity to the Headmistress. Don’t worry these opportunities are not eradicated as they get older there will be plenty of opportunity to play every card you have to your advantage.
It is quite nice that at least in first couple of years at school it is possible to share, it is not quite dog eat dog. Competition is healthier on a team basis, where more fun is had with others to join in with your success rather than being alone. Competition is healthy in an environment where adults set good examples for children and don’t pit them against one another, but by encouraging them that if they support one another it can mean success for all.
I am speaking of raising my little ones and trying to do it responsibly, it s a mine field out there
But try I must
This morning I was talking to two of those that I work with about competition. They are both men with young sons, 2, 4 and 7 . We were talking about the school policy of including as many children as possible in the Christmas Nativity (the question of Nativity or not will follow later). I rather like the inclusion policy that schools now follow as it means that I would not have to wipe away tears or have to explain to my child that she is just as good as every other child but just wasn’t picked this year. The men I was speaking to found this idea wet and lame as they believe that it did not teach life skills and as one would be shat on in this life, the reception year of primary school is a good place to start building character.
Now this idea feels to me like walking all over your seedlings before they have understood that they have been planted and are in the ground, the sun is above them and they are supposed to grow upward towards it.
We are hopefully moving away from the time when children in primary schools were made to feel it like in the rest of us do. Where Mary would might be played by a Michelle Fiffer / Jennifer Aniston,/Nicole Kidman look alike. Joseph by 4 year old who had a Tom Cruise/Sean Bean( is Charlton Heston dead yet?) profile.The baby rosy cheeked would probably be a bald dolly to prevent him looking swarthy.
In my local primary school the teachers are predominantly English ( of mainly Northern European extraction) and none are racist as far I know, however none of them were brought up with the Birth of Christ as a multicultural event; “and this is the real world kiddie so Ashante, you can not be Mary. But you could make a nice green bush coming in from the left in act 2, and Ahmed you can not be Joseph or a lamb, heavens forbid, maybe you can sit by the side and clap really loudly at the end. Your good at that, help, sing the songs.”
The point is that most schools today encourage all children to participate and take their turn. In the early years they all learn that the being on the stage and taking on the responsibility of learning lines and performing is something they can all do , and they can shine on stage without standing on another pupils toes or assuming superiority based on race, gender or parents proximity to the Headmistress. Don’t worry these opportunities are not eradicated as they get older there will be plenty of opportunity to play every card you have to your advantage.
It is quite nice that at least in first couple of years at school it is possible to share, it is not quite dog eat dog. Competition is healthier on a team basis, where more fun is had with others to join in with your success rather than being alone. Competition is healthy in an environment where adults set good examples for children and don’t pit them against one another, but by encouraging them that if they support one another it can mean success for all.
posted by Facety at 8:19 am
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