Cliche, but on my mind often. #Kinderchat topic a few weeks ago evolved into this discussion about boys and rough housing. Boys and guns. And continues to come up through figuring out violence in kinder writing. Weeds in the Kindergarten. #kinderchat is buzzing right now with ideas.
But the niggling thought comes back to me - Why Not? Ever read the original version of Red Riding Hood? Russel Hoban’s book Monsters? Watched Bugs Bunny for the zillienth time and still laugh out loud?
Kids are surrounded by more violence than ever before. And not cartoon violence, or storybook violence. Visual screen violence that research indicates affects the brain the same way that real violence does.
Kids live with violence in their homes, on their streets. Shouldn’t we give them the opportunity to explore, discuss, dispute, refute, re-evaluate, re-educate? That is what we do. That is the basis of learning. We know kindergarten is not all butterflies and sharing. It is messy, and mean. We get mad. Mistakes are made and feelings are hurt. Not everything gets fixed right away.
I don’t know. I wish I did. I know I want boys to be boys. Snails and puppy-dog tails. (Tangent - were those tails CUT OFF??!!) Anyway.
More questions than answers. But a growing thought that a bit of this and that with discussion and acceptance and exploration can go a long way for a little weed. To make sense of this dichotomy of violence in a little weed's world.
But I might be wrong. It happens.
A very interesting post. Kindergarten is messy and mean -- people are messy and mean. It's all about learning experiences, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd public schools are a place to learn to succeed inspite of this messy and mean world we live in.
... you've got me thinking :o)
thanks for commenting - this is a topic that keeps creeping into my brain. Would love more thought on it .
ReplyDelete