Yet, when we walked away, I was close to tears. It had been the second school we visited and I did not believe it when I received the news in the first one: the state of California mandates that preschool children are required to nap in an institutional setting. The head of the LePort campus we visited confirmed: the state sends inspectors which check up on compliance with this law and write substantial fines to any school, which does not comply. The law, it appears, applies to kids three years of age and younger.
Any parent who has taken the time to educate himself in developmental milestones of young children, will tell you that children typically give up naps between two and four years of age, excepting a few who do so younger and some that continue needing rest for another year or two. Roughly a third to a half of three-year-olds do not need the middle-of-the-day rest period. My son quit napping and two years and three months. My daughter still enjoys hers well past her two-and-a-half mark.
I am appalled and furious at this violation of a parent's domain by the state. It should not be surprising, but you are never really prepared to learn of more instances of the ever-expanding domain of the government. We pay an inordinate amount of money for the poor excuse for an educational system the state has created. We shrug and walk away from the investment, unwilling to partake in its results. We instead put the funds that remain into a private institution that is consistent with what we believe is the best educational principles, changing residence due to the commitment to provide our children with the best that we can. This is not good enough as the state is unwilling to accept our flight and let us be. They send agents to verify that our children's routine is consistent with their idea of best. (Apparently, the obvious proof that their ideas are flawed by the failing system I already mentioned do not discourage this conviction!)
It appears, many state governments have similar laws, believing that neither the child's caretakers, nor the parents are well-suited to evaluating the basic needs of the child. Apparently, LA County, where my children are currently attending preschool, either interprets the law differently, or lacks the budget to send snoopers and enforce compliance. Instead, parents are asked for their wishes with respect to naps. Orange County takes this issue far more seriously, presenting me with a serious dilemma.
It appears, many state governments have similar laws, believing that neither the child's caretakers, nor the parents are well-suited to evaluating the basic needs of the child. Apparently, LA County, where my children are currently attending preschool, either interprets the law differently, or lacks the budget to send snoopers and enforce compliance. Instead, parents are asked for their wishes with respect to naps. Orange County takes this issue far more seriously, presenting me with a serious dilemma.
I genuinely believe that the LePort school will be able to provide a better educational experience for my kids than I would as a homeschool mom. Yet, I do not wish the experience of forced naps on a child (I remember the misery that such a system yields from my own childhood!).
I do not know whether all the positive things about the school outweigh the negatives associated with forced naps, but I will be making the decision soon. Who knows? May be we will get lucky and Lily, unlike her brother, will continue to nap through her third year and will remain happy in the school environment despite the state's best effort...
Well, you know, the state of California knows better than you what is best for your child. They're literally the nanny state! It's so annoying! >:-(
ReplyDeleteI can feel your pain. One of the reasons we left our very good Montessori school was the forced nap. Livy had long since given up her nap, and it made her truly miserable to lie there awake. It was a terrible experience for her. There were other reasons, too, but that was a biggie.
ReplyDeleteI don't even understand how they do this, logistically. What about the three hour work cycle?
ReplyDeleteDon't you understand? California is all about the public worker. They clearly have run out of things for unskilled workers to do, so they sick them on 3 year olds!
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe the government is regulating naps at private preschools. I guess they are regulating almost everything else, so why not naps. It's so infuriating! I know there are many more infuriating things the government does, but this is a good example of how they are attempting to regulate every aspect of our lives. How can our citizens sit by and accept this? I'm truly afraid of what is to become of us. Sad.
ReplyDeleteKim
Texas is the same way. It's maddening how much the state interferes with private education.
ReplyDeleteFor example, it's illegal to have a 5 year old sit out for more than 5 minutes for any reason.
It's illegal to take away a child's recess time for any reason.
But isn't this because this is not a school, it's a daycare? Private schools in CA are not regulated by the state of CA. Daycare centers are licensed by the state, and that's where the inspectors come in.
ReplyDeleteThing is, those of us who believe, a preschool is the beginning of a child's education, are subject to this law. In other words, if I look at my three-year-old and decide that his educational needs are better served by a particular private educational institution, I should not have to deal with the state on issues that they happen to consider being childcare.
ReplyDelete@Scott -- the 5 minutes for a 5 year old is more than fair. 1 min. for each year they have in age is the recommended time for a "time out." How long would you recommend a 5 year old sit in time out for? After 5 minutes, they've probably forgotten what they did to land them there int he first place...
ReplyDelete"Thing is, those of us who believe, a preschool is the beginning of a child's education, are subject to this law."
ReplyDeleteOkay, then your problem is with daycare centers being licensed. Because just about everyone who uses a daycare center falls into the category of thinking "this is the beginning of a child's education."
Now, you may be libertarian enough to say that you don't see the need for them to be licensed. Or you may think that daycare centers in CA shouldn't have mandated rules for children like how many times they are fed, changed, taken to the bathroom, taken outside, laid down for naps.
But your problem is not actually about schools. You want your Montessori day care to be treated as a school? Lobby for the law to be changed--either by lobbying to have the state not regulate daycares in the first place, or somehow allow that certain centers are better than others, and somehow privileged to not have these rules.
Go about changing the law by persuading parents. Somehow I think you'll find "it's for the children!" won't be your best tactic.
California makes children nap? I thought that rule was just for the union teachers.
ReplyDeleteTo the latest commenter - right on, dude! That was awesome.
ReplyDeleteTo Jessica: The point is not whether a five minute time-out is sufficient. I personally do not use any time-outs with my children and believe, they are counter-productive. However, as a parent I should make that call. How would we all feel if the government showed up in my house checking up on the timeout length for my kids?! Similarly, I should be able to delegate the execution of my decisions to my babysitter. Finally, I should be able to agree on a philosophy with a professional outside of the home and trust that they will not be hindered by the government to follow this agreement.