Today I picked up my sons from daycare. When I got there my oldest, Colt, was outside with his class at the playground. I noticed he was sitting off to the side all by himself. While he was sitting there I watched one of his friends go up, sit beside him and talk to him, then stand up and talk to him..but Colt never moved.
My husband is always concerned that Colt doesn't know how to play with other kids. He isn't one to play independently. It doesn't bother me at all, he's still young and he isn't really used to being around that many other kids.
On the way home I started talking to Colt about what I saw. I was concerned, and a little sad for him...
Me- "Colt, why were you sitting over there while y'all were outside? I know you had friends out there, why don't you play with them, buddy?"
Colt- "oh cuz that one teacher put me in time out"
Oh.
What do you do?
I continued to question him and it turns out he got in trouble for climbing up the slide. This is a rule he knows. Mainly from going to Chick Fil A during the summer and playing in their annoying little inside playground, that's a whole other story.
Now, the mom in me was wondering if the teacher gave him warnings or just put him in timeout the very first time. Did they even go over playground safety? Does she think he's supposed to just KNOW these things, I mean this is his first school ever and he has only been there 3 weeks.
And then, the teacher in me. Is this kid out of his mind? He KNOWS we don't go up the slide...I have probably said that 1,000 times.
In the end I backed his teacher up. He was upset because he thought he would have to go in time out at home. I assured him that that is not how I work. He already went in time out for it so it wouldn't be fair to do that again.
What would you have done? How do you feel when your kids tell you they had to go in time out at school?
