The Question: Every other Friday, a parent has the option to volunteer to read to your child’s preschool class during story hour. Before s/he can do so, s/he must inform the teacher what book s/he plans to read. The teacher then sends permission slips home with each student that lists the name of the book to be read, the parent reading the book and asking you to check “yes” or “no” to your child participating in that story hour.

Your preschooler comes home with a permission slip that states the next reading will be by so-and-so’s parent and the book s/he will be sharing with the class is Heather Has Two Mommies by Lesléa Newman. The story hour is a week and a half away and the permission slip has to be returned in three days. What do you do??

My 2 Cents: I’m going to echo some of what I said to My Question of the Day for 03 November 2009.

How do I deal with this if I allow my preschooler to attend public school? It’s quite simple.

I parent.

I have several days prior to the event to go to the store or library, get the book and sit down with my preschooler and read and discuss its content. S/he will be thoroughly aware of what to expect when that particular story hour comes about.

The most important thing I can do for my preschooler is allow him/her to be exposed to diverse ideas and allow him/her to form his/her own opinion about what s/he believes after s/he and I read and discuss the concepts of the story that will be presented in class.

Many of you who follow me are aware that I am a follower of Christ. The God in whom I believe gives my preschooler free will just as He gave me free will. Our children come through us and to us. We don’t own them. I have to allow my child(ren) to become the person/people they want to be. If God gives them free will, who am I to take it away, and who am I to dictate how/what they must think/feel? My responsibility is to help them understand this whole wide world in which we live; not just the pieces that suit me.

Our children are much more intelligent and intuitive than many of us imagine. They’re not “old souls” or “wise beyond their years.” They are who they are at the moment they exist. There’s nothing mystical or mysterious about it. Too many of us simply put too many limits on our children.

Me? I want to be a conduit of information for my children, not a cumbrance.

———-

Take a few moments to check out the tweets from Twitter on this subject:

———-

PROTECTED TWEETER Oh, wow…Well, inform the parents that the story hour will be geared toward diversity….???  I think this is safe to say to the parents without forcing an agreement on the issue…diversity would be the safe route.

realskinnyoneve  Wld say all don’t live/blieve same but r human/do wht’s right 4 us but respect lives of othrs/Wld avoid causg hate @ all cost.

JoshDamage  excellent question. I DO NOT sign the permission slips. If the child were In junior high I might consider it. But pre k? No way

MissMeandI  Sign the slip, if the child has any questions later I’ll try to answer them.

chela816  I sign the paper. Why would I pretend situations like that don’t exist? My child & I can discuss it afterwards.

atane  I’ll do nothing. There is nothing wrong with the book.

———-

The commentary doesn’t have to end!

Please feel free to continue to add your comments below.