Jane: So, baby, report. How was it?
Flora: Well, it was ok. There were some good parts.
Uh-oh. We’re talking about dance camp, which she’s been looking forward to passionately. She loved drama camp. Cried when horse camp was over. “It was ok” for what she was expecting to be “the best camp ever” is a lukewarm review. What’s up?
Flora: But the teacher’s kind of mean.
Aha. My blood boils. A mean teacher. I’m ready to rise up and do battle on behalf of my little girl right now! But first, a little due diligence:
Jane: What did she do?
Flora: Well… like, she said we could only go to the bathroom on break. At 10:15, and at lunch, and at 2:30. And I was like, but how does a clock tell you it’s time to go to the bathroom? Shouldn’t your bladder tell you to go to bathroom? And what if you have to go pee at 10:45? Do you pee your leotard?
Um…
Flora: So another girl asked, what if we really have to go in-between breaks. And the teacher said, we have to raise our hand and ask permission. In front of everyone! How humiliating is that? I don’t want to whole class to know I have to pee or poop! Shouldn’t that be private?
Jane: Well, yeah, but…
Flora: Anyway, I’ve got a plan. I’m going to pee right before I leave home, and then I’m not going to drink anything all day, and I should be okay until the end of camp. Cause that rule sucks.
Oh, my Flora.
(The post title is a nod to the blog Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers (first prize for “Best Name for Homeschooling Blog Ever,” right?), which I like to visit once in a while although blogger Kris’ life and learning approach is quite different from mine. But it’s good to “hang out,” virtually and in real life, with people who challenge your assumptions and make you stretch your horizons, right?)
Nothing By The Book 
Poor kiddo! I totally agree, but I can see where the teacher is coming from. Professional dance academies run their classes the same way and a lot of these camps gear towards kids who want to be professionals some day. It could make for an interesting point of discussion.
Interesting idea though. I wonder if she’ll be able to make it all day without having to go to the bathroom.
She’s compromised and is peeing on the breaks. 😛 “Because dancing is thirsty work!” It’s interesting though–her first experience of being told that she’s expected to pee on someone else’s schedule.
One of my biggest fears for my constipated prone boy should he ever go to school consistently. I spoke to K and told him if he ever has to go to just go tell the teacher because I will have a talk with her to let him go whenever he needs to. I included MY rule in my learning plan ❤
Good idea, K&K. If it’s in the learning plan, then it must be so. Speaking of which, the Cinder just informed me that what he wants to focus on in his 2012/13 learning plan is surfing and archery. Surfing. Where the prairies and the Rockies meet. (“Not necessarily together–but can you imagine how cool that would be? Like the biathalon, but with waves!”)
Basic human rights. I think it’s rather amazing that we let go of them so easily.
I know, hey? But we do… I didn’t even realize until that day that Flora had never been in a situation before where she can to ask for permission to pee–and how unusual that is in today’s world–and how wonderful that this is her first experience with it…
That is truly amazing!