Please don't look at the children

Any sort of footage of the kids (video or still) had to be approved, in writing, by every single parent.  We had kids in foster care with violent family histories - there was a lot at stake.  So I understand why the teacher asked. 

I also understand why it seems so rediculous. 

But the outcry seems much more ludicrous to me. 

and I think Melissa nailed it exactly. Where are the kids in all this?

I was chair of a community group that runs a summer camp when someone volunteered to make us a webpage. As a parent, I was excited... FINALLY a way to communicate, put up permission slips and advertise our successes that didn't require just about face to face interactions. It was a 'no-brainer', right? However, sentiment was strongly against, and I didn't understand why, until various parents came to me privately. Among their concerns were of course pederasts (who would know the child's name and location) but also crazy relatives, hostile ex's and general exposure. One mom of a stutterer CRIED when expressing her fears that her daughter would wind up on you-tube. No one knows or can judge why families have the limits they do. 

Recently, someone I had a fling with MANY years ago messaged me on facebook, thinking I was my daughter. He was inappropriate to someone he thought was a minor, to say the least. Soon after, he contacted me again, having concluded (doubtless after a little more online research) I was myself. Was I glad that my ACTUAL daughter wasn't the recipient of his attention? Darn tootin'. One photograph of the two of us or even of her would probably remove all doubt, and I'd be pretty upset if a video of her, even in a classroom, was released without my permission and resulted in a stranger (including, in the example above, a stranger who happens to write children's books) having access to her.

http://www.blogher.com/blog/she-who

I remember when you first wrote about Skenazy and I was intrigued.  Since then I have tried to be more aware of when I'm being reasonable and when I'm being paranoid.  To more accurately assess the risks to my children.  So I'm grateful for that.

However, I too checked out her blog and didn't find a lot of useful information.  Just a lot of "this is how I do it and you should too" kind of thing.  So the mocking of this teacher doesn't surprise me greatly.  It does disappoint though.  This could be such a "teachable" moment and instead it became an opportunity to mock.  Too bad.

You aren't underreacting.  I think you accurately assess how schools operate.  It takes time to adjust to new technology and the desire to not offend and save hours of paperwork is very strong.  Hopefully when the hoopla dies down, schools will take time to investigate the new technologies and develop appropriate policies.

My lips are yours, Mir.

I have to admit that I was deeply interested in this book, having never seen the blog and only having information about her book.  It sounds great in theory and definitely fits our parenting style.  But since encountering the blog, I've taken the book off the to-read list which is a shame because I'm technically her target audience.

I am all for letting kids be kids.  For raising responsible kids.  For putting responsibilities on kids and for trusting kids.  BUT I couldn't find a blog post that was about what kids wanted to do, what they were ready to do, or how to judge that.  All I found were posts about the parents--what the parents wanted, how the parents felt, what the parents believed.  I couldn't find posts that were actually kid-centered on a blog which is supposed to be about kids and listening to them.

And perhaps I didn't delve deep enough into the posts, but I honestly couldn't because the posts felt more like bullying than discourse.  Posts took on a mocking tone, making fun of how others choose to parent or their personal limits.  That particular post mocked a teacher for following the rules set by the school.  It didn't invite a discussion--it simply invited bashing.  And that is the fault of the author for not inviting a conversation simply through her word choice and lack of question.  She jumps straight into shoving ideas down the reader's throat--how we're supposed to view this situation, what we're supposed to think.  And apparently, decisions on limits are made within a bubble--with no outside information taken into consideration.

I believe in free range parenting when the people teaching it understand that each family needs to set their own comfort zone--one that is based on the maturity of their kids, the work they've done to teach responsibility, and the environment around them (it would be freakin' insane of me to let our kids play outside alone in our neighbour.  It wouldn't be if I lived where I grew up).  And anyone who is going to mock another person for their limits is not a teacher--they're actually just a bully.  And the world needs more teachers if we're going to raise responsible, self-resilient kids into responsible, self-resilient adults.

Venting about infertility since 2006
www.stirrup-queens.blogspot.com ( http://www.stirrup-queens.blogspot.com )
and we're not talkin' cowgirls...

When I read it I thought the question posed to the author was odd. I don't have kids so the only thing I can base it on is my own experience growing up. We had reporters from the local paper come into the classroom and take our pictures. It was no biggie and there were certainly no permission slips. The only permission slips I remember taking home were for field trips and after school activities on school property. 

I do wonder how many people commenting have children and are more used to the "new normal." 

Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca/ ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca/ ).