Donald Trump has used public education to politicize the lives and futures of children for political clout, especially in the face of the pandemic. I don’t know if many families are willing to bring the youngest and most vulnerable into that equation for future administrations, but I believe your plan would force them to choose between what’s “free” and what’s “best for my child”.

Here in the states, we have two national pastimes: baseball, and undermining the legitimacy of art. And we're all but obsessed with forcing both of them on our toddlers. 

One of the more sweltering questions I catch from teachers, when I describe my philosophy, is how on earth I could possibly approach children who “do not follow directions”.

I talk a lot about my distrust in the way teachers are being educated these days. When I was working to obtain a degree in Early Childhood Education, there were no classes offered that focused directly on play or the types of play, but I was required to take semester long courses in presenting subjects and material to children, lesson-planning, and classroom "management".

...as mindfully as possible. Please reread the title while we're at it. It says "Let Your Kids Say Bad Words", not "Encourage Your Children to Say Bad Words".

There is very little need for teacher intervention in power play. When it comes to living out scenarios with alcohol or smoking, there is virtually no need for teacher intervention. We just observe, make a mental note of it in the event that patterns have to be assessed, and move on.

When I started teaching preschool, I remember colleagues and supervisors telling me I had a gift for early childhood education