Ms Leebee wrote:
FlowerGirl wrote:
"HC" wrote in message
...
G'day Amanda

I have to agree with Len when he said...sometimes I wonder how we
made it as kids hey??
Sorry Bronwyn - this touches a nerve with me as its the argument my
father uses when asking *why* my kids have to be strapped in to car
seats when "when you were little we just put you on a cushion so
what's wrong with that??"
Kids did die from accidents and poisonings in the "olden days" too
you know

Everything (and I mean EVERYthing) seems to require some official
statement these days. What has happened to 'teaching' kids about
plants,
Ummm - well as I said *we do* teach our kids about plants.
BUT what about the child who doesn't fit the rules and who isn't so
easy to teach?
What about K's autistic classmate who sometimes can't discern the
difference between the plastic wrapping and his sandwich? .. (and
yes, the teacher are onto him straight away, but there are 22 kids
for them to monitor at once). I'd really hate it if he decided the
black berries on the cestrum poking through the back fence looked
particularly delectable while the teacher and the aide were dealing
with any of the other 21 kids (who are not above wetting their duds,
scraping their knee, hitting each other etc).


snip

Teach them the right and wrong way to handle plants and I'm sure
this is more likely to get them interested in gardening, than
sitting around with a long list of plant names that they can't
identify.
Sorry - I'm not suggesting that the kids sit around with long lists of
plants.... and they *are* growing things like beans and sweat peas and
strawberries.
BUT - in order to sign the official document stating that there are no
poisonois plants on the place, *I* need that long list of plants so
that I know what the centre needs to ensure *isn't* on the premises.
Things like not surrounding the centre with an oleander hedge and
soforth....

I also think you forget just how much information a 3 yo kid can
remember / take in. For exaple, they do have taste tests on the
tomatoes, strawberries and beans that they grow (both at kindy and at
home) .... but personally, I wouldn't like to be responsible for a
kid that got confused and sampled the cestrum as well.

They aren't all perfect (nor are their parents ... or grandparents
for that matter) and sometimes 3 yo kids don't do exactly what they
are told to do ... I know I didn't ... and I actually pity the 3yo
that *always* does as they are told (what a serious lack of
imagination.

My own kids are pretty good about what grows in the garden - they
sample things they know they are allowed to eat, and don't tend to
eat the other stuff.
But I personally wouldn't like to be responsible for somebody else's
kid in a a garden with poisonous plants everywhere. ...

Amanda

Good post, Amanda.

OK allready, but who's gonna protect us from those kids that
eat ANYTHING. Those goats!