10.14.2003

Leelo Post: Preschool Visit Fallout

They both suck. For Leelo, anyhow.

The first one felt like someone blew up a toy store, picked up its contents, and then crammed them into a fifty percent smaller place. The building was decently sized, but its rooms were teeny. With all the crap thrown in, there was barely enough leeway for people (kids included) to edge around each other. The director, though kind, was a type I avoid like death in the real world: Fiftyish, loud, dark blonde with choppy highlights, the ringpiece-like mouth of a lifelong smoker, overly & forcedly cheerful, completely willing to forfeit personal space in an attempt to elicit intimacy, and (I sensed) comfortable with smacking your kid if she thought no one was watching. Plus she had two clones working for her. I think Supervisor M could sense my incipient panic, and cut the visit short. She did point out what a great time Leelo had, and how he didn't seem overstimulated by the claustrophobic fun house atmosphere, but I am not putting him in that place unless all other options dry up.

Iz's school seemed like a monastery in comparison, with all the calm, obedient little children quietly setting about their jobs. No surprises there, it IS a Montessori. I usually see it during the more animated times of the day, which had bolstered my opinion that its free-form yet structured approach would be good for Leelo. After the crazy school, though, it seemed a bit Stepfordish. Leelo can be a loud, loopy boy and I'm not sure he'd be willing or able to toe that Montessori line.

So, time to research some more schools. Damnitall. He only has 2 1/2 more weeks in his current program.

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