PDA

View Full Version : Jail break on Day 2 of Montessori




Gale Force
04-02-2005, 02:20 PM
I can (sort of) laugh about this now. I'm glad I wasn't around at the time. My son started attending preschool Wed afternoon and will attend M-W-F. The afternoon session is from 1-4 and playground time is from 4-5:30. We picked him up at 4:30 on Day 1 and he was fine but happy to see us. My husband picked him up yesterday at 5:15 and was welcomed with interesting news:

For the second time in the 23-year history of the school, a child managed to leave the secured areas and venture out on his own. Luckily the staff have a window that looks out onto the entry way and parking lot and they spotted this very young-looking 3-year-old boy exiting the premises. They will have to make a report to the state on the incident.

Ten minutes later, my husband showed up to pick up our little jail-breaker. Knowing my son, I know that he saw other children going home and decided that he was going to find his Dad. We will be picking him up by 4:30 for some time to come. The equipment is a bit big for him and it's all new. He was just ready to leave and took matters into his own hands.

He's a very good and sweet child, but I have a feeling that he will challenge some of their systems. He is strong-willed and determined. He does display some caution, which will probably save his life at some point. (I don't think he would have headed down the road for instance but I'm glad we didn't get to find out.)




Breathless Wonder
04-02-2005, 03:02 PM
Have you asked him why he left?

Gale Force
04-02-2005, 04:06 PM
We have asked him and have not gotten much of an answer. We did find out that he ate crackers and apples for lunch. :eyesroll

This is what I think happened: On Wednesday, we arrived early and "spied" on him playing in the yard. I went to the restroom and came back to find that he had spotted my husband through the window and ran in to meet us. Yesterday, he managed to escape by leaving with a group of children and parents. I expect he saw them all going home and decided that he would too. And Wednesday he ran into the building and found us -- why wouldn't a 3 year old expect the same sort of outcome on Friday?

So the plan is 1) show up by 4:30 so he doesn't have time to get bored, and 2) don't spy, just meet him in the yard so that he learns that's where mama and dad are going to be.

What do you think?

Breathless Wonder
04-02-2005, 04:36 PM
It sounds like a good plan- a decent strategy to anticipate issues, and prevent them from happening.

When you do decide to let him stay for playground time, I would GRADUALLY push the pick up time back. :)

Good luck!