Separating the Boys from the...Girls?

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Aedyn decided he wanted to do some artwork/crafts today. Now he normally will draw or write, but today he actually asked to do a project kit I had in our school box (where we store all of our paper, scissors, etc.). then he asked to paint. So we did. They weren't big projects, but he actually paid attention and enjoyed them for about 15 minutes each. When you're a very active 2 year-old little boy that's a big deal!

It got me started thinking about when I might try to actually schedule in some structured "learning time." Even as I thought that, I corrected myself in my head. He's 2. Pretty much everything he does is learning time!

Jake and I have discussed and rediscussed schooling. Pre-school or not? 2-day, 3-day, or 5day? Kindergarten? Kindergarten isn't compulsory in many states. Un-schooling? Home schooling? Curriculum is definitely not cheap! Private school? Pretty pricey going that route too. Public School? Magnet school? Montessori? Charter school?
Who knew you had so many options? What we've concluded is that we'll wait until it's time. Next year we'll discuss pre-school, in 3 years we'll discuss Kindergarten.

But something has stuck with me since Aedyn was 3 weeks old. A news story I first heard in St Louis, that was then picked up by the Today Show (you can view the Today Show segment here). Same sex classrooms. The boys get physical activity, they can stand or sit on stools or in a tent. Girls curl up on bean bags and work in groups. Test scores are higher. Both genders more confident and successful. And guess what, the boys that can't sit still are diagnosed as being young boys, not mentally ill (Heads up, ADHD IS a mental illness, sorry if that's not exactly PC, but it is true).

Painting with water on construction
paper, mostly mess-free!

I want that for him! I want him to be a boy, I want him taught like he is a boy. An article I read in a parenting magazine a few months back even talked about finding a preschool that was boy-friendly or had teachers with experience teaching boys. (Goodness knows I wish I remembered the title of the article or at least which magazine it was!)

Are there some drawbacks? I'm sure there are. He will have to interact with the fairer sex at some point before he gets married after all. But as a whole I like the idea.

We've become a society that thinks that anything other than mediocrity is wrong. That teaching a child at his or her ability level is discriminatory. Heaven forbid we have an accelerated classroom so we don't lose our brightest students to boredom and resulting delinquency. Or a remedial class where no child has to feel like they are the only one who doesn't understand; so they need a little more explanation and help...GIVE IT TO THEM!

What if we actually taught girls to cash in on their abilities to multi-task and find connections and new solutions to problems, and taught boys to use their spatial relations skills and ability to focus on a problem and solve it! Instead of telling everyone that they are the same and that it's not ok to be exceptional, why don't we let them do what they're good at?

I don't have all the answers, but I do know that wherever Aedyn and Jaron end up for schooling, their teachers will know how to teach boys.

I'm raising men here, not genderless blobs, so please don't treat them that way.

Please comment with your thoughts and opinions! I know that this can be a pretty controversial topic. And be sure to follow on Facebook or Twitter so you don't miss any other Milk Bubbles that might make your day just that much more special!

P.S. Check and see where single sex classrooms are available in your state here!