The South: You really do need a passport to go down there

I don't know about the rest of you but the most devious plan I plotted in my entire life was filling a mud pile with worms which I intended on pushing my mean next door neighbor into because I believed she would turn into a monkey. I was 6 and it never panned out.

If you were to peek in at an elementary school in Georgia you would expect to see kids with southern draws learning how the south won the civil war, right? Not at Center Elementary School.

At Center Elementary expect 8-10 year olds plotting your death.

A group of 9 third graders plotted to 'hurt' their teacher after she reprimanded one for standing on a chair.

Gum on the shoe? Sign on the back that says 'kick me'? Glue on her chair? No, how about knife in her back.

The students plotted and had a more elaborate plan than Bush's invasion of Iraq.

One student was in charge of duct tape and toy hand cuffs to tie the teacher up, while another student was to bring in a paper weight to knock the teacher unconscious. Someone was in charge of covering up the windows and doors so no one could peek in while they were committing a felony, and one student was in charge of bringing a knife to stab the teacher with. They even had one child acting as clean up crew. I kid you not.

It sounds like a Steven Spielberg movie mixed with Lord of the Flies and Children of the Corn, but I'm sorry people it's not.

Now teachers everywhere are scared to scold their students. Hell, I don't care what my students do in class now, sure break your neck on that balance beam, I'm not getting stabbed because I told someone 'No'.

The reason the plot didn't play out was because another student told the teacher that someone brought a weapon to school. The rat is next on the groups list of future killings.

So what's going to happen to these children, probably nothing. Georgia law states that you can't convict a child under 13, although three of the children have been arrested. The three that have been arrested are being housed in a detention center until a judge decides what to do with them.

My one question is where the hell did these kids think this up? Was it at the sandbox during recess? Where did they get the idea to STAB their teacher. As always psychologist blame video games. Can we stop blaming video games for a minute and turn the finger towards the parents or better yet maybe they are just little psychos and it's better they were caught now so that they can be locked up forever and not hurt people when they reach the four foot mark?

Is Day Care Ruining the Children?

To daycare or not to daycare.


It's a dilemma most working parents will face.


I work at a gymnastics facility which added on a daycare many years ago. The daycare has about 75-100 children ages 0-12 years. It is my responsibility to teach the 3-6 year olds gymnastics once a week for 30 minutes. I'm starting to think this type of activity is useless to the child and more of a break for the classroom 'teachers'.


After working with these children for half a year I've started asking myself 'Is day care really right for kids?' Personally I've never had to make that critical decision because I have no children, but I think with my experience I can offer some two sense.


Day Care IS a great outlet for the working parent. Placing your child in the hands of trained care givers and with other children seems like the right thing to do. Your child will get social and will learn ahead of other children. There's no doubt in that. Children in daycares will learn more things ahead of the time. I recently observed a test screening of a four year old. She was reading at a 1st grade level, I was amazed! A good day care will put you child ahead of the gang.

But is day care really right? Personally I was always left in the care of a family member or a nanny. And after the lash of shaken babies and creepy touchy nannies many people don't want to go that route. I don't blame you. But from what I've seen I wouldn't put my child in a daycare.

Not only are the children sick constently, they are also more prone to behavioral issues lasting until 6th grade! Teaching these children has put my nerves on end. I understand all children will test their limits to an extent, but many of these children don't know what limits are because of the many different types of disciplinarians they are with daily. At home the child is disciplined one way, in the day care with one teacher another, and with another day care person another. These children don't know if 'acting up' will put them in a time out, be told that the person is going to count to three, or be totally ignored.

After reading the study I think the best advice for people considering daycare, is to find one, observe it, and make a decision based on your gut. Many people call a daycare asking if they have room and drop their kid off the next day. Don’t do that, inspect the daycare, see if you like the care givers, see if your child likes the care givers, I mean after all they are they are the ones who will be there at max 5 days a week for 40-50hours.

Remember you think your workday is long; think about your child, they are at daycare before you even get to work! Many of these kids are tired by noon; try to keep your child’s day care time at a minimum. From my experience the children who are there less than 30 hours a week have the least behavioral issues.

There are pros and cons for the daycare experience, the learning pros might outweigh the behavioral cons for many, but in the end it’s up to you. Choose wisely, it’s up to 6th grade, that’s when puberty starts!