This may be off topic, but I really gotta let off some steam. My 5 year old is rebelling and refuses to return to kindergarten unless I sit with him in class all day. So, after one week of having him home, doing some home school, I put him in the car, and said I'd let him eat hot lunch today if he stuck it out in his class. Sooooo, off to school he and I went. It gave me a good excuse to see what exactly was going on in his class, and maybe some clues as to why he doesn't want to go back. He's a really strong, well rounded kid, and has separated from me on many occassions and enjoyed being around all sorts of social groups. In fact, in September, he couldn't wait to go to school, loves riding the bus, etc..... So I was really perplexed as to why the dramatic turn off from school, six weeks into it.... Well folks, I think we are headed for hell in a hand basket if what I saw was representative of American kindergarten. Every natural instinct of children is continually suppressed all day. They must not talk out of line, walk out of line, sing out of line, draw out of line, cut out of line... All natural creativity is squashed, and they are asked to conform to automotons doing monotonous, flat worksheets until the bell rings for the next monotonous activity. My kid even got TIME OUT in Music Class. How the heck can you screw up, I ask him, in Music??????? Turns out he spun around 3 times rather than 2 times during the Hokey Pokey song. SOOOOO off to the Time Out Chair for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good thing the electric chair is not legal in my county.... Then it was LUNCH TIME. If you want to get so depressed that even the highest dose of Prozac won't help, come on down! Here was today's menu - Hot Ham and Melted Cheese on White Bun, French Fries, Wilted Iceburg Lettuce with Institution Dressing, Sugared Peaches in Institution plastic containers, Chocolate Milk, White Milk - OR - Pudgies Pizza (fast food chain) OR 2 Slices Wonder White Bread with plastic container with Skippy Peanut Butter & Grape Jelly. I sat there next to my beautiful son, who was raised on my milk, our organic veggies from our garden, deer from our hill and eggs from our chickens, and looked around the sickening cafeteria and the children who were being treated like cattle, and wanted to puke all over the disgusting food I let him eat because it was the only way I could cajole him into going to school. And I when I decided not to make a scene, and realized something is terribly AMISS with our so called "civilization" and thought to myself, "Is this the best we can do". I also realized my kid is not missing something here. "School Really Sucked", to quote him. I heartily concur!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to rant, but I am at a real crossroad. Judy Genova, cavegirl