Not practicing self-regulation skills too well today

So I'm having my coffee and reading too many blogs when I hear in the background on NPR,

So before Emmy and Zee even think about picking up a toy, they sit down with their teacher at a small classroom table and fill out some paperwork.

and I think, What?

On a small blank form, they spell out their intentions. "I want to play bookstore," each girl writes with assistance from her teacher.

Then she draws a picture of herself playing bookstore.

These are 4 year olds. They do paperwork before they can play?

Now, the reason that the Tools of the Mind curriculum asks kids like Zee and Emmy to fill out paperwork before they pick up the Play-Doh lies in the fact that today's play is very different from the play of past eras.

Now here I disagree. I think the play hasn't changed so much as the ADULT'S need to be involved and make sure it's done RIGHT. (Calm down. I'm yelling.)

This story is bs. My mother did not watch me play and make sure I developed "executive function" and self-regulation skills. She let me play in the mud and then she yelled at me for making a mess. And I learned to play paperdolls with my friend, DW, so she would play in the mud with me later.

I agree with the idea expressed that video games are not good for developing skills a kid needs and I think pretend play is excellent but I just don't get this.

And play needs to be facilitated by adults who are trained in observing children and in understanding how play contributes to children's mastery of concepts and skills.

I just wanted to invite those little kids over to make gingerbread at my house and the only paperwork will be a recipe which we might or might not follow! PRM