Every six weeks or so the boys start a new learning unit and their teacher sends out a newsletter informing parents about the particular ideas and skills that will be introduced as part of the unit. Often students will be asked to bring something from home to incorporate into the learning experience.

They started a new unit last Monday, focusing on adventure and travel. The newsletter explaining this unit asked parents to find old maps, postcards, travel brochures, and the like for students to examine over the next few weeks. The newsletter was emailed on Sunday evening and included a somewhat urgent request to send these items with your child to school on Monday morning, if possible.

Cut to Monday morning and Stephen is frantically rummaging through storage boxes looking for any and all travel paraphernalia. He was successful in locating some brochures and a scarf from his semester in Ireland. Frustrated that he couldn't find any other items (we don't keep shit we don't need), he asked me for suggestions. Or maybe he didn't. I tend to offer my input whether I am asked or not. Either way, I suggested we send along a book we picked up at the Pompidou. You know, that big modern art museum in Paris. And then I remembered where I had stashed all our keepsakes from our travels in Western Europe ('cause we do keep shit that means something to us).

So Stephen sent the boys to school with tickets stubs, museum maps, travel brochures, a scarf, and a book of modern art. We were pleased with caliber and range of travel items we were able to round up in such short notice. Yeah, we're good parents. We participate.

Two days later Stephen told me that the teacher sent the Pompidou book home.

Why?

I guess she was worried about the kids looking through it.


Like she was worried they would damage it? Oh, that's so thoughtful.


No, like she didn't think all of the images were appropriate for the kids to view.


Oh. Oh! (light bulb) Oh my gosh! Did you tell her that we didn't even look through it before we sent it with the boys?

Yeah, I told her. And she didn't think any of the kids saw anything inappropriate. Another teacher actually pointed out to her that kindergartners might be too young to look through the book.

So of course, I had to look through the book to determine just how much trouble we could have found ourselves in. If you ask me, not much, although I understand that it would be inappropriate for the children in Henry and Wyatt's classroom to just happen across some of the more provocative (nude) images found in the book while learning about travel and adventure.

(I tried to include some of the images in this post but they slowed down my blog)

However, at home we keep our collection of art books well within reach of small children. It's important to us that our boys be exposed to art. In fact, Henry and I recently had a very thoughtful and intelligent discussion about this controversial photographer. We disagree about the appropriateness of her images.

The boys attend a pretty open-minded school and I am hopeful that we will have the opportunity to share the Pompidou book at some point. Maybe in junior high. 'Cause you know what?

We're good parents. We participate.