I dropped my 5 year old off at daycare this morning. He brought a toy in with him called a 'Math Slam'. It quizzes you with basic addition and subtraction questions, shows four possible answers in circular display areas which you then 'slam' and answer as quickly as possible. One of the teachers asked me if this was an electronic toy, to which I answered a quizzical 'yes'. "But it's a math game?" she asked. I answered in the affirmative. "Well," she said, "maybe it will be alright."

When I asked what could possibly be wrong with the game, she told me that one of the parents complained about other kids bringing in electronics to the classroom. I poo-pooed the idea suggesting that if any child walks in with a hearing aid or a pacemaker (parents included), that they must be asked to turn them off before entering. Or if a child is wearing a digital watch . . . or anything else that might remotely be considered electronic. That birthday card that plays 'Happy Birthday'? Verbotten!

Okay, so I was being a little over the top. But before being accused of such, I admitted to being loudly opinionated, since I expressed my sarcasm loudly enough for other parents to hear.

You see, kids are allowed to bring in toys from home, but the line is drawn at anything that qualifies as electronic. Apparently, it's okay for a child to bring in the most elaborate, mindless toy imaginable, so long as it isn't electronic. 

For the record, this post (and my comments at the school) was meant to be humorous, despite everything happening as described. I do wonder, however, about the nature of the complaint that generated this 'ban'. I'm also concerned that it was enacted because ONE parent complained. Hence my sarcasm.