The other day I read about how Kindergarten was like in East-Germany, a Mum blogged about it.
Ex-Teamleader grew up in East-Germany, too, and he told me the kindergarten teachers asked things like "what´s on TV at home" or "how does the clock on TV looks like" to check if the parents watch "West-TV" (people near the border could get West-TV). Even in kindy they spied, isn´t that crazy?
This Mum told of things much worse even - and says, too, maybe it was just her kindy and not typical for all East-kindys.
She started pre-kindy when she was just a year old and went to kindy at age 3.
There they had to "sleep" from 12:00 - 02:00 on hard beds, no matter if tired or not.
They had to ask to go to the toilet - and sometimes wait for it, too, can you believe this?!
They weren´t allowed to close the doors, either. Privacy? Ha....
Lunch-time. They were forced to eat it all. If not, their faces were dragged onto the plate, forcing them into the food.
In the early 80´s, too!!!
The Dad grew up in the West, like me, and tells of his time here.
I have similar memories.
LOL. I remember that - we had to study some tale and they made me be the princess - I HATED it!
Everybody looked at me.
At least Thomas was my prince.
Guess Bro´s second name, hence?
Kindy started at age 3 and you had to be potty-trained - or wait.
No pre-kindy.
You needed to go, you went! Close the door, too.
Usually you went home for lunch, only those Mums who really had to work did.
Arvos you spent with friends, usually the Mums did not work and took over with the caring (mine did work, so I stayed with friends a lot).
I remember no male carers, back in the 70´s it was a women´s job.
My Nieces went to pre-kindy, kindy started at age 3 and around that time, not punctual, though, you need to be potty trained.
East and West got mixed and I think that´s a good thing (though!!! Give your 1-year-old away??? I wonder if I could´ve done that!).
I´d like to know how kindy worked for you? How was it like?
6 comments:
I'm shocked at the way little kids were treated and spied on about what was going on at home. That's sad.
I never attended pre-kindy, my grandmother looked after us as my parents worked full time and from there onto to primary school. Not sure if there was such a thing a pre-kindy or kindy even in my childhood. Will have to ask my Mom about that.
Yes, the organisation was called Stasi. Since often you couldn´t buy what you needed in GDR they tried to convince their people that´s the situation everywhere and our Western TV-ads (for example) are just lies. They tried to find out who is "pro-West" and those people were supervised. Letters and packages from West-Germany were read and opened. Coffee of the brand "Krönung" was used to trade for goods etc...
I sure am glad I grew up inthe West.
Yes, please ask your Mom!
Well I can't remember my own Kindy experience Iris, it was too long ago 😀 but Dave and Aimee were lucky they went to Kindy just around the corner from home, I was a stay at home mum and quite involved with the school all the way through, it was a lovely, gentle experience.
Too long ago, Grace ;-) Not really!
Yes, I think these days (like in "these days") kindy ain´t that bad anymore!
By chance, I happened to be looking at some old pics of Alexanderplatz where I stayed briefly before the wall came down. Conversations even around the dinner table always had be discreet.
Wow. So you were taught manners at the table even at kindy!
A friend of mine just left Germany (like forever) via plane when the wall came down. Crazy.
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