Montessori sucks!

Even though Elisabeth went to an Integrated Monterssori kindergarden, the direct is quite relaxed about Montessori theory.  She keeps some good elements, including systemetic learning and self motivation, however, she treats kids like kids, allowing emotional bonding, body contact and being crazy, for example.

Therefore in the past three years, I have not felt anything special about Montessori except their unique teaching materials.
When I applied this English Montessori kindergarden for Christin, I was told that this would be an authentic Montessori kindergarden emphazising on self learning, which by then I had absolutely no clue what that meant.  Now after three weeks, I begin to understand what an authentic Montessori means---cold blood, machine making system.

In the past three weeks, the teachers have been telling me the same crap every day---Chrisin is not independent enough!

What they expect kids to do is that when they enter the classroom in the morning, they should know what they want to do, get the materials, sit quietly at the table and do it. 

What Christin does is to always want to stay with one teacher, although follow the instruciton very well, yet often get lost when left alone.  In other words, she is depedent on the teachers, whom according to, she should gain more independence and take care of herself instead of following the teachers arround.

The leading teaching told me that one day Christin went to her and said " I like you, can you play with me?".  The teach felt that it was so sweet for Christin to say that, but it showed that she is not that independent yet. 

I dont know since when people start to worry about three year old kids being not independent.  If I were her, when a kid told me that "I like you" after only knowing me for three days, I would certainly be very moved and happy, instead of worring this kid's independence.

Well, I dont know exactly what the f* theory Maria Montessori had developed, but if Montessori has problem with a 3-year-old wanting attention and attaching to the care giver, then to the hell with Montessori!  I want my 3-year-old to be loved, hugged and pampered as long as she needs, not trained to be an independent studying freak!

 As much as I am disapponinted about htis kindergarden, there is pretty much nothing I can do.  We turned down Elisabeth's old kindergarden, which is also very popular and completely full now.  In such a city, all the decent kindergardens are filled with kids.  The only chance is to wait for the next year, but do I want to switch Christin after 1 year?

The strange thing is that Christin seems to like this place.  Every mornign she wakes up and the first thing she says is: I want to go to my kindergarden.  After I pick her up, I ask her if she likes this kindergarden or if the teachers are nice to her, no matter how much I twist the questions, she always answers YES with a big, sunshine smile on her face.  Kids dont hide their feelings, thus I just have to believe that they indeed treat her well.  According to them, Christin is happy there, eats well, and follows instruction very well, except she needs instructions and personal attachment---what is wrong about these?

Basically when Christin likes there, I should make my peace with them, maybe they are not as cold and distant as I thought, or as they expressed themselves.  But I just worry that three years in such a Montessori place will take away the sweetness, childish naive from Christin and creat an independent, well behaved "non-child" Christin. 

Thanks God, Elisabeth was rejected by them three years ago.  She definitely does not belong to there.