Transcript
Paige Pearl: you do this every time you know it's communal you know suck them into your cults get them to raise your kids I mean you guys are raising my kid now well for one night we did well we got that we got that significantly easier one for one night we brought i took my older kid to see bernie sanders yes our hero And...
Paige Pearl: Rena and her husband. Watched. The younger child. We did. And it was great. it's so It's easier to have both of them than one. Right. Yeah. I was like, I'm actually doing you a favor. You are doing me a favor. I was trying to explain that to my husband. I was like. Oh, when he was fighting you and he was like, why do we have to watch this child? No, but I was like, you'll see. It's actually going to be easier. Was it? Because they just play together. Yeah, of course. I mean, I guess you had to be a little more.
Paige Pearl: On. A little bit more on. But it maybe also it forced you. I saw something green. On the dinner plate? We eat broccoli, I told you. So it was like you were forced to kind of step things up. We eat a lot of vegetables, but we were forced to make an actual dinner. Usually we just do a bunch of snacks. Last I checked, the dinner you had was...
Paige Pearl: some puffs, and then chocolate. Yeah that was good.
Paige Pearl: You know, we're we're an intuitive eating family. I intuitively want to only eat. puffs and chocolate we're yeah who we're we're a little irresponsible with that stuff but yeah we you know since your child's used to a real dinner We got him, yeah, we made the noodles. and I mean, he loves, we make noodles and tofu a lot. for The peanut noodles.
Paige Pearl: No, no, just soy sauce. Oh. Soy sauce noodles. So easy. Easiest possible thing. Did he eat them? they ate They both ate some. I didn't really monitor how much. But your kid ah ate them too? They sat down and ate next to each other. And it was so cute. I took a lot of pictures. know
Paige Pearl: and And yeah, broccoli. He loves broccoli. So, I mean, that's no problem. But then it made me and my husband also have to eat a regular. I didn't even realize I was hungry. And then I started eating and I was like, oh, get dinner. h I guess I get hungry for dinner. I don't really check in with my body until he's asleep.
Paige Pearl: So you're yeah missing. So do you ever make your own dinner? I miss it. After always sleep. Okay. That's how what I do. Yeah. But then I'm eating really late. But it's like I finally noticed that I'm hungry. and nor't you isn't I'm starving. Isn't the whole bedtime process?
Paige Pearl: very difficult if you're hungry i have snacks uh is it very difficult i'm just one it seems like you would be hungry maybe not even notice i have like a mini dinner like let's say like a bowl of whatever he's eating or something like snackish okay yeah a bit of i'll eat like a bit of whatever he's eating yeah
Paige Pearl: But I prefer to eat alone anyway because my body's like the more relaxed. I can enjoy it more. and like I can like sit and actually eat, you know, like so. That doesn't bother me now. But I do eat.
Paige Pearl: I don't know. Yeah, it's I should maybe monitor more. like I have no idea when I eat or what I eat. It's just literally just like I get really hungry and then I eat something. like Yeah. Maybe don't watch too closely. You don't want to know what's going on. I'm trying not to watch too closely because I have a history of eating disorders. So it's like I have to be careful. But it's like I think I've overcorrected.
Paige Pearl: Like, completely not taking in what's happening there. like But it's hard to monitor when you're trying to be healthy and... not spend money it's like That's why I think well we're good examples. of Right. you people who Don't have a lot of money.
Paige Pearl: And I think we... Pretty healthy. Yeah. Just lots of beans and rice. I'm definitely healthier when my husband's not in town. I'll say that. and We both are bad. It's like we want, we just.
Paige Pearl: We see each other and we just want to eat together. It's like a bad. Although I do feel more jolly since gaining weight. I noticed that the other day. I was like, we're so jolly. Both people.
Paige Pearl: I guess that's... what is expected yeah That's what I'm saying. You're filling the role. I think having a little extra fat, it just like does gives you a little extra skip in your steps sometimes. not to but you know Obviously, if you weigh.
Paige Pearl: a lot a lot it can like affect you you know be harder to walk or whatever i guess no you're in a good place i'm in a good like medium you're not I'm agile. Your knees are still functioning properly. My knees are fine. I mean, lucky. I take a lot of, I mean, I take calcium every day. I don't know how much that impacts anything, actually, because I'm not a doctor. but Yeah, my bones are fine and my muscles are strong. So I'm just kind of jolly.
Paige Pearl: There should be a... you know du Mike and I were just talking about the MySpace. body type descriptions. Oh, and I don't remember that. i remember the no So there, I think. the options were Skinny. Slim.
Paige Pearl: Average. Athletic. I think curvy might have been... one but there was the highest one was more to love Yeah. But I think there should have been an option called Jolly.
Paige Pearl: just I wonder what I would have described. I mean I definitely always thought I was bigger than I was at that age. I probably would have said curvy when I was actually slim or something. But I was, I'm always on the curvy side. I think I said I was average. Yeah, right, right, yeah. No, and we're supposed to just be completely, perfectly objective about these things.
Paige Pearl: Can I say something? animal Yeah. This is our first time not being able to look at ourselves. while we're recording how do you feel about that i never want i can't look at myself Although I see. Who do I look at? You? When I look. I have to look at you? You know, every time I'm editing, I notice you. Paige would look at the camera like.
Paige Pearl: like this and i'm like is she looking at me or herself and now i know the answer A little bit of you. See, I never like and look. I look at you in person. Yeah. And then I look at myself. And then. But a lot of the time, like when I was talking, you'd be like.
Paige Pearl: Like looking. Because I'm really boring. ah Well, yeah, I'm pretty boring. I could follow up though. wait Left my phone over there. Hold on. Wait can I tell you something?
Paige Pearl: I like starting everything. I'm a... There's this man who comes to the dentist every time I'm there. What? is We're always there at the same time. Is he real? This is the other patient. No, it may I was like, this is starting to make me feel crazy. We're the only patients. You sound schizophrenic. yeah But it's the same guy who's there at the same time.
Paige Pearl: And he was exactly like your uncle. Oh, my favorite uncle? He talks just like him. I love all my uncles. Looks just like him. None of them are listening to this podcast. You think so? One of your uncles? The good one?
Paige Pearl: Yeah, of course the good one. But I met a man, there's a man exactly like him who goes to the dentist every time. And personality similar? Yeah. Oh, the first time they asked him. Is it him? Ascentis is so incredible. He flies.
Paige Pearl: to i mean at water village i wouldn't put it past him to just be around to see what's going on oh man i'm gonna check out the dentist then again And the first time he came into the office.
Paige Pearl: and really made a splash. They said, how are you doing? And he said I don't know yet. and and That sounds like him. and then the next And then I saw him the last time, but I didn't hear as much of him talking.
Paige Pearl: But today... They say, how are you doing? And he says. Mmm. no Just a grunt? Oh, just a grunt. and then And then he and I got to talking, and I was like, oh, we're the only patients at this joint. Because I start talking like that when I'm around people like that. I know why you're probably there around the same time.
Paige Pearl: Because he's a retiree. No, because... They schedule you every six months. well no no no you know it's just we've had i've had three appointments in the past Three weeks. Whoa. Wait, and he's been there every time? And he's been at every single one. He did say.
Paige Pearl: He's paying for a lifetime of neglect. For his teeth. And I was like. option So he's just always there. you He's got a lot of problems. This is dentist month. I mean, we've also been going to the dentist. My husband cleans. Everyone listening. It's time. Okay. They're doing one quarter of his mouth at a time. Whoa. Yeah. I know. Yeah. I didn't even know that was an option. It's an option if they're that bad.
Paige Pearl: It takes each each appointment is four hours. long But this dentist is good. i mean she's fair And I've never had a female dentist before. Oh, maybe there's something to be said. I've had hygienists, but never the actual dentists. Okay. Well, women are really coming up in this world.
Paige Pearl: No, the reason I got my phone is because we were talking about... The salaries of the... The early childhood educators. What did you learn? Okay, I have not confronted them. Okay, so if you haven't been, was this two episodes ago? I don't remember. ah Reena found out in real time.
Paige Pearl: how little. the daycare workers make. We think. oh now it it went away from it Did I take enough of a screenshot? Okay, give me a second here. But it's typically only a little over minimum wage. No, because...
Paige Pearl: So I found out they had a board meeting. I just I need to find this stupid email to open the budget plan. But. um Annual report. And. They had a meeting and they sent out the annual report.
Paige Pearl: basically Let me just find... which gives the the full numbers. It doesn't say exactly how much they get paid. um But it did specify that they are unionized.
Paige Pearl: okay And they said that it says the name of the union, or I found out the name of the union, and the pay rate. so theoretically, it's definitely not. Like... minimum wage. Do you know what it is?
Paige Pearl: It starts like depending on your qualifications between like $21 and $24 an hour. And then it goes up a dollar and change every year. What is minimum wage right now? It's like $17 or something.
Paige Pearl: Is it not 20 yet? I don't know. Okay, let's see. Minimum wage. minimum wage I think it's different for Los Angeles 2026 is...
Paige Pearl: $18 .42 an hour. So it starts at $21 and then it goes up about 5 % to 6 % every year. which so Which is inflation. Let's say 22. What's 22 times?
Paige Pearl: It's about a dollar and change every year it goes up But what's 22 times? 40 oh yeah it's bad it's like it's like 46 000 a year and then it goes up How do they afford to live? They probably are getting paid like 60K or more, these teachers, because they've been there a long time.
Paige Pearl: So it's like they're probably like ah hopefully closer to $30 an hour. Which is... it's not great, but they are unionized. So it's like They have... all the benefits of a union which is like paid leave and retirement and good benefits and like collective bargaining power if they feel like the wages are Unfair? So it's like.
Paige Pearl: There is some action they can take. it's not like at at a regular place that wasn't unionized we could safely assume that it's just around minimum wage. So it's it's at least, I think, $10 more an hour for the people. $10 more an hour? Yeah, because they've all been there a long time and it goes up X amount every year. so How long have they been there? One of them has been there 20 years.
Paige Pearl: Send most and the other two were 10 plus so it's like It should have gone up. and It should have gone up. And I'm assuming as minimum wage went up, like the base pay goes up.
Paige Pearl: But from 21. to 2021 to 2022. They're... spending. Their expenses were $2 million. And then in 2023, they were close to 4 million.
Paige Pearl: And I'm like, what? The hell? happened there between 2022 and 20 yeah where you doubled your expenses That's double the expenses. The director gave herself a really nice raise. I don't know what the hell happened. And they've kept going up since then. like they Maybe they did some huge renovation or something.
Paige Pearl: I don't know. And now they're saying that basically they're going to build condos eventually. We'll be long gone by then. And the condo, they're going to pay for the reconstruction and then they only have to pay the expenses to reconstruct the indoor.
Paige Pearl: Of their area, which will be at the... Wait, they're building... Who's building condos? What? Yeah. What? An affordable housing group is going to build.
Paige Pearl: They are getting a discount to reconstruct it if they're at the base of affordable housing.
Paige Pearl: No. Oh. Yeah. So there's gonna be condos. So they can renovate. Yes. The current. building yeah Or maybe completely reconstruct because it's and they're going to have a swimming pool and exercise that like it's going to be a full facility.
Paige Pearl: Yeah. So that's all going to change, but that's not going to be for a long time. Um... so yeah so and so but there's full records in theory um But their expenses are way above their.
Paige Pearl: Uh... and income right now. I guess the parents who send their kids there. We'll at least pretend to be pleased that they're... children will be so close to.
Paige Pearl: people who have to live in affordable housing i mean they're already close to people who are who need affordable housing and are living in tents so like on the street like literally outside like a block away yeah so You know.
Paige Pearl: It's I mean, my kids always like they're camping and I'm like, yes. They are. I mean, technically they are. You don't tell them that they don't have houses? while they're camping.
Paige Pearl: But that is their house, yeah. I mean, what else? I mean, is he going to grasp the concept at this point? I don't know, but I could tell him. Okay, this is what we've always said to our kids. Uh...
Paige Pearl: About. people who are Clearly is there. That they're having a hard time, having a hard day, having a hard time. Okay, having a hard time. um
Paige Pearl: Right. Hard year. But it might not even just be money, but yeah.
Paige Pearl: Amen. As we know. There's kids from affluent families who end up on the street. i mean it's not impossible oh i'm sure you know them Yeah. i do But it's not you. you're not You're not technically homeless. Not till next month.
Paige Pearl: Really? We're a little scared. But we're you're not going to be homeless. You have us. Yeah, we're going to move. You have a tent. Yeah. We will be having a hard time in your backyard.
Paige Pearl: if you ah One of those. Great l LA stories. um But yeah, so that's the update on that. So basically it's like it's not great, but it's not as bad as it could be. And I i don't think they can afford to pay them that much more given the numbers. like We crunched the numbers ourselves. Unless admin got paid less. like It's like they'd have to cut from their own salaries like likely. I don't know what their pay scale is like. Like the director? All of them, yeah.
Paige Pearl: Yeah. And I doubt that. And even that probably wouldn't cover a huge. Bump. but Because so many teachers. It is. Yeah, the ratio is really high.
Paige Pearl: Are they friendlier with you yet? Have you gotten in? Things are good. I mean. You know, I'm always going to be somewhat their employer in a way, but.
Paige Pearl: All right. Don't think of yourself like that. I know. I don't know, but they're great with the kids. And I mean, they love my husband, obviously. Everybody does. Yeah. So. You know, like they're always like, what how do they? interact with him and he comes in with me usually so it's like you know.
Paige Pearl: You're like, I'm with him. OK. Yeah, kind of. And and like I said, it's like it's bad timing because most people do early drop off and late pickup and we do late drop off and early pickup. So there's always already kids there.
Paige Pearl: that they have to watch while we're talking to them, you know? Right. Their day isn't over and their day has not just started. So we're always there like in this. middle stressful time.
Paige Pearl: um But the the main thing is like the way I see them interacting with the kids is very good. So. And my kid loves them, so. Have you heard? Them ever say the words.
Paige Pearl: We gently invite you. No, no. I really think that's admin language, you know. Because ah that's, yeah, now that I'm. I have a clearer picture of it. I'm like, oh. the The directors were saying all this stuff, but they're not the ones.
Paige Pearl: interacting with the kids on a day -to -day basis right it's they are also employees interacting no the director does a whole music thing and she visits every class every like depending on the day which one she does like an activity with them and if there's like an issue is she kind of a principal figure who will step in yeah to sort things out. I think so. okay And she knows them all by name and they know her because she comes and does music with them. So she's like a familiar figure.
Paige Pearl: And she leads the Shabbat thing on Fridays. so She gets to do all the fun stuff. She does all the fun stuff. She's a former parent. She's a former parent. Well, she's still a parent, but a former parent of a kid that went there.
Paige Pearl: So, yeah. So we watched your kid and it was great. We did. We did pull out the big guns. I mean, we like glow sticks. We opened the glow sticks that we've had since my kid was tiny. I forget why we bought them, but then we.
Paige Pearl: We bought them and then we were too scared for him to play with them that he would like eat them or something. So they've been just sitting in the house for a long time. um So yeah, that was fun. Although you're kidding. At a certain point, my husband kept being like, run back and forth, and then we'll party with the glow sticks you know in the dark. But then at a certain point, your kid was like. Can this be done?
Paige Pearl: wow And we were like, yes, not the first time you go you can go back and just read books like you want to. yeah That's what he's used to doing. But he does have a bit of an opposite personality to my kid that way. you like Whereas is my kid was like, come, run, more go, go, go. you know like and he was And he kept being like, no, I don't want to. But he's good. He's very clear. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so that's nice.
Paige Pearl: Um. I mean, he's used to... right he's used his older brothers similar to mine yeah so he's used to that um But yeah. He's very cute. And it's very cute, the two of them, because their hair, you know, they look kind of alike. I know.
Paige Pearl: Yeah, so it was like it was a nice night, and, like, it was a good amount of stimulation. I mean, my kid went to sleep right away after we, like, cleaned and just sleep. Yeah, time with his best friend. Yeah, it was good.
Paige Pearl: yeah They pretended to have a sleepover on the bed. He's really into the idea of sleepovers right now. We're like, not yet. you know It was kind of like a sleepover. It had, like, sleepover energy. Sleepover energy because it was dark. Yeah, yeah. And they were, like, together in the dark. No, like, going on that, like, walk at night. At night, yeah.
Paige Pearl: Yeah, that was fun. um And my kid's pretty good at not. He doesn't run into the street. No, he was good. We said we told both them you have to hold hands the whole time. With each other. And at one point, yeah, I had, we were all four in a row and they were holding hands and it was really cute.
Paige Pearl: And yeah, they like got into bed next to each other. We're like cuddled.
Paige Pearl: yeah. I saw him with Dean. Yeah, I took pictures. Just like on his chest. Yeah, it was cute. And it he would like take turns picking each of them up. And then at one point he had to carry both of them, of course. yeah i am um But there was no sibling. That's the thing, because they're not siblings, there wasn't really any rivalry going on. like Right.
Paige Pearl: yeah And nobody felt threatened like from getting more or less attention. And they're so different from each other. Yeah, yeah. That helps. Yeah, it does, yeah. Yeah, I can't imagine. Now I know why you're like, oh, having one is nothing. I'm like, yes, having that one.
Paige Pearl: it's like very relaxing i can imagine he's that right he just likes to chill like okay so he's like stays close but he is yeah he's he's like needy in other ways like he's physically clingy yeah and once you to read them lots of books so your body doesn't really get a break from yeah yeah and the milk Constant Milky. Right.
Paige Pearl: Are you just going to keep going until he doesn't want it anymore? You still like it. When will bad when will that happen? I don't know. Might be until five. I mean, some kids go a long time. Long, yeah.
Paige Pearl: um That would be nice to sleep. I could just night wean. yeah I mean, I didn't think he would be able to sleep without Melky until I realized that he could. Right. Yeah, that's.
Paige Pearl: And it was more just. It was when I let go of the nap that I felt confident because I was like, there's no way he's taking a nap without that. Yeah. Like zero chance. Yeah. Yeah. But now it's up the car The car. Yeah. Except the car and they do it at school. I don't know how they do it. but they do it.
Paige Pearl: They're dry nursing all of the children. I know she rubs his back sometimes, which is fine. like Sometimes I'm like, how does she do it so I can also do it at night, you know, and if it helps him sleep? like um but Yeah, I don't know. I guess they get used to it because everyone else is doing it. But how does he do it at night with you?
Paige Pearl: Just go to sleep. we Well, we connect it with cleaning. So we take a shower, we brush teeth, we brush hair. what happens after that brush teeth brush hair there's one more thing oh yeah put on his like night diaper and then You put on yours. And then we all put on our diapers and then we get into bed.
Paige Pearl: And then sometimes there's one last book and then we get into bed. And lately I've been doing it without. Dean so He'll say goodnight to him, leave the room. I put on this like sleepy, quiet music.
Paige Pearl: And then we turn off the lights and then he tells me what he wants to hear a story about. And then I just make up a story. until he falls asleep. And then... Usually if we go into bed late enough, he goes to sleep. If we try to go too early, he tries to get out and do all this other stuff.
Paige Pearl: And that sucks, but. But on days that he doesn't know. you do put them down on days that he doesn't nap it's earlier yeah yeah yeah yeah i never make him stay awake longer than 12 hours at a time i mean that's like crazy So if he wakes up at six 30 or wakes up at seven and then doesn't nap, like he's going to sleep at seven and he'll go right to sleep. Like.
Paige Pearl: Because he'll be tired at that point. Um. But lately, I mean, because we have the car now, it's only when I'm with him alone. I feel like you're always in the car. we Every time I'm calling you, you're you're in that car.
Paige Pearl: He loves going in the car. My husband loves the car. What are you guys doing? Where are you going? He always wants to charge the car. He's obsessed with charging the car. and He doesn't want the car to go down in charge ever where it's like it has to go down. Like it's like the only way.
Paige Pearl: To go is down after you charge it and it keeps wanting to charge it up.
Paige Pearl: He loves to go places. I hate being in the car around here. I like staying home. I like staying home. I just like walking around. You guys are never. I never see you walking around. I feel like.
Paige Pearl: Dean always sees me walking around. like He's in the car. He's in the car and you're walking. There's also been a heat wave, and you crazily don't mind hanging out outside during the heat wave.
Paige Pearl: If there's shade. Ugh. Yesterday was brutal. No, it was rough. Well, you went out to a playground, a shaded playground. Yeah. bill No, no, really the worst thing is that just the kids were so bored because no one else was there like no one was too hot Everyone was just...
Paige Pearl: bored because no one was there yeah Hmm. Well. It was too hot for us in the shade even. We did not want to be outside.
Paige Pearl: That's a great question. He's around. He's driving around. We went to charge the car. We went to Walmart. Where do you go, old woman? Charge the car. And then as soon as we drove off the lot, he's like, oh, it's down to 79%. Did you turn around and go right back? No, but that's what he wanted to do. I could tell.
Paige Pearl: We played in Walmart. You know, we got stuff we needed from there since we were there. That's where the charger is. Oh, so when you, okay, you go charge and then you just hang out. We got, it's like I would have preferred to go to Costco, but there's no charger there.
Paige Pearl: so we got the stuff we needed from walmart like paper you know like toilet paper and... wipes and whatever. um And then we just go basically we bring our kids to the toy section and he just plays with toys that are in boxes like.
Paige Pearl: And then puts them back and plays with another toy in a box. And then we don't buy anything. but because he already played with everything. Right, yeah yeah.
Paige Pearl: He still wants to buy stuff. Yeah, for sure. he and he's often sometimes he'll even say can we go to the store and buy something He just wants the hit. He just wants to buy things. Yeah, he's like us. I wonder where he got that from. Us. Yeah, of course.
Paige Pearl: he has some I mean, his personality so far fits in, although... Children tend to adapt to their environment. So we'll see really if he turns out like us or if he's just going with the flow when he's at home. i But once removed from the environment. We'll see. it would be Well, teenage years are all about trying out the opposite, right? so Not necessarily.
Paige Pearl: No. I gotta have my neighbor on. I asked her when her son rebelled and she was like. Never. Some of them are perfect. Yeah, i talked to who was I talked to a comedian. um once I asked, because I was pregnant.
Paige Pearl: at the time and I was nervous about the teenage years and she said if it's a boy it's great Yeah. Yeah. She said it's like just fine.
Paige Pearl: you know I mean, depending on the boy. But it's just the amount of money you have to spend on Mountain Dew. know if i And a gaming chair. if oh Matt and Dave.
Paige Pearl: I love that Mountain Dew. They just drink Mountain Dew. dina and i will st We once spent a whole day just making fake Mountain Dew commercials together. ye I got a sip of that Mountain Dew. You guys, I just, although now that your kid is out of the house again, I feel like you can just get right back into that. We do a lot of silly things. Making Mountain Dew commercials all day long. We just, we're just.
Paige Pearl: Well, now we're trying to make money somehow, obviously. I have an interview for a waitressing job at a place called Yes Chef Taco. I think it's Yes Chef Taco, something like that.
Paige Pearl: Yeah, it's gonna be bad it's going to be bad. Oh, man. Are you the right vibe for them? I mean, I will be at the interview. Yeah, you have. the power. Let's talk about Tuckle. Burbank. Oh, okay.
Paige Pearl: Yeah, there's that. I mean, we're also trying to like start a business. I mean, if anybody will be a client, we'll see what kind of business. Social media. ah How many? So if you posted in our last.
Paige Pearl: Not enough. Not enough. But guess how much it pays?
Paige Pearl: Yes. There's more. If there were more. yeah If there were more.
Paige Pearl: no yeah i know i got it but i've been waiting for the camera quality to improve and now Pedal to the metal. You know, I didn't actually Me neither.
Paige Pearl: Maybe you should check. not that i don't Trust me. It's going? 35 not bad time Okay, so what's been going on with the evening parenting challenges this week?
Paige Pearl: I don't know. oh lunch TV during lunch. ah What did they watch? alphabet, I think. it i think it's out I've seen that.
Paige Pearl: like number blocks But yeah. It's not as good as number blocks. I'll say that. Okay. Number blocks is a masterpiece. Okay. No, I've heard great things about number blocks. um Alpha blocks is like, either even if it was like the most incredible show, I'm like, why are they, why are they watching? and So they've been eating.
Paige Pearl: inside their classrooms because of the heat. Okay, that makes sense. And I understand eating inside and I'm like, well, I always eat inside. They just don't want kids running around inside. Is that it?
Paige Pearl: but they Well, what's weird is that they've been eating in the classroom when it's hot, but they haven't usually. been watching TV because I kept asking because I knew other teachers were doing it. oh they were so I would ask him every time like oh what did you do and like oh we just talked and then so yesterday I guess they just watched you I was like were you guys like also talking like could you still chat with your friends and he was like no we just watched the show.
Paige Pearl: Why did they put the show on? Why couldn't they talk? Like. to They didn't want to have to deal with that? The whole point of school is to socialize. No, so that's the last thing. So, anyway. Um. Another typed up letter or what what are we doing? Oh, I typed up a letter. Okay. I typed up a withdrawal letter. Withdrawal to the school from the school? He is officially a kindergarten dropout. Wait, really? Yes. You're really doing yes it? Yes. It's done. Oh my God. His last day is Friday. Whoa. what We're gonna end.
Paige Pearl: It's all sorted out. This is huge. We're coming back. We're coming back next year. Okay, for first grade. Yeah, yeah but because it's not... I figure he has plenty of time to... Watch TV all day. and be told to stand in line and be quiet. He's got plenty of years of that. He's got that down and he already knows how to read. so and now and then yeah And then the academics is... ah
Paige Pearl: pointing to a letter on the projector like it was the tour that did me in really it wasn't it wasn't the watching tv yesterday although that was the cherry on top but the tour was the tour just like seeing him In that. Very sterile room.
Paige Pearl: wiggling as all these kids are wiggling around like just they want to move around yeah
Paige Pearl: What about the other kids? Isn't he going to miss the friends? Well, he has one really, really good friend.
Paige Pearl: okay who thankfully i am super in with now we went to their apartment this weekend okay there's i have no worries about we i text his mom all the time okay uh so we're in with them okay so they're supposed to come to the park every weekend
Paige Pearl: And I'm sure we can have other play dates. But what during the week will you be doing with like just going places? So I'm going to. I'm taking him on. The kindergarten dropout. Yeah. And do my own thing with him. Okay.
Paige Pearl: Oh. We just want to basically. do more of our own like what we think would be enriching for him okay which is like just teach you know whatever he wants to learn okay You know, like taking him to museums and go on little field trips, go on little hikes.
Paige Pearl: ah read Read harder stuff. i mean we're still gonna do he likes his math workbook so okay we can keep it yeah it has his name on it yeah so did you already pay the materials fee or whatever i don't there's no materials fee for public school that's nice uh no we didn't pay anything okay so he can keep working on his workbook yeah and I can supplement i've been so I've been lately figuring out
Paige Pearl: what to get. what I can do to supplement that I don't even think I have to get very much. Okay. And then you can just play with friends after school. Yeah. And then we'll go to the park. Okay. During the after school time. I mean, that's cool. There's lots of stuff to do in l LA to lots of culture, you know? Yeah. And I didn't, and because.
Paige Pearl: I mean, i I taught him to read. So we did focus on some academic, and we did we did math too. But the mornings were always just spent at the park.
Paige Pearl: So now we're getting serious. Right. But do you have, is kindergarten mandatory? no So we're not, so when I was filling out the form to withdraw him. There was no...
Paige Pearl: Like what are you going to homeschool? It's really first grade that you have to start. Exactly. Okay. So I didn't have to file anything. You don't have to do anything official. It's just me. So no big deal. Yeah. okay And then.
Paige Pearl: you know make make him get even further ahead so he's even more bored oh boy next year well maybe he'll skip a grade then Although you're you're of two minds about skipping grades, I guess. I don't even know if they would.
Paige Pearl: I wonder if they, I don't think they let kids do that.
Paige Pearl: This is very big news. Huge. I know. That you saved for the podcast. To tell you on the podcast. Oh, my. And there are friends who I haven't told yet. I mean, I think most of them won't be surprised.
Paige Pearl: Well, if they listen to the podcast, they'll know. I know. So this is going to be how they find out. Then you'll know if they're really listening. I have to get this up by tomorrow. And I don't think I'll be able to.
Paige Pearl: Call all of them by tomorrow. and And your kid is okay with this. he's he's on board oh yeah he said like because his friend was all he cared about Like that was the only thing that was like, I'm going to miss him. yeah And then he'll actually, yeah, when he can.
Paige Pearl: talk to him when he is Allowed. to talk to him. Wow. And then, I mean, and and I'm going to figure out what I can do. I mean, I can keep going to board meetings.
Paige Pearl: Because... I don't want it to just be more of this next year. I mean, I have heard you can't go wrong with any of the first grade teachers. Oh. They're all supposed to be great. Okay. Well, that's good news. So that's a huge relief.
Paige Pearl: they still have those huge screens. Right. So it's not like that's just going to go away. But maybe in the meantime, I can work toward.
Paige Pearl: Eliminating. What's so bad about a blackboard that they had to change to this expensive thing? Because they bought them for every room. But why? Because... They made a deal with...
Paige Pearl: promean or whoever the company is. Some kind of government cheese situation. Yes, exactly. They wooed them. They're the future. Well, now they have to justify the purchase. And then by using them nonstop. Can they not offload them?
Paige Pearl: Sell them so to some other... Thing that wants them It's so hard to picture them. Letting go of these huge boards. But there is there iss a... spectrum of usage like Right.
Paige Pearl: I've seen, like, I did see. End. one of the classrooms It being used. like Like they were doing math. Like the teacher. was writing out the problem and you could see her. It was like a projector. Okay. So she was actually using it that way.
Paige Pearl: And see how that's useful. Um. Yeah, because then we we used that to have to go up to the blackboard to write things. Now I guess you can do it from your desk or something. or no Oh, if they do it? I don't know. How do you do that?
Paige Pearl: But. I mean I just remember that from long ago I mean the chalk. po I mean yeah. It's just weird to think that it's not there anymore.
Paige Pearl: Times have changed. you're becoming We're becoming obsolete. Do you think all this technology stuff like is going to keep moving forward or they'll truly be like. a movement back It does seem like there is a lot of pushback.
Paige Pearl: i am hopeful but we're in a bubble It depends on what and like what exactly. How far can it go? i mean We're surrounded by people who agree with us, but I'm not sure that's the norm.
Paige Pearl: But we're also surrounded by a lot of people. who don't agree with us. Right. Because they make money from it. Right. Yes. But I feel like the average person. average regular people like don't see it as a threat or an issue.
Paige Pearl: Yeah, I think
Paige Pearl: they don't care about it or it's just like they're like neutral like so they wouldn't throw a fit if they got rid of them like if they got rid of the spot yeah it's just neutral yeah yeah but they're not Go to a board meeting to complain about it. Right.
Paige Pearl: Yeah. No, and I think generally in their lives, people... are using AI and have no issue with it. Like. if they could like i think most people haven't done a deep dive on what it is and what it's doing Even.
Paige Pearl: I think they just use it and don't think twice. Yeah, they just talk to their friend ChattyGPT. you know, program to make cool photos for their business. You know, like.
Paige Pearl: They're horrible. ai Yes. I think the average person invites. Does not care. Yeah. All right. My friend.
Paige Pearl: sent me some invitation to a A sound bath. taking place at someone's house.
Paige Pearl: In. California. And... It would. Like. The women were like naked from the waist down and like had seven toes.
Paige Pearl: Naked from the waist down? bar like barbie like ah oh weird like no but it was all just like so ai generated and then so i took a close -up of every thing that was off genital And then I sent it to her and said it.
Paige Pearl: I think these ladies are going to need more than a sound bath to heal. What did she say? She thought it was very funny. I'm like, you. this I was like, I think I said AI is the devil or something. too So hopefully... What music is she using for the sound bath, I wonder? I don't even think it's... I don't quite... I don't understand. What? She's here.
Paige Pearl: Like, do you think I would ever? Go to the sound bath.
Paige Pearl: they're doing that oh so the timing of my kid becoming a kindergarten dropout works out nicely because next week It's like social emotional learning extravaganza week.
Paige Pearl: So there are going to be sound baths. There's going to be yoga. they want their uh, Having volunteers write positive messages in chalk to greet the students as they come in and blow bubbles at them. Like you just want general.
Paige Pearl: Words that don't mean anything. like no just like vibes It's None of it actually is specific. for the people like they're just general Cheer up. Be kind.
Paige Pearl: Yes. Freaky. I don't like it. ah It's like it's so fake. Yeah, I mean curriculum is so arbitrary that way.
Paige Pearl: Like. I feel like it's because it's like if you're designing a curriculum, let's say for a kindergartner and like. how to bring the whole school together maybe is like I could imagine in a meeting people being like, yes, a kindness week. Yeah, and that's what it's supposed to be. How good. Yeah, we're going to feel so good about ourselves for doing this. Yeah, it'll just be a nice vibe.
Paige Pearl: I mean, it I think it's all just it's it's it's an absence of religion. They're trying to replace some kind of. symbolic like we're focusing on this value this week instead of like lent or something i don't know something which with a history of tradition yeah well and they're just floundering Looking for something well's to fill the void. To shape out the year.
Paige Pearl: You know? Cause then it's just, I mean, really, if you take away calendar, I've thought about this before and it really freaked me out. If you take away calendar and week and everything, it's just. day. day day day relentless day day like and i think we actually can't psychologically handle that No.
Paige Pearl: Oh, there has to be a shape to time. There must be a shape to time. This is my former pothead brain.
Paige Pearl: I guess we should end it. Is that how you break up with people?
