In the Hebrew story, King Solomon was asked to decide which of two "harlots" was the mother of an infant. His proposal to divide the baby between them revealed who could recognise the child's best interests. This ancient story has resonance for early childhood education, for although our curriculum holds the wellbeing of children at its core, the wisdom of Solomon is needed to navigate the inconvenient truth that early childhood education can be detrimental to the health of young children.