The local grade school finally went and did it!

[HardyGirl]

THEY OUTLAWED TAG!!! Can you believe it? I heard that some other grade schools in the U.S. had done this, but I never thought it would happen here! Do you know the justification for this? They might FALL!! Are they serious? Y'know, people won't be happy until every kid in the country is in a safe plastic box, doing nothing but playing video games, and ALWAYS supervised by an adult. I mean, c'mon, who hasn't fallen down, skinned knees, bruised elbows, even gotten the occasional goose egg? Stuff like this makes me wanna give up teaching. I don't wanna teach in a world that is that restrictive to kids. They can't play tag? What are these kids gonna be like when they're adults? Scared to try anything new or challenging b/c they might get hurt? I'm SO tired of seeing kids that are too busy w/ after school and weekend activities that they never have any FUN, and what little fun they do have is being curbed; kids who are constantly bombarded by so much technology they have to be taught to pretend, kids who are supervised by adults every waking minute, and don't have the skills to solve the little everyday squabbles we used to when we played together.

Is anyone else w/ me? Are you just as frustrated as I am (if not more)?

Tell me what you guys (and gals) think!

[vulcan2074]

That Really Sucks. Tag was so much fun. I remember thats how I made alot of my friends that I still have to this day. Everytime I go back home to visit, we joke about all the things we did on the playground. You got plenty of excercise and most importantly You Had Fun and made friends.
Sammy

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I heard another report (and I cannot remember what state or county) where they were asking the children not to run on the playground. Again, because they did not want them to get hurt. And they do not get why kids today are out of shape!

I also had to explain to a co-worker who is 15 years younger than me what the game "red rover" was. No "elimination" games are allowed anymore here. I have a friend who used to teach K-6: No Dodge ball, etc. If you do a game like Simon Sez, you just keep on going, don't even point out that the kid didn't hear "Simon Sez."

It is sad to see a child feel left out of the fun, but at the same time it is a bad message to give kids no adversity when growing up.

[theantiquetiger]

Thank the lawyers and sue happy idiots of the world!!!!

Makes you want to run up and push a kid over!!!!

[HardyGirl]

I heard another report (and I cannot remember what state or county) where they were asking the children not to run on the playground. Again, because they did not want them to get hurt. And they do not get why kids today are out of shape!

I also had to explain to a co-worker who is 15 years younger than me what the game "red rover" was. No "elimination" games are allowed anymore here. I have a friend who used to teach K-6: No Dodge ball, etc. If you do a game like Simon Sez, you just keep on going, don't even point out that the kid didn't hear "Simon Sez."

It is sad to see a child feel left out of the fun, but at the same time it is a bad message to give kids no adversity when growing up.

Well thankfully, I don't work for the school system. I work at a privately run after care. How in the world do you tell a kid who is outside NOT TO RUN??? Kids are natural runners. It's how they play and burn off all that pent up energy. And my kids play various versions of tag, and other elimination games all the time! And one of their faves is Red Rover.

[TEXASFETT]

Wow that really sucks!!! How times have changed and we always played tag.Bunch of cry babies in this world!!!

[toysrus]

Wake up America!

I cant believe that! Whats going on? Wow this is worse then people think. Way too much control these days. My sons last school wont allow dodge ball, now thats a joke! I played dodge ball in school and after! What's the big deal?

Sorry to here about the loss of tag! Thats real bad though! This country better wake up!

THEY OUTLAWED TAG!!! Can you believe it? I heard that some other grade schools in the U.S. had done this, but I never thought it would happen here! Do you know the justification for this? They might FALL!! Are they serious? Y'know, people won't be happy until every kid in the country is in a safe plastic box, doing nothing but playing video games, and ALWAYS supervised by an adult. I mean, c'mon, who hasn't fallen down, skinned knees, bruised elbows, even gotten the occasional goose egg? Stuff like this makes me wanna give up teaching. I don't wanna teach in a world that is that restrictive to kids. They can't play tag? What are these kids gonna be like when they're adults? Scared to try anything new or challenging b/c they might get hurt? I'm SO tired of seeing kids that are too busy w/ after school and weekend activities that they never have any FUN, and what little fun they do have is being curbed; kids who are constantly bombarded by so much technology they have to be taught to pretend, kids who are supervised by adults every waking minute, and don't have the skills to solve the little everyday squabbles we used to when we played together.

Is anyone else w/ me? Are you just as frustrated as I am (if not more)?

Tell me what you guys (and gals) think!

[kryptosmaster]

Scared to try anything new or challenging b/c they might get hurt? ... kids who are supervised by adults every waking minute, and don't have the skills to solve the little everyday squabbles ...

What are these kids gonna be like when they're adults?

Congressmen


Rich

[AUSSIE-Rebooted-AMM]

You don't find any See-Saws around my neck of the woods any more. It was refreshing to see See-Saws when we were in the UK a few months back, because my kids had never been on one before.

And one of our local parks just got rid of a round about/ whirly gig thing . . . that were always a bundle of funs and kids favourite play equipment since long before I was born. f its kind I remember seeing in the Brisbane area.

It is sad for the kids. . . . darn Lawyers are ruining our society!

[Hotfoot]

Just give them all medals just for signing up!

We play tag all the time. The other day my 4 year old was IT and she rean head on into my 6 year old. After a few tears and hugs she tagged me and said Your IT now and took off running again!

[garagesale]

Thank the lawyers and sue happy idiots of the world!!!!

Makes you want to run up and push a kid over!!!!

You said it, man. These schools do this sort of thing b/c parents threaten to sue/actually sue. Even tho they probably couldn't win in a decent court, it ends up costing everyone a bunch of $$$ and sometimes teachers and prinicipals lose jobs/get suspended. It's the parents who start all this.

I see this stuff all the time -- and I teach at a university! Parents always trying to intervene and bully on behalf of their (18, 20, 25-year-old) kids.

JamesD

[Marvelmania]

What's next banning Duck, Duck Goose because it's defamatory to geese?

[wolfie]

First let me say i think you are correct and i agree with you, the whole thing is pathetic.

The reason it is happening is this. If the school allows the children to do anything which might lead to them being hurt, the school and the teacher supervising the children at the time leave themselves wide open for the parents of the child who got hurt to take them to court and sue for an endless list of reasons. This can eventually lead to the school and / or the teacher having to pay out lots of money and in some cases the teacher losing his / her job due to neglect for the safety of the children in their care.

Now i hear you all cry " That can't be right " but i'm afraid that is the reality of the situation and allthough the school may not even want to enforce it, it is left with no choice.

[Adam West]

I don't want to stand on a soap box but this kind of stuff which seems so stupid and trivial has a lifelong impact on kids.

At our children's school, they no longer hand out ribbons for field day....everyone's a winner.

I have to find sports outside of school to place my kids in where there is competition. I help coach my 8 year olds team and I can take any soccer practice drill and make it into a competition with winners and losers and everyone steps it up a notch. I have not had one parent complain because I do it in a positive environment and I don't allow any of the kids to make fun of the losers.

The current graduates that I am hiring to work for me do not have the maturity or skill set necessary. They don't know how or want to compete to move up the ladder and almost have a sense of entitlement...they deserve big raises and promotions because they show up for work on time and do the minimum required from them. I wish I could say I have just had a few bad eggs but after dealing with this the last few years, I have found this to be more of the norm than the exception.

[ctc]

>Do you know the justification for this? They might FALL!! Are they serious? Y'know, people won't be happy until every kid in the country is in a safe plastic box, doing nothing but playing video games, and ALWAYS supervised by an adult

So.... do you get Carlin's rant now?

>If the school allows the children to do anything which might lead to them being hurt, the school and the teacher supervising the children at the time leave themselves wide open for the parents of the child who got hurt to take them to court and sue

Yup. It's not about preventing problems; it's about preventing POTENTIAL problems. Sadly, EVERYTHING can lead to a potential problem.

Don C.