I wonder if recess is covered in the CCSS... http://now.msn.com/zeeland-public-school-in-outlaws-tag-chasing-running-in-packs/ "We want our children to treat each other with respect, kindness, and with safety in mind," said Ginger Smith, community relationship manager for Zeeland Public Schools, on Friday, in an attempt to clarify the situation. The only kid-games I know of that don't use playground equipment (safety concerns), and might be both respectful and kind would include ... NONE! Maybe board games? or would those incite arguments over whose turn it is, or whether he moved 6 spaces when he should have moved 5, or whose turn it was to be the red piece instead of green, or the racecar piece instead of the old shoe...
"The only kid-games I know of that don't use playground equipment (safety concerns), and might be both respectful and kind would include ... NONE!" Wow. Seriously? I don't think there's a thing wrong with expecting kids to treat each other with kindness and respect. Nor do I think it's a bad idea for schools to pay closer attention to safety.
but wouldn't a better solution, CrazyMom, be to punish the children who are being disrepectful and shoving, unkind, etc, rather then BAN tag? Isn't tag one of those timeless games that children playing tag is completely free too for the school.
How do you play tag respectfully and kindly and ALSO expect kids to not "run in packs"? I get it: no wrestling (might decide to emulate WWE and body slam somebody on the ground), no swings/seesaws/monkeybars (might land on the ground and break an arm), no jumprope, and no dodgeball. No real sports balls because someone might get hit in the head. Safety: I get it. But what's left??? Now the poor kids can't even play TAG!
Exactly Lindina. I do think though tag can be played respectfully. If it's all in good fun that is one thing. If there is bullying in some way behind it I can understand that too-but then the individual children should have punishment. But, things are getting just plain ridiculous. My little sister had federal charges brought against her, that were just given up after my parents fought it in court for TWO years! She was caught on video tape in the hallway "pretend" kicking a girl. They slowed the tape down to 15 frames per a second and you can see NO contact was made. AFTER the pretend kick, you see my sister and her "victim" hug, and her "victim" walk off the other way laughing. My sister was brought up on federal charges of assault and battery, and was permanently kicked out of her school district cause of no tolerance laws. It was absolutely ridiculous. She was also taken to jail that day and she was only 14 years old! I asked my father, in a school FULL of teen boys, you mean to tell me she is the ONLY one ever taped to pretend kick some one? I do NOT believe that not one teen boy in that school was not taped pretend kicking some one...yet my sister was the only one brought up on federal charges for it....federal felony at that!
BTW up to that point my sister was getting good grades, NO social problems in school (never any reports of her bullying or hurting others), she was on track-all state, and in many social school activities like Drama and Choir etc. However, my sister did happen to be one of only 4 black children in the school. (2 of the other 3 children were other siblings of mine!). And I truly think that has a lot to do with this. My parents have always drilled into us, because we are minority we have to play by different rules then the majority. And we could of even halfway understood federal felony charges, had there been contact, had the girl shown a level of pain at all, had the girl acted afraid/scared, etc in any way. But, hugging my sister, and turning and walking away laughing, just didn't seem like "victim" behavior to us. And/or if my sister had some previous record of hurting or bullying others. We aren't a family who thinks our laundry don't stink. We just also, didn't care for this blatant prejudice, and nonsense.
I remember getting into major trouble at the daycare I used to work at (that is no longer in operation, thank God) because two little boys were playing "Cops and Robbers". No big deal to me, bc I played it when I was a kid as well as "Cowboys and Indians", "Tag", and a handful of other "Iconic" kid games. I made sure there was no rough play, no outright running, and everyone was having a good time. The director came in and saw it, asked me about it and I told her what was going on. She became VERY upset and told me that the game was inappropriate and caused stereotypes. She then told me that the game was off limits, and that I needed to use my better judgments. I questioned her further and we had a chit chat and her big beef was that it was a white boy and a black boy playing the game, and at the time she came in the little black boy was the robber. O.M.G. Really? You missed 10 minutes ago when he was the cop, chasing around the white kid who was the robber! Unbelievable. It's this kind of crap that messes kids up. I understand about safety, and so on, but really? How about we ask teachers to be vigilant and to watch the games, and bust the individuals who are too rough, so it doesn't spoil the fun of the children who are just having fun? How about we just have the children form a big circle, like ponies in a petting zoo, and have them walk around in a circle for 20 minutes as their daily exercise. THAT way, nobody is touching each other, communicating, or having fun thus eliminating everyone's beef with kids being kids! I mean...they aren't there to socialize, right?! UGH!!!!
For real. Your description reminds me of another institution: prison. We always described school as prison, but now it's getting closer and closer to it. We played touch football, basketball, baseball, tag, jumprope, and all those running and active games at recess. We had swings and seesaws on the playground. I think I remember ONE kid ever breaking an arm, and I'm pretty sure he was doing the "swing as high as you can and jump off" game, during my whole 12 years of school.
Oh my oh my... what are kids to do if they can't run and play tag? Are we trying to teach our kids that life in the real world is fair and unoffensive? Children should be brought up protected but not too much so, less we do them a disservice.
My daughter just broke her arm at school during basketball practice.. She just fell during running.. This stuff happes.. How are they going to know how to handle life if everything is taken from them? Kids get hurt, kids are rude and mean and rough.. How do you teach them to be more respectful when you just flat out don't allow them to do something because it "might" cause someone to be disrespectful or they "could" fall and get hurt.. Good grief, just put them in a bubble why don't ya..
