Tag, chase games too dangerous?

[Kitka]

Officials at an elementary school (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15316912/) south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Yes, no? Stupid? Or is it about time?

[TrueBlue]

I am big on playground safety, but this takes it too far, IMO. I read an article where a mother said she had seen too many "near collisions". So what?

[Incognito]

OMG. I'm going to say the dreaded words....we all did that growing up, and we turned out just fine.

The schools here send home a letter stating that they are not liable for any injuries that happen at school, and offer accident insurance, which really isn't all that expensive.

[TrueBlue]

I love that all the schools put something under playground equipment to cushion in case of a fall. I also wanted the baseball teams to use specially developed baseballs for children (even though they did not travel as far when hit). But if kids can't run and play, what are they doing out there.

Plus, tag is sort of a natural part of play. It's not like dodgeball or some other game where there is equipment. How are you going to stop kids from spontaneously chasing each other?

[MW]

They want to ban running, ball playing, etc - yet publish reports that our children are obese and couch potatoes?

Does anyone else see a conflict here?

Children aren't allowed to participate in games where there's a winner and loser and rules to play by - then employers complain about the new breed of workers who don't understand why someone else got a promotion and they can't play online computer games at work? Childhood games are needed to teach about the real world.

The real problem is the litigious society we live in - there was never any thoughts of suing the school when I was growing up - and I fractured my bestfriend's arm when we were racing to line up at the poles.

[TrueBlue]

Games do teach all that. Of course, when you see an kid with permanent brain damage, it makes you panic. But I never heard of a kid getting severely injured playing tag.

I was once supervising kids and one of them fell off of the equipment onto the other. The kid on the bottom broke her arm. A couple of weeks later, the same kid was sitting under one of those wall mounted TVs and the TV came loose. The classroom teacher was right there and caught it before it hit the child.

[Incognito]

If they're going to ban tag, they're going to have to get rid of any and all playground equipment, too. Who's to say a kid won't fall off the slide?

[MW]

I think we should ban school buses too - there's no seatbelts (which would be illegal if we allowed our kids to ride without one on). And pencils too - those sharp points might put someone's eye out. And paper . . . can be used as a weapon or if they chew it up and swallow it, they might choke on it! And glue . . the fumes may make a child sick.

Yeah, I'm being sarcastic. Things are overboard these days. Kids are being raised in a plastic bubble, not allowed to experience life for fear of hurting their feelings or bodies, and parents who have a lawyer on speed dial.

A little OT - but in the county that I live in - parent chaperones have to drive themselves on field trips - for "insurance reasons". Yet parents have to pay the same amount as the kids - which means that the parents are kicking in for the gas for the bus AND paying their own gas as well. Makes you wonder if they are looking for reasons to keep parents OUT of the education process?

[TrueBlue]

They won't ALLOW parents to ride the bus-or do the parents choose not to ride the bus? I know that the kids can't ride with parents, for insurance reasons.

[MW]

Will NOT allow.

[darkHorse]

They want to ban running, ball playing, etc - yet publish reports that our children are obese and couch potatoes?

Exactly.

I have heard of schools recently proposing to take out playground equipment as well. How are kids supposed to burn off energy if they aren't allowed to run around? Next thing you know, there will be a study into why kids are becoming more unruly in school. Um, I wonder :roll

[FunDeeMental]

Notice how there are fewer and fewer swings on playgrounds? They strip away things a little bit at a time and before you know it, everything is gone!

[cassandra]

The real problem is the litigious society we live in - there was never any thoughts of suing the school when I was growing up - and I fractured my bestfriend's arm when we were racing to line up at the poles.

Completely agree! I think that the reason that schools are having to go to these extremes is to protect themselves from litigious parents. Having been a school teacher for 8 years I know that parents are quick to jump to this. At the school I worked at we had a geodesic dome (jungle gym type thing), a child fell from it and broke their arm. The parents threatened to sue and the dome was removed within a week. Not taking into account that it was there for over 20 years!!!

[TrueBlue]

Or a study of why they are not fit!

In our schools, kids have gym two or three times a week. Once they get to sixth grade, they have it for a six weeks and then they don't take it again for six or twelve weeks. The administators seem to think that this is fine, as if keyboarding, music, art, or some other optional course served the same purpose. :pissed Music is wonderful, so is art, but exercise is a need.

[MW]

there will be a study into why kids are becoming more unruly in school

Nah, they'll just label them ADD or ADHD and drug them up.

[cassandra]

Nah, they'll just label them ADD or ADHD and drug them up.

So absolutely ridiculous but so right!

[Phoenix]

There are no swings on any of the school playgrounds around here. You have to go to the parks for swings.