quote:Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.
Dear me no! Near collisions of running children?! " oh! the humanity!
Perhaps rules like this are part of what leads to adults who feel they can file lawsuits and contact human rights watchdogs when they get poor restaurant service (for which the manager tried, unsuccessfully to comp thier meal...):
Running head-on into a pole during a game of tag is how I learned to watch out where the hell I'm going.
Why is it all these people who grew up with these same experiences now feel their children are incapable of handling themselves? If you survived it, they'll survive it, too!
quote:Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule.
Can anyone say "momma's boy"? If he doesn't feel safe playing tag, then he can -- I don't know -- not play tag?
Pretty soon we'll be banning recess altogether. Hell, just sit them all down in front of a TV and a video-game console and they'll never have to deal with the realities of life at all!
From: The Land of one Headlight on. Insane since: May 2001
posted 10-18-2006 21:56
I guess running with scissors is out of the question.
I was going to say, one has to wonder about the mindset of the parents but that presumes the presence of a 'mind'..and clearly that is not the case. And the principal is just as brain dead.
Could this be the often whispered but never seen breeding ground for politicians?
___________________________________________________________________________
The goal in Life's Journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "holy moly what a ride!"
From: Out on the Sea of Madness... Insane since: Dec 2003
posted 10-18-2006 22:27
quote: DL-44 said:
I know I shouldn't be anymore, but I am shocked on a daily basis by the news stories I see. I am embarrased to be human somedays...'Tag' too dangerous for recess?http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/18/no.tag.ap/index.htmlFrom the article:
quote:
Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.
Dear me no! Near collisions of running children?! " oh! the humanity!
Yet more proof that people are broken. Seeing how people are these days, and how kids are, makes me glad that A - I don't have children (I'd be in trouble for letting them hurt themselves playing and the like) and B - wonder how my 3 brothers and I survived growing up, because gods know, playtime was a contact sport on our street. Hell, we used to have Jarts - those lawn darts with the pointy ends? Hella fun to toss those straight up in the air and watch them fall towards us. Oh, and what about climbing up on the (eventually rusty) jungle jim and walking along the hanging bars, and then jumping down 6-ish feet into the sandbox? Ooo... we were rebels livin' on the edge!
quote:Perhaps rules like this are part of what leads to adults who feel they can file lawsuits and contact human rights watchdogs when they get poor restaurant service (for which the manager tried, unsuccessfully to comp thier meal...): http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/18/chrisrockmom.discrimin.ap/index.htmlI wish I could sue for everytime I've had to wait for service!
Did she ever perhaps think of.. oh, I dunno... FLAGGING DOWN THE WAITRESS?! Sheesh, and the fact that it's some "celebrity" mom, I'm surprised she's not upset she wasn't recognized either. My husband and I have been overlooked before, especially when the restaurant is busy. We've either waited a bit longer to see if someone comes, or flagged down the manager to ask what the hold up was. Problem solved. These two are complaining because the manager immediately said, Sorry, You'll get your meal free" instead of calling over the waitress first. Duh! Make the customer happy, then bitch out the wait staff in the back. SOP.
I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but I really hate how some people immediately play the race card for anything that happens to them. Had to wait a long time to get served? It was because you were black, or pink, or yellow, or polka-dotted, OF COURSE! Even though Crackerbarrel (which never struck me as anyplace I wanted to eat, even while growing up, seeing them while traveling) has had problems with this, still.. that's the first thing Momma Rock thinks of - "it's cause I'm black!" Feh. It's more than likely because you were an idiot too stupid to talk to the manager after waiting 10 minutes, instead of 30.
RhyssaFireheart: You're not harsh. Some people really deserve some kick in the butt.
Other than that, playtime was some times rough in my childhood too
When I was ~6yo, one day I played on some racks used to park bicycles. I was hoping from one rack to the other until I slipped and felt off head first on the metalic frame. I was bleeding, a lot, at the top of the cheek, just under the eye. My father said he could see the bone ok there's little flesh at this spot but I know no one who wish to see that.
We went to the hospital and everything was fine. I got 6 stitch(es?).
Few weeks later, I was playing on the pillar holding the fence around our house. It was fun climbing on it and jumping on the pavement ... until my face hit both knees, right on the stitch ... and started bleeding again.
And of course playing darts with my brother in the garage was great. So great some times we couldn't wait for the other to get his darts out the target and the door of the garage. It happened more than once that one receive a dart in the back, arms of legs
From: Happy Hunting Grounds... Insane since: Mar 2001
posted 10-19-2006 01:25
Man, you guys had wimpy neighborhoods!
We used to have rock fights with the neighboring gangs. All those from my youth have chipped and broken teeth, and scars from those days...hehe.
Or Hooky-bobbing on the back of cars (at night, easier to remain hidden) when the snow had turned to ice on the streets! Fun, fun, fun until you hit one of the gully covers...they were always warmed and not iced over. Ouch! Nothing like hitting the street at 35~45 miles an hour.
Ice ball fights...hehe. Man, I had bruises from head to toe from one of those! Not to mention fat lips, black eyes, and bloody noses!
*shrugs*
Parents and kids these days *shakes head*
They would have got hung on the nearest picket fence by their underwear in my 'hood!
WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles
Hooky-bobbin and ice ball fights.... definitely some of the best childhood memories. However, we didn't have rock fights, instead, we had chestnut fights. Early in the season was great because they had the spiney shells still on them.
We also had BB gun wars out in the woods (long before paint ball existed).... I still have a BB in me. Of course, there's dang near nothin better than cow tippin.
OOooohh... and then there was seeing how many people you could fit on your bicycle and ride down the biggest hill you could find. People would get scared and start randomly jumping off. It was great fun hahahah
The best part of being a kid is trying to devise new ways to wound and mame your friends and cousins!
Well, gotta keep em safe, that is what this nation has been unhealthily focused on since 9/11 right? Security and safety. Safety and security. All that matters anymore. It is these kinds of rules that created people who would file lawsuits for their child getting hurt at recess in the first place. Downward sprial of lunacy.
Who cares if these kids are being deprived of what it is to be young. To get hurt, skin a knee, stitches, fist fights, other random malicious and violent acts, and, dare I say it, riding a bicycle without a stinkin' helmet! All those things, the mistakes you make when you are young and the mind is like a sponge, are learning experiences that toughen you up for the dog-eat-dog grown up world. Perhaps those in the position to make these decisions don't want those kinds of kids coming out of the public schools, but rather non-thinking little worker bees who never question, have accepted their tyranny, and value security and safety over all. Freedom equals slavery.
From: Out on the Sea of Madness... Insane since: Dec 2003
posted 10-19-2006 04:16
We grew up with a woods behind our house, and because the owner didn't mind, the neighborhood kids all used to play there. Creek running through it, trails, steep hills, the perfect area to play in. Playing tag in the dark (safe zone was at the bonfire we'd build in the middle of a larger clearing), swinging from vines (and having them break occasionally) and watching my brothers ride their bikes (both pedal and motocycle) down this really steep hill, through the creek and then up over a short bump to jump into some undergrowth... We were hurt plenty of times, and never once did we ever think of suing the owner. Usually our mom told us we were idiots and to stop doing that.
Oh, and the joy of putting firecrackers inside empty soda cans (the kind that had actual pull tabs!). The year that my brothers and I iced down the driveway one winter (lived on a sloped dead end street with a sloped driveway) and made a sled path that went from the street, lown the driveway, around the oak tree, past the dog pen, through the field and into the clearing in the woods... That stuff didn't finish melting until almost May, IIRC.
Never heard of hooky-bobbin, we called it skritchin. *shrug* But fights, oh yeah. My brothers did it more than I did, but since our street was a dead end, and there was a loose rocky area at the end of it, we used to FLY down the hill as fast as you can, then do a power slide into the rocks at the end and see how big a trail you could kick up. That didn't always come out well.
And the numerous, numerous times one of us kids put our hands through the glass in the screen door or window banging on it because someone had locked us out on a lark. Hell, I was still getting into physical fights with my younger brothers into high school. Don't complain that I fight like a girl or I'll use my nails on you. Winnah!
From: Happy Hunting Grounds... Insane since: Mar 2001
posted 10-19-2006 07:56
quote:OOooohh... and then there was seeing how many people you could fit on your bicycle and ride down the biggest hill you could find. People would get scared and start randomly jumping off. It was great fun hahahah
Hehe...that brings back fond memories...
Man, I sure hope there are kids out there that are "living it up" still.
How about getting into the inside of an innertube and then rolling down into a patch of poison oak? Calamine lotion, please!
WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles
I imagine that this over-protection kick is cyclical. After all, kids have been doing stupid things since the dawn of time. It's just human nature. If this weren't cyclical, the first use of plastic after it was invented would have been to create plastic bubbles to put all the children in. So I'm guessing it is more of a pendulum swing than a continuous trend. With any luck, future generations of kids will be happily breaking bones and tearing flesh as part of the process of growing up.
I too have fond memories of throwing my body at whatever danger come along. I grew up with two younger brothers (although the youngest was too young to be much more than a spectator), so our play was pretty violent. We used to play a game that involved running at each other at top speed, crashing in a cloud of limbs, and then trying to get up and run to the other side of the yard. The game was more fun before we were old enough to figure out that maybe running headfirst into each other was not the most sound strategy.
This clearly shows an evolution towards an asepctic and artificial world - for the ones who can afford it.
I have read a very interesting article in the Daily Mail (UK) this week, which I have unfortunately not been able to find on the web.
But it was describing a possible evolution for humanity, which will split into two subspecies: one being an elite of human beings, tall, beautifully built and clever - the other one, a bunch of ugly, small, fat and dumb people.
This would be due to the modern tendency to adopt a healthier life style, have an easier and easier access to medicines, genetic modifications, and new technologies such as chip implants and others; obviously not for everyone, and the natural selection will do just its job too.
I am having trouble gathering my thoughts on this though, so please bare with me. I wish I could find this article... but I can see a clear link between this theory and the padded world Americans (at the moment) seem to be developing for their future generations.
DL-44, I think your thread raises two different issues:
1) How far can we allow ourselves to acquire greater power over others through law and money?
2) Is the creation of this aseptic world the best we can do for our future generations?
From: somewhere in the great indoors Insane since: Sep 2002
posted 10-24-2006 02:26
It's about damn time they banned tag. Everyone seems to be focusing on the obvious physical dangers of such a primitive game, but what about the life-long psychological scars that can be directly attributed to the stigma of being 'It' ?
I'm willing to bet that each and every violent criminal (and all of the not so violent ones too) suffered through the feelings of alienation that go with being designated 'It' by a group of unthinking, unkind, irresponsible kids.
Eh, that's what happens when schools are held responsible for children instead of parents. Suddenly it's the school's job to raise kids, and keep them safe.
And banning tag? You might as well tell kids that the have to sit immobile during recess, what's the point of going outside anymore? Kids get hurt and learn lessons, and have tons of fun, get over it.
I guess society has to get to the "root" of the problem, and eliminate any need to leave the Tv-screen or computer monitor. That way, everyone is safe...
Will they eliminate contact sports (football) at high schools next?
I think some of you are missing the actual problem here.
Willett Elementary School hasn't banned tag because of parent complaining, they've done so for fear of losing an astronomically high lawsuit. Parents haven't suddenly become wimpy - the few wimpy parents have finally found success in the court room. In the nostalgia I'm sure it seemed like everyone from your generation dodged death at every turn but I'm sure there were plenty of kids who weren't allowed to participate. The real problem is these absurd lawsuits for millions of dollars. If the court system wasn't so screwed up, schools could allow children to play tag without fear of a billion dollar lawsuit for a skinned knee.
I think it is more of a symbioitc relationship. We have had a huge increase on both sides of the fence, and when either side makes a silly leap forward, the other side goes along for the ride.
You are absolutely correct that there have been parents who have not allowed their children to do much of anything for fear of injury, illness, or corruption. I think we have seen a rise in this kind of parenting though. It used to be that there might be a couple of kids - you know, the 'weird' family - who couldn't play, couldn't eat candy, couldn't stay at your house, etc.
These days it's not so weird....
With the combination of a fear of letting the kids do anything, a feeling of entitlement that makes parents think someone has to pay anytime something goes wrong, and a growing number of people willing to accept both outlooks, pretty soon we'll all be screwed.
It's not as if a judge is sitting there saying "yep, you owe a million dollars because the law says so". It's people on juries who agree with the 'wimpy' parents and allow the cycle to continue growing out of control.
(^ wandered a bit, hopefully my points are all intact... )
The way I see it, the actions of a handful of schools isn't enough to claim the entire nation is going down the toilet. When I was a teenager (and this was way back in the early 90s!), the big issue was book banning. A few schools banned controversial books (by dangerous authors such as Judy Blume and Mark Twain) from school libraries to avoid potential law-suits. It's the same situation with banning tag - these few schools are run by administrators who are afraid of lawsuit-happy parents, and they react irrationally.
It's only a few schools, and it will change and fade. And honestly, if more parents showed up for PTA meetings, there might be more of a moderate voice in school decisions.
As for whether people are more careful or scared now - I think people are a lot more aware of things like sexual predators and kidnappers now. Unfortunately, "scare" programming on TV makes it look like every other person in your neighborhood is trolling MySpace for kids to take advantage of. I think that makes them scared to let their kids play out in the neighborhood, like many of us did as kids. But just being around my sisters and their five kids, they certainly aren't afraid to let them play in the yard without direct adult supervision, even though my 4-year-old nephew is such a danger-seeker that I've started calling him "stunt-kid."
Besides, they know that my 9-year-old niece, nicknamed "The Informer," will tell immediately if one of the other kids does something wrong or stupid.
quote:Jestah - If the court system wasn't so screwed up, schools could allow children to play tag without fear of a billion dollar lawsuit for a skinned knee.
Hi. It has been a while. I have been super busy at work and taking care of the two little ones.
We were talking about this at work the other day. Is it really societies fault? Is it really parents? It seems to me that the problem is the judges who are letting these lawsuits go through, like Jestah said. It seems ridiculous that you can sue for anything now-a-days, and win. For instance, I had an allergic reaction to some medicine one time and almost died, and the doctor told me to sue the hospital, which he worked for, and I would win!!! I did not, because though I would not have minded the money, it seemed ridiculous to me since it was just an accident. That is the problem with society, individuals have no moral decency and sue for just about anything they think they can get money for. It sucks. It may increase your bank account but people need to sit back and look at what it is doing to our society. But can you really blame society, I mean most people would like a bunch of money, and it really is the fault of the laws and the judges who are enforcing them.
smiling as I think about jumping off the roof on my friends house as we played Tag with all the doors and windows open.
Just popped by to see what you crazy people are up to... hope all are well and all.
I remember playing rugby at school... the ball was usually the only thing that didn't get knocked around the pitch! If you didn't want to play rough, you simply didn't play (or one could always choose to play football - soccer to those across the Atlantic - and practice diving instead). Despite a few nose bleeds and bruises, it was all in the name of fun, and what happened on the pitch tended to stay on the pitch.
I can't remember anyone ever having been injured while playing tag. I also cannot imagine anyone being so pathetic as to ban such a game.
Wouldn't it have been better simply to get the parents to sign a waver that ensured the freedom of their child to participate in a social sport? Those of the "wrap'em in wool" persuasion could simply ignore the waver, and their children could spend their breaks in a knitting class - where of course, all the knitting needles would be blunted appropriately.
I am so glad I'm only half human.
As for lawsuits - there have been an increasing number of adverts on British television for claims services: "Suffered an injury or had an accident at work that wasn't your fault? Call our claims line... blah-blah..."
A sorry looking individual then spouts "I was worried about claiming against my employer until <such-and-such> explained that employers are insured for this sort of thing, so I made a claim and... so-on-and-so-on..."
This disgusts me. If only life were so f***ing simple. Anyone care to explain to the average dick what premiums are and how they affect your employer's income, therefore the value of one's job? On one level or another, it is this kind of thinking that halts economic growth and contributes to inflation.
Blame whomsoever you like - it's these wheedling little morons who make claims for no other reason than that they can who perpetuate it, but unscrupulous claims companies capitalise upon it. You can blame the judges, sure, but they essentially answer to demand - whether that be for justice or the liberty to sue, the growing problem is beyond them. I can well imagine that if one judge throws a case out, there would be plenty of other courts out there willing to take up the torch.
This growing culture of (outrageously exaggerated) compensation for every little thing is growing out of all reasonable proportion, and it's no joke that personal liberty is ever-more the victim.
It starts with banning tag at school - where will it end?
posted 10-18-2006 18:32
" oh! the humanity!
Oh, and what about climbing up on the (eventually rusty) jungle jim and walking along the hanging bars, and then jumping down 6-ish feet into the sandbox? Ooo... we were rebels livin' on the edge!
ok there's little flesh at this spot but I know no one who wish to see that.
