I thoroughly enjoyed Melissa’s post from the other day. Btw, her Buzz Off column she linked is about cool outdoor toys. It’s worth checking out.
But a particular part of her original post made me stop in my tracks. She wrote:
“This is just one example in my tiny world, everywhere the world seems to be going crazy about kids getting hurt and at the same time the world is wondering why our kids are so fat. Maybe our kids are so fat because they can’t just ride a bike anymore they have to strap on a helmet and knee pads and elbow pads and wrist guards and a full body condom just in case.”
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
More kids need to spend more time outdoors. But too many parents are getting their knickers in a knot about safety and playing isn’t what it used to be.Â
I don’t want kids to hurt themselves either, but there’s such a thing as going overboard. That is why a book like Dangerous Boys is such a huge breath of fresh air. I haven’t read it, but am craving a copy of my own … although I’m wondering why they just didn’t call it “Dangerous Kids,” because the topics they cover seem to have huge kid-appeal and would interest a much broader audience.
I am in favour of dodgeball, Red Rover, and tag. I am in favour of kids climbing up the slide in addition to sliding down it while properly seated on their posteriors. I do have my limits, but overall I am in favour of running, jumping, leaping, and climbing.
Interestingly, once we hit the schoolyard the safety thing becomes a whole different ball of wax. I am guessing that playgrounds are a major liability for the school boards. Throw in the threat of litigation and suddenly the idea that a kid might hurt themselves takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s my understanding that in our school, kids are not allowed to run in one half (called the “upper”) part of the schoolyard. It’s partly paved, and the climbers are in a separate sandy area. But I guess they’re afraid of kids running into one another and hurting themselves. The children have also been told to use the playground equipment properly, and by that I suppose I mean the way they are logically to be used, “one way only” on the climber, up the stairs, down the slide etc. Is this the norm in other elementary schools?
A few weeks ago we let Emma walk to school on her stilts. She had gotten really good at it, and we thought it would be a fun thing to do. After school I asked her if she used the stilts at recess. She explained she wasn’t allowed to use them. You know, the safety thing.
This “just in case” philosophy drives me bonkers.
I am trying to see it from the teachers perspective. They’re human. They are parents. They really don’t want to see the kids get hurt.
I wonder where they’re drawing the line. Why can’t kids bring stilts but they can bring a ball or a skipping rope or skip-it? I’m just waiting for someone to ban those too. Goodness gracious, a kid could lose an eye! Trip and fall!
There’s an area of the schoolyard that’s informally (among the kids) known as a hangout for boys and their handheld video games. It really annoys me. Emma isn’t allowed to use her stilts during recess (did you know that in some circles recess is being called a “fitness break”?) but these boys – some of whom probably need to expend a little bit of their pent-up energy – are allowed to fry their eyeballs in a corner of the schoolyard. The only thing they’re exercising are their thumbs.
Am I the only one who thinks they should be told to leave those things at home? During the break they should be encouraged to climb ropes and swing like the natural monkeys they all are.
We don’t encourage curiosity and adventure in our children nearly as much as we should be. I think, as parents, we have to ask ourselves a really important question. Are we, as a society, sucking the fun – and the very essence – out of being a kid? If so, what can we do about it?
First, I need to get my hands on that book and learn about paper airplanes and how to make a decent slingshot.
p.s this post is part of the MotherTalk Book Bonanza. Check out the MotherTalk website for links to other blogs who’ll also be posting about Dangerous Boys, kids, and dangerous play. :)
