Tag banned over hurt feelings
Posted
September 18, 2007 at
6:20 pm by
Prescott
A school in Colorado Springs is just the latest in a long line of schools that have decided to try and stop kids from being kids by banning tag:
The touch-and-run game and any other form of chasing was banned this year at Discovery Canyon Campus’ elementary school by administrators who say it fuels schoolyard disputes.
“It causes a lot of conflict on the playground,” said Assistant Principal Cindy Fesgen. In the first days of school, before tag was banned, she said students would complain to her about being chased or harassed.
Fesgen said she would hear: “Well, I don’t want to be chased, but he won’t stop chasing me, or she won’t stop chasing me.”
Here’s a memo listing other games Asst. Prin. Fesgen is thinking of banning:
Duck, Duck, Goose — the goose is representative of discrimination in our culture. Causes conflict.
Four Square — not all grade levels has number of students divisible by four. Causes conflict.
Seven Up — reminds kids of sugary lemon-lime soda. Some children’s parents don’t allow them to drink soda, which makes them feel bad. Causes conflict.
Hide and Seek — students often complain that other student took the best hiding spot. Causes conflict.
Double Dutch — name derogatory to exchange student from Holland. Causes conflict.
Red Light/Green Light — too hard for students with slower reflexes. Causes conflict.
Red Rover — students consistently report 15 seconds of mild pain in wrists after Johnny R. “comes over”. Causes conflict.
In addition to the above, any game that involves either horizontal or vertical momentum is not allowed, as we’ve discovered any sort of motion by the students may cause conflict.
Tags: colorado-springs, Education, tag-banned |
19 Responses to “Tag banned over hurt feelings”
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1. Cara said:
September 19, 2007 @ 10:07 am
This is just insanity. Who are the parents that go along with this sort of nonsense??? Conflict is not always a bad thing. How are kids ever supposed to learn to RESOLVE conflicts if they’re never allowed to have any? I just don’t see how anyone can get on board with stuff like this.
2. Allison said:
September 19, 2007 @ 11:13 am
I heard along with the new game-playing guidelines, the cafeteria will now start serving Soylent Green.
3. Susan said:
September 20, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
And I thought it was only dodge ball that should be outlawed. Oh, wait. That one is probably still played.
We are going to make our children nuts(ier) if we “adults” don’t watch it.
4. Christine said:
September 20, 2007 @ 11:20 pm
This is just insane. According to this principal, just about everything under the sun causes conflict. Why can’t games be games?
5. Rita said:
September 21, 2007 @ 8:22 am
If a situation is causing specific problems for a school, then it only makes sense to ban it. It’s not like banning lunch or recess, it’s banning one specific activity.
I do that at home all the time. If my kids are causing tons of trouble fighting over the television, I tell them it’s off for a week.
“MINNESOTA MOTHER JOINS MILLIONS OF OTHER AMERICAN PARENTS IN GROWING TREND OF TEMPORARILY BANNING TELEVISION USAGE”. Anything can be grossly sensationalized.
6. Prescott said:
September 21, 2007 @ 8:30 am
I think punishing your own kids (or say, 2 specific kids in class) for bad behavior is a bit different than issuing a school-wide mandate. Just seems like a huge overreaction, IMHO.
7. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 9:10 am
But what happens in elementary schools is that trends occur. Their not talking about going out to the playground and having an organized game of tag, in which the players choose to participate. It gets to be a “thing,” where certain groups of kids (often boys) chase certain groups of other kids (often girls or younger kids). A lot of my students have told me about a “game” that was played in their el. schools called “catch a girl get a girl” which basically involved boys randomly running down girls, pinning them to the ground, and groping them.
I’m assuming the list of additional games is the author’s sarcasm and not an actual list.
8. Rita said:
September 21, 2007 @ 10:06 am
Also, who is the playground monitor? At my dd’s school, it’s parent volunteers during recess time. I think it’s way above the call of duty to ask parent volunteers to sort out who did what and who is to blame for certain things on a playground. I have a hard time doing that with my own kids and there are only two possible culprits.
There is a time and a place to learn conflict resolution. Gym class, in the classroom during group activities, after school, and so on. A 15 minute recess that turns into a big issue all the time isn’t helping to resolve the conflict anyway. So, they can’t play tag. It’s not the end of the world. If the parents are upset, they can bring it up with the school board. It sounds like most of the parents at the school are fine with it, though.
9. Jessica said:
September 21, 2007 @ 10:19 am
[quote comment="110201"] A lot of my students have told me about a “game” that was played in their el. schools called “catch a girl get a girl” which basically involved boys randomly running down girls, pinning them to the ground, and groping them.[/quote]
That’s a good point actually. I hadn’t thought of that. I remember boys playing that game when I was a kid and catch a girl and try to kiss her and it happened to me a few times and honestly, I felt so violated - it stuck with me for years. A school should have enough control over their kids that they aren’t physically violating other students. It only takes 2 kids to sexually assault another.
10. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 11:50 am
Oh dear god, I can’t believe I wrote “their” instead of “they’re.” How did that happen??
11. Prescott said:
September 21, 2007 @ 11:57 am
Unfortunately in the land of blog comments, where folks don’t need to register/login, an edit function is a rare beast…
12. Kristy said:
September 21, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Yeah, I know it’s not really an option. I’m just mortified that I did that. My fingers got ahead of my brain, I guess. What would Lynn Truss think?
13. Maureen said:
September 27, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
Priceless! Love your list! Ah, how did we EVER live thru school the 60s and 70s without all these rules to save us???
14. ben said:
April 25, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
I cant believe what im reading. America is based on competition. You have to compete to get a job, scholarships, and many more things.
I know its only elementary school games but that is where kids learn to compete at a young age, and if they are at a disadvantage well that is where they learn to overcome that because the world is not always going to be fair. We need to stop sheltering our kids from every little thing. They need to learn to deal with things.
15. kyle said:
April 25, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
This is ridiculous how these school districts are even considering banning these games. How is this even possible? Banning these games from those kids! Yes, i can see their reason but if you can do this for the unadvantaged kids favor. Why punish the kids who love those games? When i was younger, the highlight of my day was to go to the playground and play tag with my friends and to compete with one another. Me and a billion other kids all over america turned out just fine. So why do this? Consider what you are doing before you would even ban the games america has grew on.
16. Grandma frm Ks. said:
April 25, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
So does this mean,soft ball will be out to, or do they even play soft ball in grade school any more? b/c now theres a game that caused conflict, but the kids made it back to class in one piece.
17. Allison J said:
April 25, 2008 @ 5:19 pm
Just don’t ban Mum Ball. PLEASE don’t ban Mum Ball!
18. Allison J said:
April 25, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
I can understand the banning to some extent — or maybe I’m just playing devil’s advocate. Kid chases another kid in game of tag. Kid doesn’t want to be chased (or does, doesn’t matter). Kid falls — breaks, scrapes, bruises something while on school property and under the care of the school district. Parents get mad. Parents sue. We’re a litigious society.
19. Grandma frm Ks. said:
April 25, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Allison J ,yes we are, and some one is always looking for a way to sue someone else, from a slip on a banana peel, hot coffee,cancer from smoking, mal-practice,ect,ect, the list goes on, heres a joke in our house, my daughters are very short, when the youngest was 15 and wanted a car,she was told, to get a job, well one nite at the dinner table she was complaing about how long it was taking to save money for her car (as if dad & I did not already know),so he said I have an Idea how you can get some quick money,hows that?she asked, he said sue the City, why should I do that?, he said ,for building the side walk to close to your butt! honestly she thought about it a minute,then she said “Oh dad, thats not funny” I said all that just to say, people will sue for any thing,Thats our soceity.