Check out these playground rules! - Page 2

[octobermom]

rule #1 I get and maybe the mud one depending on how the playground area is set up... but the rest have me confused especially things like must pay in groups or no just walking around

[Ruthla]

If my child's school had a "no playing alone" rule I would make a huge stink about it. Sometimes kids just need a little space to themselves! I doubt I'd make a point about any of the other rules- those are annoying but not dangerous to my children's mental health.

I still want to know how you enforce the "kids must play in groups" rule- what if a child has a fight with friends and wants to walk away? What about kids like I was who don't HAVE any friends in school to play with on the playground?

[BathrobeGoddess]

Holy old thread! I wonder how that worked out for them...

[kmeyrick]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

Dear Children,

Don't be independent or creative.

Sincerely, the education system.

This sounds like the result of litigious people more than the education system. You can scratch yourself up going down on you belly on the slide, though. But walking around should be fine, as well as being alone. At my school God forbid you pick up a stick at all. (Kids do use them as weapons, but that's another post.) Who says this was slapped together by committee- raise your hand?

[menudo]

OMG! That is pitiful.

I was always alone b/c I had no friends. I wanted them but if I was forced with them it would've been hell!

And I was burt bad once walking alone on the playground. Some kids ran by me, I lost balance and landed on my face. I am glad it wasn't outlawed after that!

[Zach'smom]

I don't understand the "you can't play by yourself rule"

The rest I can understand. back when we were kids if someone hurt themselves on the playground you got a bandaid or went to the emergency room and that was the end of it. Your parents left it at "kids being kids". Now parents sue. The school doesn't have enough money as it is. They are trying to prevent money having to be given to sue happy parents.

There has to be some rules for the playground. There is a big difference between a parent watching their child at the playground and the teacher and a few volunteers having to watch a large group.

I

[Momily]

As a teacher, I can see the pros and cons of most of the rules. Some of the rules aren't rules I'd implement but I get why, if you have ratios that are awful and huge number of kids, they'd be appealing.

I can even maybe wrap my mind around the "you must be doing something" rule from the point of view of those who are overfocused on avoiding childhood obesity, and justify recess only from the point of view of exercise. I disagree with it, but I can see where they're coming from.

But the "no being alone" rule makes no sense to me. If the rule was that you have to welcome others into your play I guess I could see it, but forcing kids to join?

Can anyone even speculate as to why someone might think the rule makes sense?

[mommy68]

Wow, that's a bit strict. My oldest child still had recess last year and he and some friends would dig in the dirt daily. His teacher knew that this one group of kids loved to do that and never would have stopped them. She would even give them empty food containers to catch bugs and bring them inside.

I can't imagine any school having rules on a playground other than no pushing, fighting or being mean to other children.

I'm another one that doesn't understand the rule about no children playing alone. What if the child prefers to play alone? I can see where it would make sense to want all children to be included in a group so no one feels left out....but (IMO) that would be the teachers job to make sure she encourages the children to do things as a group while still in the classroom so it continues on the playground.

[blizzard_babe]

I get the mud rule. I took my students on a walk one day. Some got a little muddy (as did I). A parent called and complained that her daughter's pants were "ruined" (the mud came off my pants in one cold-water wash). I was told by our principal not to do any activities involving getting dirty, because the school didn't want to get stuck paying for pants.

Luckily, things here are MUCH more relaxed.

[Zach'smom]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

I get the mud rule. I took my students on a walk one day. Some got a little muddy (as did I). A parent called and complained that her daughter's pants were "ruined" (the mud came off my pants in one cold-water wash). I was told by our principal not to do any activities involving getting dirty, because the school didn't want to get stuck paying for pants.

Luckily, things here are MUCH more relaxed.

Ugh! They are kids.
Mud will find them no matter where they go.
The principal should have told her to get some stain remover.

[LindaCl]

What's interesting is that the article shows schools which are trying to reverse the trend of the more stringent playground policies that were being imposed in the last few years, strict rules intended to eliminate all the parent complaints about the bangs and scrapes, and playground social squabbles.

Some of the rules are still dumb, imho, but at least it's maybe a sign schools are waking up, an improvement in the right direction maybe. At least they're letting children run again (so long they're not chasing each other, and aren't running on the pavement, bark areas, or wet parts of the grass--leaving how much room for running, I'm not sure......they have little kiddie treadmills set up?

[LindaCl]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

I get the mud rule. I took my students on a walk one day. Some got a little muddy (as did I). A parent called and complained that her daughter's pants were "ruined" (the mud came off my pants in one cold-water wash). I was told by our principal not to do any activities involving getting dirty, because the school didn't want to get stuck paying for pants.

Luckily, things here are MUCH more relaxed.

You aren't kidding, are you........omg. I could never be a teacher . This kind of thing would drive me right out of my mind.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by LindaCl

You aren't kidding, are you........omg. I could never be a teacher . This kind of thing would drive me right out of my mind.

I'm always amazed when parents send their kids to school dressed up to the nines. My parents let us wear nice dresses to school THREE times during the school year... the first day of school, our birthday (or half-birthday for my sister, who is a July baby), and picture day. If we had to dress up for a concert or something, they'd send our dress clothes in a bag... we were that untrustworthy when it came to dirt.

[sdm1024]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

Dear Children,

Don't be independent or creative.

Sincerely, the education system.

:

[Thursday Girl]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

I get the mud rule. I took my students on a walk one day. Some got a little muddy (as did I). A parent called and complained that her daughter's pants were "ruined" (the mud came off my pants in one cold-water wash). I was told by our principal not to do any activities involving getting dirty, because the school didn't want to get stuck paying for pants.

Luckily, things here are MUCH more relaxed.

this is annoying, luckily at dd's school they flat out told the parents "you'r child will get dirty or paint on them at school, send your child in clothes you don't mind getting ruined." which seems like a much better rule and a more realistic one at that.

at her school they have a no sticks rule and i understand that one completely. they have a no water and mud rule whihc they are pretty lenmiant about b/c the kids really like to dig holes and fill them with water, i personally love to watch how innovative they are at ways to get water to the hole they have dug, my favorite was when they filled their mouths with water from the drinking fountain and spit it into the holes they had dug.

as for the no playing alone rule i agrre with everyone that is a horrible rule some kids really NEED that time to be alone.it's down right damaging if they enforcing it.

[steffanie3]

Wow only authorized play at recess

[felix23]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

I get the mud rule. I took my students on a walk one day. Some got a little muddy (as did I). A parent called and complained that her daughter's pants were "ruined" (the mud came off my pants in one cold-water wash). I was told by our principal not to do any activities involving getting dirty, because the school didn't want to get stuck paying for pants.

Luckily, things here are MUCH more relaxed.

I once had a parent complain about me because I let their four-year-old get her outfit dirty. It ends up that this outfit had cost $150 and the dad accidently dressed her in it for preschool. The mom thought that I should have realized the outfit was expensive and not allowed her dd to play outdoors that day. : It looked like a regular pants outfit to me. The principal just reminded her of the policy that the children were going to get dirty so dress them accordingly.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by felix23

I once had a parent complain about me because I let their four-year-old get her outfit dirty. It ends up that this outfit had cost $150 and the dad accidently dressed her in it for preschool. The mom thought that I should have realized the outfit was expensive and not allowed her dd to play outdoors that day. : It looked like a regular pants outfit to me. The principal just reminded her of the policy that the children were going to get dirty so dress them accordingly.

That's so not your job. If she doesn't trust her husband to dress her daughter, she should put the kid's clothing out the night before. I'd probably be irritated in the same situation, but with Mike, not the school.