*Some might file this one under “Sign of the times.” I’m going with “Sign of the apocalypse” or “Signs that we have lost control of our kids or our damn minds.”
An elementary school in Northern California has banned the game of tag on their playground. The principal sent out messages last week telling parents about the new policy.
Tag, just in case you’re unaware or too old to remember, is a game that’s been played for generations. It requires no equipment, so kids of any socio economic status can play. It’s fun. And it requires, perhaps, a bit of adult supervision — which is what we’ve failed to do if we’ve cancelled tag because some of the children tag too hard, which is what’s being reported.
I’m not the only parent who said “WTF.”
“I don’t personally agree with it,” said Sam Hammer, who has two kids who attend the school. “It’s something we all did as kids and I never seen any harm come from it.”
However, some parents are behind the new policy.
“I know that it’s based probably kid by kid,” says Katie Esteves, a mother of four. “It’s really up to [the principal] what he feels is best for his school.”
If a student breaks the new rule, they’ll receive an initial verbal warning, then a referral, with a parent-teacher conference for repeat offenders.
I think the “offenders” here are adults — parents, school administrators, playground monitors, etc — who have lost control of situations with children OR are too afraid of a lawsuit to discipline children. A fight on the playground earned you a sore ass when I was a kid. Let’s get back to that — and let the kids be kids and play tag.
Connect with freelancer Michael P Coleman on Twitter: @ColemanMichaelP
