Massachusetts schools bans playground tag

Parent Cafe
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<p><a href=“http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5559134[/url]”>http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5559134&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Count me as hopelessly nostalgic, but I am willing to risk my child skinning his knee on blacktop as opposed to regulating away simple childhood games.</p>

<p>We can’t protect our kids from every possible hurt - physical or emotional, and in my opinion we shouldn’t try.</p>

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<p>Wow. So the kids are just supposed to stroll around the blacktop?</p>

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<p>If they stroll they could still trip and hurt themselves. Maybe they should just sit. No, they can’t sit because the hot blacktop might cause them discomfort, maybe they should just stand. No, they can’t stand because they might get skin cancer or a bird might accidentally dump on them and others would make fun of them and hurt their feelings which, of course, we can’t have. I guess they need to just stay inside. But wait - all that recirculated air and other students in close proximity with germs…</p>

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<p>what about the person who got tagged last?</p>

<p>they are left to a life of misery?</p>

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<p>Whoa, I thought that this thread was going to be about banning tag because the slow kids always lose, just as some schools ban dodgeball. But banning kids from running because they skin their knees? Sheesh.</p>

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<p>Rorosen’s back (or I’ve been missing your posts!)!</p>

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<p>What a way to raise a bunch of wimps as far as I’m concerned. When I was in the 4th grade, I got pushed down on the blacktop playground (while playing tag) and the breath was knocked out of me. The teacher (female) carried me inside and all I remember thinking was, “I hope they don’t see my underwear!” Heck, at our recess we had to wear dresses and run in little black patent shoes!</p>

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<p>and a merry doppelg</p>

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<p>I live a couple of towns over from the one in this article. Unfortunately, the real reason the principal was being interviewed was lost when this story broke. She was trying to make known that they need new playground equipment for the kids. The no-tag rule has been on the books for about 4 years… "the ban on tag is actually an old rule that the school’s principal decided to start enforcing again. </p>

<p>The reason is safety, according to school officials. "</p>

<p>The school has since backed down and kids are now allowed to play tag. Whether they get new equipment remains to be seen. I feel bad for the principal in this case. She was just trying to put the focus on the lack of useable playground equipment, but the press focused on this instead.</p>