Playing tag is no longer a benign sport

Many are speaking of allowing the children to have fun and that the administrators are taking the fun away from the children. Have you watched children play tag? Have you considered that the majority of the children were perhaps not enjoying the game? I teach a pre-k class and many of the children hate to be chased. I have explained over and over, 'they can't chase you if you don't run', but somehow, some way, they end up being the one chased and screaming their heads off. Some games are only fun for the aggressor. Maybe that is what these schools are seeing. The same children chased, every day, the same children being the aggressors. Someone mentioned dodge ball. Can you actually defend that game? Please keep in mind that all games of exclusion don't have much basis to be in a school. There are many games that promote inclusion and sharing. Musical chairs was fun too? lol I just remember it making kids cry. Yes, children need to learn to lose, but do you really, as a teacher, want to be the one to teach that? You should be the one they trust and set up an environment where they are learning social skills and how to play fair. There are so many opportunities to learn how to lose. We do not need to set those situations up. Losing tag does not mean that the kids don't run and have fun. It just means they can do it without the anxiety of being chased.
Colleen

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You got to be shitting me?

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What school officials are missing is the GREAT opportunity to teach such values as sportsmanship and fair play.
Recess games were intended to do that AS WELL AS provide a chance for some large musckle activity, which young children NEED.
As for the issue of "self-esteem"--I alwyas thoguht that came form doing the RIGHt thing, not the WRONg thing. If it "hurts" to be chastised or segregated from the rest of the kids for doing the "wring" thing, then GOOD! It sohuld hurt emotionally in direct proportion to the physical pain inflicted.
The problem with kids now is their parents have not taught them empathy, the quality of being able to imagine how it feels to be in another person's shoes.
Self-absorbed parents, wanting their self-indulgent kids to be "handled" by teachers then have the nerve to protest when teachers are backed into the space between the rock of providing a safe learning environment and the hard place of doing the parents' jobs in raising human beings.
One more generation of this, and the word "sociopath" will become obsolete, in the face of universal narcissism and irresponsibility.

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Where did all the fun go?

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what ever happened to an old fashaned whippen when bad kid do wromg it happened every day when i was kid ...
if i got a whippen at school for doing wrong i got another at home it dom;t hurt kids but will teach them not to do it any more

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I know exactly what happened. The FEW teachers/adminstrators that are speaking against tag were the ones that had the traumatizing experience playing tag when they were strapplings. Now they are in a position where they think to do good to society by eliminating tag so future kids aren't traumatized.

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I teach elementary school and tag is banned at my school. I have been there eight years and the ban was in place since before I started. The reason? The students were literally punching, slapping, and kicking each other as hard as they could. It isn't just the kids....I have had parents call me screaming on the phone about why is their child getting hurt out at recess and why am I not doing something about it?....well, one reason is I am not out at recess because this is my lunch time so I am not in charge at recess (other adults are) and it is kind of hard to know what the students are doing when I am trying to eat my lunch and return parents' phone calls, and meet with parents... all in 25 minutes or less. It is a different world we live in. My childhood was spent playing games where children weren't trying to leave the biggest bruise or cut on classmates. Maybe children can be taught at home how NOT to be so violent? Just a thought. What do others think? I would like to here from parents.

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You have got to be kidding me. Why don't we just send kids out in giant plastic bubbles? I love kids, but we are not doing them any favors by keeping them from experiencing life and making their own decisions.

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I remember the days when we played all sorts of games at recess-dodge ball, red rover, tag-no one deliberatly hurt anyone else, accidents happened and were treated as such. We never got overly violent or too rambunctious. Kids today aren't getting the chances to learn the old outside games because they spend too much time in front of the tv, playing video games, surfing the net, etc. I don't remeber having to be taught how to play the outside games-I guess they came natural ? The people who go off on the "Let's sue" tangents should be told straight out that this is life, kids get hurt, kids heal and learn. I have seen kids who have ADD or ADHD, take their meds and not have the ability to really play outside. It really stinks!!!! My kids are country kids. They do all the country things-build roads with toy trucks, climb trees, dig to China, play tag, play dodge ball, play red rover-with supervision from a distance. I have never had trouble with anyone getting seriously hurt or deliberately being mean. The games have rules that need to be followed and if the kids break the rules-the rule breakers need to be removed. What do we want our kids to be-couch potatoes? If the schools ban the rambunctious games, the kids are never going to burn off the steam that builds from sitting at a desk. They ARE going to have to be medicated to "calm" them down and will turn in to little robots. I can't stand this stuff anymore-let kids be kids!!!

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IT ALL STARTED GOING DOWNHILL WHEN THEY STOPPED BUSTING THE KIDS BUTTS AT SCHOOL. KIDS WERE MUCH BETTER THEN. THATS WHATS WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY. THERES A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPANKING YOUR CHILD AN ABUSE!! I TURNED OUT JUST FINE. NEVER BEEN IN TROUBLE IN MY LIFE. I HAVE 2 KIDS AGE 9 AND 7. THEY GET A SPANKING WHEN THEY DON'T DO WHAT THEY ARE TOLD OR FOR BACKTALK. NO KID IS GONNA RUN OVER ME.

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I kind of feel that now a days adults are robbing kids of their childhood and its wrong! I used to play tag a lot as a kid, and lots of aggressive games and it was fun! Yeah, i got hurt sometimes, but i agree its all a learning experience in life. Its actually wrong to shelter a child to max extremes like this.

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You know, when I was in school, they still used paddles, I stayed in line from a fear of spanking. Today, I give my son that same fear, and no, I do not abuse him. All of these kids are used to doing whatever they want to with no reprecussions from the parent(s). Video games, television and other media is NOT at fault, it's the parent's fault for not monitoring their children as they should.

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I have read numerous responses. I just can not believe some of the responses were focused on kids with handicapped disabilities. This is not what it is about. It is about kids not being able to play "TAG". You know why kids are aggressive, have no respect towards other "AUTHORITY FIGURES", and their attention span is very minimal? Let's take a trip on memory lane. When you were younger, when you did something that was wrong, your parents Reprimanded you, spanked you, even punished you. It didn't ruin your self esteem. It made you realize that what you did was wrong, and you would not do it again, otherwise you would face the same consequences. Today's society they tell you to talk to your children nicely about what they did that was wrong, use "TIME-OUTS" as a punishment. This is a joke. Even some parents tell their children you do not have to listen to this person, or that person. We are your parents and we will stand behind you if you wish not to do as they say, we respect your wishes. That is not respecting someones wishes, that is telling them they can do whatever they want and get away with it. Where is the respect? The disipline? With disipline, there is respect. Before anyone starts with the " Oh your wrong" look at the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force. A soldier is to respect their Authority figures, and there is disipline in their unit. Everyday they are awake at 6:00 a.m. they make their beds, and their area is spotless, and organized even in their backpacks. Lights are out at a certain time. If they do not respect their authority figures, awake at the time they are to be awake, the lights are not out when they are supposed to be, or their area is not organized they are punished. Either they are doing push-ups, running, or cleaning the latrien, or whatever. They do not have low self esteem. They are the Heart and Soul of what we call America. They fight for what we call freedom. GOD BLESS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. Now tell me I am wrong. I do not think I am. This is about the parents of today and how they let their children do whatever they want. Why is that? Parents today do not have the patience or the tolerance to let or hear their child cry when they are punished. We did it when were kids, what makes it different now? Is it that when you were lying in bed crying from getting your bottom beat you said you would never do that to your kids? Yeah right. I know alot of us were afraid of our fathers knowing that we did something wrong, we knew we were going to get a beating. Let me blunt on this one, anyone who let's kids play tag in the playground where their are swings, slides and monkey bars is an idiot. Of course someone will get hurt. You are to play tag in the open field of the playground, there are boundries. I remember playing Catch one catch all, kick the can. I have tried to play these games with my kids, and their friends, and they looked at me like I was crazy. Kids today spend more time inside on the computer IM their friends and socializing over the internet , instead of going to their house and hanging out, playing games, etc. This is why kids self esteem is low. Where is the interaction of hanging out together. The blame is on the parents. This has nothing to with the Liberals. When a kid acts out in class, and doesn't pay attention in school, doctors say the child is either A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. Here is an idea, let's put every kid on Ritalin. They will all be zombies and focus in school. That is what this society has come down to, how can we control you, when you can not even control yourself. Every enviroment has come down to control, and who has it the most. Stop doing it to the kids. Let them live. Remember they are our future, mess with them, they will mess with us when they are grownups. Let the games begin.

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I work with children in an after-school program ran in a public school, and we basicaly follow the same rules given to the children by the school. My co-workers and I monitor and sometimes even participate in the games and activities the students play, tag is a game that the school has banned on the playground, only because of saftey issues that the school and the program have had. I can't count how many kids have had bumps the size of baseballs on thier forhead, not a pretty site. We still allow the children to play tag and other tag games at the program but only on the grass or in the school's gym. The kids complain and we try to make them understand it's a saftey issue. We don't expect children to never be hurt while playing, that's something all children need to lurn to deal with without being cuddled by their parents. Cuddled children live to protected and never learn to get up and brush themselve's off after falling down if mommy is there running to thier side and kissing the booboo. As far as children that play to agressive with others we remove them from the game or activity as soon as we see a problem. (Some of us teachers do a good job with monitoring children at play.)
peace

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There are certain groups of people who are trying to really ruin this country. They hide behind this Politically correct crap. I'm telling you this country better wake up. Tag your it!!

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What liberal thought this up? This is even worse than "self calming". How about leaving the thinking to people who don't have their heads in the clouds.

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I think parents should have to sign a waver stateing that it is ok to phiscally move your child/ children out of a game or group IE tugging an arm ect as long as there is no excessive force involved. That is whats wrong with alot of kids now they R alowd to run wild like animals.

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Jessica hit the nail on the head. The parents would be quick to sue any school, town, city, county, state, or country if "junior" got a bump or scrape on the playground. People don't want to "earn" their income anymore, so let's take a FREE RIDE and sue someone!

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