Such a great ad, I think every New Zealander knew instantly what the game was and we had a good time reminiscing. I think it was very good marketing of Adidas. I think bullrush is now banned in NZ schools. Posts: 315 | Registered: Jun 2002
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I've been trying this whole thread to think of the name of that game. We called it the same thing as mph though- wally ball, and you did have to face the fall to take the hits.
Between that and Bloody Knuckles with a quarter, we'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen now days.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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How about rock-paper-scissors? I can feel the burning red skin of my wrist just thinking about it.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:We had freedom to roam as kids. We roamed near fast flowing rivers. We climbed in old barns, on rooftops, up the sides of buildings. And because I did those things, my kids, under my watch, will not.
If they were allowed to do it, it wouldn't be fun anymore. Posts: 5264 | Registered: Jul 2002
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A group of my friends go out into the woods at night and play lightsaber tag - reds vs. greens. Great fun.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I think that there are some games which are more dangerous than others. Climbing high up in a tree brings with it an element of risk. Playing tag does not.
If tag has become a rough game, then it's not tag anymore. Red Rover banned I can understand, it's specifically a contact game. However, tag is not a "contact" game.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Please. That's not violent. Shot-for-shot is violent and I used to play that all the time. Heck, I expect my sons (when I have them) to play it, too.
We called burn ball suicide, because that's what you had to yell out when you touched the wall. Yeah, there's no way that'd go today.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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The kids at the daycare I worked at taught me a really fun Filipino game that was going around the school called "ABC." The whole object of the game is basically an excuse to slap each other on the arm.
quote:Still, this is not a reason to ban a benign activity. You can set parameters, sure. For instance, the school might say that pushing will not be allowed, and if students push they will stay inside for recess for a week - or even have to sit against a wall for recess for a week. Or maybe a day for first offenses, and a week for second, and so on.
Yup, that's what we did when games got too rough-- put kids on the wall. First time in a day, they got to sit there for five minutes. Second time, ten (or twenty if they were older.) Third time, they were banned from playing tag for the rest of the day. It really, really worked.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Such a great ad, I think every New Zealander knew instantly what the game was and we had a good time reminiscing. I think it was very good marketing of Adidas. I think bullrush is now banned in NZ schools.
We played that game in rugby practice. Lots of fun. Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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If Tag is banned at these schools, does that mean that the last kid tagged will be It forever? What will that do to his self-esteem?
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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This thread brings back memories and I'm only talking about the early 90s so I don't know how recess has been destroyed so quickly.
When I was in elementary school, I remember being told we weren't allowed to sit out on the playground. We could sit on the blacktop and play games (remember those sing-songs games girls would play) or we could sit in the sandbox and build something. There were benches but they were for teachers only. If we were just sitting, a teacher would walk up to us and suggest a game or activity. If you refused, you were promptly marched over to the slide or jungle gym and ordered to "have fun." Those teachers wanted us tired enough to quietly sit through class.
I remember hand-stand contests where we all learned the value of NOT falling on our heads. I remember contests to see who could jump furthest out of the swing. They got strict on that in my last years but I earned my fair share of sand-filled scabs.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:True. Beating on your "friend" because they lost at paper-scissors-stone == inappropriate use of violence.
Even when that's an understood part of the game? In the context of an American football game, is tackling a quarterback an inappropriate use of violence?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote: It's like the Lawyers have taken over the world. We let them roam free, and now they're overpopulated, and fighting for scarce resources.
What we need is something that preys on lawyers, to restore the natural balance of the world.
I vote for Hyenas.
I waver back and forth about whether or not the loser of a lawsuit should pay the legal expenses of the other side. While it would definitely cut back on frivolous lawsuits, it would make it that much harder for poor people to bring lawsuits.
On the other hand, even beyond lawsuits, and though it's never been suggested that I know of, it would be kidn of interesting to implement in criminal cases. If the state can't prove someone is guilty, they pay their legal expenses....
quote:I waver back and forth about whether or not the loser of a lawsuit should pay the legal expenses of the other side. While, it would definitely cut back on frivolous lawsuits, it would make it that much harder for poor people to bring lawsuits.
I don't think this should be for every lawsuit. I do think it should be for frivolous lawsuits that are thrown out of court without a trial.
For instance, if you sue the school because your darling Bobby collided with his friend Billy while playing tag, a judge should dismiss the case and rule that the plaintiff should pay all legal fees incurred by the defendent.
I might even go farther and say that lawyers who accept cases that get thrown out should not receive any payment for their services.
It would make people think twice about bringing silly lawsuits that have no merit - and would make lawyers more hesitant to accept frivolous lawsuits.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote: Yup, that's what we did when games got too rough-- put kids on the wall.
That seems awfully cruel with Icarus and all his friends throwing balls at them. I'm sure they behave after that, though.
Is tetherball allowed anymore? We used to play that a lot, but me and everyone else got smacked in the face once in a while.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by FlyingCow: For instance, if you sue the school because your darling Bobby collided with his friend Billy while playing tag, a judge should dismiss the case and rule that the plaintiff should pay all legal fees incurred by the defendent.
By the way, it's not just the school and the teacher that gets sued. At this moment, at my daughters' school, the family of one child is suing the family of another because he got "hurt" (mildly) during some consensual rough-housing.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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And it's not just suing, either. Teachers get fired and are investigated by DCF if children get 'hurt'.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote: At this moment, at my daughters' school, the family of one child is suing the family of another because he got "hurt" (mildly) during some consensual rough-housing.
Do you know what they're suing for? Is it just medical expenses, if any, or are they claiming mental anquish, etc?
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by MightyCow: It's like the Lawyers have taken over the world. We let them roam free, and now they're overpopulated, and fighting for scarce resources.
What we need is something that preys on lawyers, to restore the natural balance of the world.
I vote for Hyenas.
You don't eat your own.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:True. Beating on your "friend" because they lost at paper-scissors-stone == inappropriate use of violence.
Even when that's an understood part of the game? In the context of an American football game, is tackling a quarterback an inappropriate use of violence?
Why should it be? Lots of us grew up playing the game without that little addendum, and I dare say had just as much fun. Without hitting people.
And don't get me started on football.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Do you know what they're suing for? Is it just medical expenses, if any, or are they claiming mental anquish, etc?
Two true, if unnerving, stories. Both point to the absurd litigiousness of parents, and the unwillingness of schools to stand their ground.
1. A coworker of mine (let's call him Dave) was on lunch duty in a middle school. The other teacher who was supposed to be on duty that day did not show up, so he was alone. A student started a food fight, and Dave responded immediately. He stopped the food fight and escorted the instigator out of the lunch room to the office, holding him by the arm.
Just before they get to the office, the student goes "dead weight" on him, and collapses to the ground, with Dave still holding onto his arm. There only being two more steps to the office, Dave grabbed the student with both arms, lifted him up, and sat him in a chair in the office while he spoke with the Vice Principal.
The student claimed assault, the parent sued, and the teacher was fired. TWO YEARS later, when the case finally made it through court, he was found not to be guilty of any wrongdoing and the charges were dismissed. The school had to reinstate him, but he was definitely a changed man because of it.
2. A friend of mine working in Atlanta (lets name him Bill), was teaching his second grade class. One of his students got out of his chair and laid in the aisle between desks, and wouldn't move. Bill told the student he would have detention if he didn't get up, but the student refused to move and laid prone on the floor.
Bill walked over, lifted the student up by his arms, and put him back in his chair. The student struggled, but sat in his chair once placed there. During his struggle, he managed to tear a seam in his shirt, however, and he told his mother that his teacher attacked him.
The mother threatened a lawsuit for assault, and the school district suspended Bill. Bill had never had any blemish on his record at all, and had won awards for teaching, but the school wouldn't back him up and asked him to resign after several months of suspension. They didn't want to go through a trial, and told him that they wouldn't support him if he did take it to court.
He now works in a charter school with a lot more administrative support, and is a lot happier.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I honestly don't know how to reply to this. I'm so glad there were monkey bars where I came from because I would seriously DIE if I had not had my dear dear monkey bars to play with when I was a child. Heck, I was the QUEEN of them monkey bars. Hurray for the 90's.
They are stealing their childhood.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I don't have much of a problem with lawyers - I mostly blame their clients. I want to emphasize that even an unsuccessful lawsuit costs school districts money. In addition to the lawyer fees and court costs, there's the investigation, lost work hours, hiring of substitute/replacement faculty. The worst is the rise in insurance premiums.
Frivilous lawsuits have had a terrible effect on education. They've created an atmosphere of wariness and distrust among teachers, students, and parents. I've been in trainings where we were instructed never to hug a child, even if they were crying. They also make it so much harder for students with legitimate complaints to get justice. The selfishness of these overly-litigious people is just beyond the pale.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:I've been in trainings where we were instructed never to hug a child, even if they were crying.
I was told the same. Also, you can't give students one-on-one help after school unless there is a group of students there or another teacher, and even then you have to make sure your door is open and you're in plain sight of the hall.
quote:I was told the same. Also, you can't give students one-on-one help after school unless there is a group of students there or another teacher, and even then you have to make sure your door is open and you're in plain sight of the hall.
*nods* It's not just limited to education though - all business faces things like this. In my mother's work as an investigator for sexual harassment claims, she always advises the company to immediately enact policies prohibiting managers from talking to employees one-on-one behind closed doors. They must always have another supervisor present as a witness, or have a door that is not only open, but where one of them is always in plain sight of other employees. It's not enough if the door is open but the only desk in front of the door is your secretary's - and she's gone to lunch. She says it's just basic policy to never be alone with a subordinate employee. Ever.
But Mrs. M is right, even if the company and/or manager is in the right, it costs them a lot of money. My mother does not work cheap. She gets hired to work, paid by the hour, and she interviews both sides of what is usually a he said/she said incident, then interviews other employees, does investigations into written company records, reviews their policy and procedure statements, and then makes a written report to both the accuser and the accused. It can take her weeks. In most of her cases, the company does turn out to be in the right and the claim of the accuser is dismissed, but the company still pays through the nose for her time and expertise (and she works cheaper than the employment law attorney that brings her in.)
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:I've been in trainings where we were instructed never to hug a child, even if they were crying.
I was told the same. Also, you can't give students one-on-one help after school unless there is a group of students there or another teacher, and even then you have to make sure your door is open and you're in plain sight of the hall.
It's just crazy.
When I was in middle school, we'd tutor kids in the Headstart program. They were very careful to tell us that we could never, ever touch the kids, even if they ran up and hugged us, we weren't allowed to hug them back.
posted
The no-hug thing is going to be tough for me. I'm a pretty tactile person. But, I understand the necessity of teaching in today's environment, and that I'll just have to not do it.
I hug my kids that I teach choir to at church, usually they run up to me and put their arms around me, it would seem very foreign to me not to hug them back.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Lots of teachers disregard rules like that--at their own risk, of course. When I was a summer camp counselor for very young boys, I disregarded our no physical affection rule.
As a teacher, I am much more careful, because, believe it or not, plenty of people do perceive teachers as being wealthy. I'd never heard of an innocent summer camp counselor being sued by a malicious child's family, but it happens to teachers all the time. I never hug anybody, I discourage kids from hugging me. I never pat a kid on the back or arm. I display zero physical affection. This is tough on me, because I really do love kids, but that's just the way it is.
I actually believe that in the years I have been teaching, I have lost some of the "touch" I once had, because I slow down to overthink about whether everything is okay.
That being said, I do offer extra help in my classroom, to however many kids feel like showing up. The door is open. That'll have to be good enough.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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