Are There Too Many Safety Rules For Kids?

East Valley Tribune ^ | 13 October, 2005 | Hayley Ringle

[jcb8199]

"I just think we’re much more responsible now," she said. "

Newspeak for "we don't want to get sued by sue-happy idiot parents."

[Mr. Mojo]

Bike riders must wear helmets at Bologna Elementary School

Oh man. Back in the 70s we used to ride our "dirt bikes" and pop wheelies all over the playground. And occasionally after school we'd set up ramps (progessively further apart) and try to emulate Evel Knievel.

Today that would spell expulsion, no doubt.

[Iron Matron]

IMO, All of these safety precautions are raising a nation of scardy-cats..People who will not take risks to help themselves or others..crybabies.

Children cant ride a bike or skateboard without helmets knee-pads, elbow pads, goggles..geez! Why should a child constantly worry about a skinned knee..or worry about what MAY go wrong..instead of what can go right.

Too much safety...not a good thing.

[LongElegantLegs]

Kids! Shut up, sit down, and play with your condoms!

[Kenton]

No centerfire rifles until the child reaches the age of 12.

[HungarianGypsy]

In some schools in the same area as this article, there is no recess at all. I remember two years ago my son wrote a letter to the paper about how children need to be able to play in order to think. He was 9 years old at the time and is homeschooled, but he was worried about other kids not being able to play.

[RedRover]

Now that we've saved children from the dangers of running and playing, let's turn our attention to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity! There's always something to keep a do-gooder a busy bee!

[David Isaac]

Are they being overly mothered or overly fathered?

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

How is she supposed to protect herself on the way home if she can't carry her knife?

[Mr. Mojo]

In some schools in the same area as this article, there is no recess at all.

No recess? Sick.

All work and no play makes little Johnny into a nice little Ritalin candidate.

[Iron Matron]

At my daughter's elementary school, they told her she couldn't play mumbly peg anymore and even said they'd take her dagger away if she brought it again. That crazy rule even goes for the sixth graders!

LOL! Raised in the good old days, I watched my brother and his friends play this quite often..sure someone could have gotten hurt..no one ever did...this game taught a person how to be CAREFUL.

Once, my brother road his mini-bike straight up the back fence, and it flipped over at the top in a full circle..he came away with a broken wrist..So what? He and his friends also built a great tree-house using old lumber, saws and hammers and nails..you had to be careful up there. SO What? It was great fun.

These boys all grew up to be MEN not meows.

[Jack of all Trades]

"When they lowered the height of slides, kids began to jump off the top of the slide,"

I spent the first two years of my son's life trying to insulate him from any pain or injury. Then I learned that the laws of gravity and momentum are far better teachers. I think he's just about fully recovered.

[JamesP81]

He said perhaps childhood obesity and lack of exercise could mean that students today are less fit and, therefore, more likely to fall the wrong way and injure themselves.

And that's the problem. Since they won't let kids play outside, there are all physically weak, and when they do fall, it almost kills them. I was born in 1981, so I guess I'm still pretty young, but even when I was in elementary school in the 80s it wasn't like this. I remember a girl falling from the top of the monkey bars, bashing her head into them three times on the way down before landing on her rear end quite hard. Now, I know it had to hurt, and she cried for a few minutes. But after about 10 minutes, she was on her feet again, and on those same monkey bars. Kids today wouldn't even survive something like that.

And whats this BS about no dodgeball? That's the best elementary school sport ever devised by mankind.

[nk_47]

He said perhaps childhood obesity and lack of exercise could mean that students today are less fit and, therefore, more likely to fall the wrong way and injure themselves.

Bingo.

[GraceCoolidge]

Until the parents sue the schools for failing to provide adequate physical recreational activities and thereby causing their children to be obese!

[cripplecreek]

I was born in 64 and have battle scars to prove it. I can think of several trips to the hospital for stitches. The same goes for my sisters as well.

[JamesP81]

I got so fed up I gave my 12 year old the .22 and said go out in the woods and shoot some cans .

LOL!! My dad did some of the same things with me. When I turned 12, there was a big to-do going on about how dangerous BB guns were. So, for my twelfth birthday he went and bought me the most powerful pellet rifle that Daisy made for my birthday. It's ballistics were on par with a 22.

[prov1813man]

It's not just the trial lawyers, it's the sissy hall monitor types that go around implementing this crap that need a midnight wakeup to tar and feathers. Otherwise there will be no end to it.

[nk_47]

Dodgeball was awesome; we loved it in elementary school. "If the ball hits your head, it doesn't count." The current bans make no sense whatsoever.

[redhead]

Bump