Posted on 05/10/2007 3:00:54 PM PDT by Baladas
Four times during the school year in Campbell County, Wyo., the school sends report cards home. Anxious parents and worried students are provided with the typical grading categories -- academic performance, attendance and a work ethic score.
But here in Gillette, there's an additional grade that has some families up in arms.
It's called the body mass index, or BMI, a calculation based on height and weight that indicates whether your kid is too fat. The school chooses the word "overweight." If your child scores too high, it's the fitness equivalent of a bad grade. When Taylor Barbour came home with a BMI score of 32, seven points over the "normal range," his mother, Rosie Barbour, was none too pleased. Her anger was directed not at her 12-year-old son but at the school.
"It just doesn't have any place in the school," said Barbour. "It's fine if you want to teach them how to eat healthy, and make better choices during health class, but I don't think giving them BMI on their report card" is the answer.
'The Strong Kids Club' On top of that, the school district sent a letter in the mail inviting Taylor -- and 172 other kids with high BMI scores -- to join an exercise program three times of week. It's called the Strong Kids Club and came free to his family, with a promise that "it will be fun."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Sure do, it was the Presidental Physical Fitness Test. Remember watching all your friends hang from the chin up bar in reverse while their faces got beet red and their arms shook like crazy and standing there laughing your butts off?
Yes, I got your e-mail. Didn't you read my response? I thanked you for the pic of your darling little girl.
Please don’t take my comment wrong, I am a supporter of homeschoolers, I just have a problem with the broadbrush comments made by the other poster that only HER experiences are valid, unless the experiences of others are in total agreement with her dogma.
I had one homeschool mom tell me she didn’t let her girls join Brownie Girl Scouts this year because of one of the bullies I mentioned above. I assured her there would be no problem next year, as that girl will not be back in GS, and so I know of at least 2 new members for our troop.
No no no the other email....just wait until you see that one.
That's e-mail abuse.
See that is what happens if you don’t get the boot camp in school. Alas life is just not fair! ~P~
I always thought phys. ed. should show the basics of sports, but then give the children the option of what kind of thing they want to do. I found out by accident that I could actually shoot baskets, because I was just having a fun time playing with a classmate. It wasn't about how good I was at the time.
A boot camp style program would probably put her in the hospital. Weak? no way. I've seen this kid catch 4 games in a row in 100 degree wearing black catchers gear and not even complain - and still jack a double to the off-field side in the last game. But constant long running? No way, she could honestly die of that.
Some people have no sense and think they can generalize their situation to everyone.
I commented on another thread about the tubbies in school. This is just another attempt to educate children on good eating habits. Remember the four food group lessons in elementary people? While that information is passe nowadays, at least this is an attempt to show a student that is over the 95% BMI that continuing with this eating pattern he/she MAY be on a path to obesity.
Obviously, by this time the parents either can’t or won’t do anything about correcting juniors obsession with food and lack of exercise. Our daughter’s BMI was normal (on the skinny side) but normal.
Flame away.
Umm! Yeah. Since my husband is 6’ tall, between 195-200 pounds and has hardly any body fat, yet still rates high on the BMI, I consider the BMI to be BS.
Nothing like a little guilt trip to end the day...
Happy Mother’s Day!!!
Mine does the same thing. We (my son and I in the same room) got "comments" from the new pediatrician about my son's weight and I was furious over it.
He's 8 years old. If the doctor thinks his weight is a problem, then the problem is ME, and she should take it up with ME.
I have. I've also met skinny children who have gone to public schools from the beginning. So what is your ridiculous point?
“all my kids get pudgy right before a growth spurt.”
Mine as well...I have worried about my oldest’s weight.
He is 4’3” and 74 lbs...
His DOCTOR however is not.
He says that his weight and height have ALWAYS been with in a few % points of each other...sometimes he is in a higher percentage in height..sometimes in weight...
But always consistent.
So...I try NOT to worry about anything other than enough activity and good food!
But I AM overweight..so..I worry!
This pediatrician was new to our practice, the doctors we know have never had a problem with his weight. My son has always been a stocky, solid boy in the 90th percentiles. My brother was much the same way as a kid and did develop a weight problem in adolescence, so I try to keep an eye on it. Usually, just when I'm thinking that we need to cut down on buying the extras, he grows and seems fine again.
It is frustrating sometimes!
We have a funny house...my mom was VERY anti sugar and snacks and stuff...
My sister and I are both overweight (me from childhood...her on and off after high school)..
But we BOTH are TRYING to include some more “treats” for our kids in the hopes that they will not CRAVE them like the sugar addicted adults we have become!!! :-)LOL!!!
I have started to include a treat in EVERY lunch that I send to school...and we have been having some deserts!
Doesn’t that sound STUPID!
And..it’s NOT like we are the “health kick” people.
We have just as many bad carbs and fats as regular families...but I am a FREAK about giving them treats!
So..I am TRYING!!!
Wish me luck!
And..I know what you mean SO MUCH about the worrying!!!
We just, for the FIRST TIME, last Saturday let our oldest go across the street to the school to play BY HIMSELF!
I made him take a walkie talkie...and he was only gone for 1/2 hour.
But I am BOUND AND DETERMINED to get him outside a TON this summer and I CANNOT always go with him.
People in the area have mixed feeling about my “mission” to LET MY CHILD PLAY...but I am going to go for it.
Wish me luck with that too!
Hug your stocky one from me!
And a VERY HAPPY Mother’s day to YOU!
I remember it. If you passed you got a patch and/or a certificate, if you didn’t, you didn’t. I don’t remember the name of it though.
Good luck! My older (smaller build, underweight until he was 12) son was a maniac for sweets even though we were very liberal with them. He was also a very picky eater.
My younger son will eat anything (his current favorite is salmon!) and we throw away a ton of his uneaten holiday candy.
Sorry! I think this is a battle parents are destined to lose.
Why are you feeling guilty? If you have confidence in institutionalizing your child, then you should not have any guilt.
Believe me, there were many in the 1980s who denigrated homeschooling as being harmful, but I never had the least bit of guilt. I **knew**it was the best way to raise up a child to a educationally sound and emotionally secure adulthood. I have the evidence of my own children that I was right. There are now homeschooled adults thriving in society that, indeed it **is** the best way.
Now,,,I do understand that many children must be institutionalized for their education. This is a shame. We have orphanages too, but no one is arguing that it is a normal or best way to raise up a child.
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