With the helicopter parent, a mother or father swoops in when they see the first sign of danger or disquiet in their child. Is that how our children's recess periods are being managed? In this parent's mind, absolutely. I am a firm believer that children should play outside, use their imagination, and have fun, especially at school. I look around at the "playground" at my son's school and even I get bored. If anything, children should show a zeal for life.
I grew up in the 80s and they had rules on the playground back then, but nothing compared to the restrictions of today. We could still play tackle football if we promised to play nice, and for the most part nobody really got hurt. Mind you, a bloody nose back then wasn't a big deal, especially in my home state of Montana, as long as it wasn't broken. No real harm, no foul. These days a bloody nose might be accompanied by a visit from local law enforcement, or worse, a lawyer.
Are we all wrapping our children in fluffy cotton? How did Generations X and Y come to coddle their children to the point that they have very little in the way of life skills at age 18? I know it might sound a tad cliché, but it was the lawyers. Too many frivolous lawsuits in past years has put school administrators on edge, afraid of the consequences should anything happen to a child while playing. Some lawsuits have been beneficial in helping raise safety standards for all things child related, while others have led to inherently poor policy making, stifling normal child development.
Because of my own personal beliefs, I was eager to learn more when I read about public schools in New Zealand removing the rules on recess. Four schools in West Auckland and four schools in Dunedin have been taking part in a study conducted by Auckland University of Technology and Otago University for the past two years, aiming to promote active play.
Children now play games previously banned such as Bullrush, basically rugby without the ball. Sticks were used to simulate guns, trees were climbed and scooter ramps were installed. Children have the option of wearing a helmet while on the scooter and tackling is the only way to stop a runner playing Bullrush. This wasn't some kind of playground revolution, it was returning play to a different era. The study's goal was to see how children behaved during a less restricted recess period. Swanson Primary School took it a step further and eliminated the playground rules altogether. With surprising results.
Not only does the playground look like absolute bedlam during recess but students are happier. Grade point averages have increased significantly and the Swanson School isn't using the time out room anymore. Let's face it, packing 30 kids in to a room for 6 to 8 hours a day, five days a week is a recipe for discord. Personalities will clash and kids will get out of hand; including the development of alpha and beta personalities, which can lead to bullying.
Seems none of this is relevant at the Swanson School. Bullying is near non-existent and students are alert and attentive during class. In general, the children seem to get along just fine; better than most families at reunions at least.
According to Grant Schofield, the AUT professor of public health heading the project, there are too many rules in modern playgrounds.
"The great paradox of cotton-woolling children is it's more dangerous in the long-run."
He went on to note risk-taking had many benefits and society's child protection obsession ignores those benefits.
"Children are more likely to get into trouble when they are not motivated and engaged. Parents were happy too because their children were happy", he said.
Should We Try This in Our Schools?
In this parent's opinion, absolutely. I have always wanted my son grow up without the superfluous umbrella of safety-zealous policy makers. If my son takes a digger playing and ends up with a boo-boo it's really of no consequence to me. I have been there and done that, he hasn't and that is the problem.
Children need to learn consequences early on and learn from them. It's part of our natural development and without it our chances of leading a full and productive life are slim. Imagine being 30 years old and being unaware of dangers, and real-life penalties. Heck, imagine being 18 and getting behind the wheel for the first, not knowing what risk really is and deciding to find out, using 2,000 pounds of metal moving at 60 mph. Scary thought.
Play, real play without software and flat screens, teaches us skills we will use for the rest of our life. Boys who like to roughhouse, wrestle or just be in physical competition with another kid, develops much needed combat skills. Aside from the physical ability to hold our own, we learn how to hold our own mentally. Imagine growing up not knowing what a challenge really was and your boss gets in your face. Running to the bathroom to cry about it because he was a meanie isn't going to cut it.
Start the Recess without Rules program today and fast forward 20 years. Your children are all grown up, finishing high school or going to college. They got straight A grades, taken college coursework while still in high school and engaged in extra-curricular activities. They stand tall, speak clearly, treat others with respect and didn't have behavior problems in school.
They have never been bullied in earnest and certainly aren't going to start now. Your daughter played varsity football because she runs a 4.4 and has good hands and because there aren't any rules saying she can't play with the boys. She isn't the only female player. She doesn't wear makeup, doesn't need it or even think about it, she's too busy pursuing her dream of working in space for anything so frivolous as makeup or the latest fashion.
Well adjusted, educated, happy people.
What will it take to get schools to at least consider dropping many of the current restrictions? I'm not totally sure, but I plan on bringing it up with the other parents in my son's school. We might have a small school and small classes here in Saquache, CO, which might make things a little easier. With any luck, we can become a model for other schools, and to society at large. Let's let our kids grow up, not just grow.
