Let Kids be Kids Again!

I celebrate whenever I see common sense (which is now often uncommon sense) winning the day. Such as with this article about kids in school needing more time to play like the kids they are.

I have a friend who works in an elementary school. He tells me that in the past 10 years there have been some definite changes in how children are treated.

Now kindergartners (5 year old kids) have to be in class all day instead of half days.

It's all about "Sit down and shut up". The kids are expected to sit still and not fuss and talk out of turn - ALL DAY! It's like the military!

When walking down the hall they say, "Bubbles and Buckles", which means to bubble up your cheeks so they can't talk, and put their hands together like they have handcuffs on. Again, it's all about control and do what you're told.

In lunch period recently, the kids were handed bananas and a couple of them put them up to their ears and pretended that they were on the phone. Absolutely harmless fun, but instead of laughing and encouraging the creativity, the kids were yelled at. "Those are not toys, they're food."

Is it any wonder why many kids, especially boys, are being labeled as hyperactive? Yes, there are probably legit ADHD diagnosis's, and I'm certainly not going to challenge any diagnosis, but in my opinion, much of the problem is simply that kids are not allowed to be kids anymore.

And guess what, some "crazy" schools are testing out a "new" theory; let's let the kids play more. What are they finding? Better behavior. Better scores. Happier kids.

Watch the video below...

What I think is funny about this video is that the academics think it's a radical new approach, while I would guess that most parents would say, Duhhh - of course!

Yes, I hope this trend continues and I hope we can let kids be kids again! What say you? Please comment below!