Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Helping someone up off the ice is bullying?!

First, the one local grade school has a VERY strict 'NBC--no body contact' (not to be confused with 'KPS--keep personal space').
Last night, my 12yo came home, a friend of hers had slipped on some ice, so 'A' and another friend were helping her up. A teacher saw this, and reminded them of the 'NBC' rule. Huh? So, the poor kid's supposed to slip and struggle to get up herself?
I wholeheartedly agree with no hitting, slapping, throwing snowballs, etc (although we grew up having snowball fights and turned out fine--I think!). But geesh, this is going just a bit too far. I worry that rules like this are going to turn our kids into cold-hearted individuals. Or that we're going to raise a society of what once would have been called 'tattletales', informing on the least offensive acts, and unable to cope for themselves.
I know of one girl who was suspended for 3 days because she touched another girl's earring. Not trying to hurt her, even.
With anti-bullying as well, the kids are taught at school that if another child wants to play with them and they say no...it's BULLYING. Huh? Kids don't always get along. To force someone to play with a kid that they don't really get along with is just plain mean (talk about bullying). My oldest had a teacher once that the day she started filling in for their regular teacher, had them write a piece about another student. With no need for talking: since they'd been going to school with the assigned student for 9 years, they should know all about them, including siblings, likes/dislikes...
Uh...not everyone gets along (gee, is there an echo?). To me, I'd just be happy that they're not beating the crap out of the other kid and not be worried that they don't know personal details.

I do agree that something has to be done about bullying, but wow, I do think they've gone too far when you can't lend a helping hand to someone who's fallen.

1 comment:

K4TT said...

Generally, I try to steer clear of topics of a 'political' or personal nature when publicly commenting...
but I too have grown tired of this type of mentality as well.
As "we" strive to create a 'better and more pc' society - accepting of differences, ethnic/racial backgrounds, religion, etc.. it is remarkable just how much worse things progress.
Now there are some serious areas which need straightening and acceptance in..
however, Grade School politics and political correctness HAS been taken to the extreme. 99% of kids who were bullied in the 70's didn't go out and shoot up their school - this is a *new* social reality. In fact, when I went to school, getting 'bullied' was a rite of passage and in most cases, considered 'character building'.
We have gone too far with the coddling of our children. From Dr. Spock's "advice" of time-outs instead of a good old-fashion spanking - to taking away 'Christmas & Easter Vacations' because the Christian Religious overtones may upset a child who does not practice Christianity... and look at the 'World today'. Look at the violence.. look at the hate, bigotry and lack of compassion for it's fellow man...

I agree with you - it has gone too far - but I take it a step further and say that it is doing exactly the opposite of it's ambiguous intentions - IT IS creating a society of self-centered, emotionally sterile and socially dysfunctional generation.