Exercise part of solution
It’s beyond me how adults could overlook the past. Elementary school lunches 22 years ago were not healthy, not by most standards, even back then. What allowed kids to stay fit was sports programs in the schools.
It’s no wonder childhood obesity is on the rise. What is wrong with putting a little of that nutritional money into a program that gets kids moving? Even as an adult, weight loss is more than healthy meals. Who has time to work out? Working 40- to 60-hour workweeks?
It should be a requirement that not just a physical education class be part of the curriculum, but activities like dodgeball, tag and Duck Duck Goose, too.
Put sports back in schools; teach teamwork and working hard. Not only will it be healthy for their bodies, but healthy for their minds.
Jennifer Reiter, Arvada
Here we go again, another person putting the responsibility of resolving a social problem on the public school system. Jennifer it is not the schools lack of sports programs, it is the parents who allow their children to vegetate in front of the television and video games.
Yes, the nutrition programs in schools were not healthy, but 22 years ago kids had fewer distractions and most would play outside with their friends. In today's dangerous society many parents won't allow their children to leave the yard. Parents have become so protective they would rather have them in the house distracted by something than outside where the parent has no control.....it is not the schools, it is the parents.
Good grief Dave. Here we go again defending the social adgedites of the public school system.
It is a fact that many kids vegitate at home. Why? Because for 6 plus hours aday they are being brainwashed that normal activities are bad. Playing cowboys and indians, or war is bad. Games of tag after schoool is bad. If they can not play this in school then outside school is forbiden.
Fact, now that school districts are adopting policies that eliminate or curtail play and physical excersie children are getting a little fatter.
To blame the parents is ASSININE!!!! Parental rights are so manipulated by the dogooders that should a parent dicipline thier child and the child complaigns at school about it, social services comes knocking at the door to investigate.
I personally would like to see a break down by economical standing of families income as to ethnic diversity on which children are most obese.
Then a comparison to children in private and charter schools to public schools on hieght and weight ratios.
I am willing to bet that the children in public schools are more inclined to being obese then those in the other schools.
When parents have to work two and three jobs as a household to provide for the social welfare programs, of course children are unsupervised and will play video games and watch the propaganda on television.
Stifeling of a childs imagination is a terrible thing. Public schools are masters at this. Dispite what teachers unions and Dave say.
Posted by Parent for Charter Schools on September 19, 2007 04:28 AMwith all of the social engineering in schools of doing what feels good and the worry of being sued by barbie and ken because little billie was 'it' in the game of tag and it hurt his little feelings, are excerise is not allowed on the play ground and only video games and texting is allowed.
besides the teachers dont want any kid back in class that might have worked up a sweat on the play ground.
dave must be a teacher to defend the job the schools have done to remove physical excerise from all aspects of the school day.
Posted by on September 19, 2007 05:56 AMThe problem with the posters here is that they do not play well with other children.
Posted by Truth on September 19, 2007 06:49 AMDodgeball? You gotta be kidding!
That's subjects the weak and fragile child to the school yard bully who knows how to throw a ball. That isn't fair. And dodgeball is like war where the the one with the cannon hunts down the enemy and then executes him on the spot. Before you know it, you'll be keeping score at the soccer and softball games. Then what's next? Going back to the red pencil for wrong answers? Not letting kids "feel good" about themselves? Wrong answers on a quiz? Class rankings? Grades other than A+? Leaving kids back because they can't read or write? I detect a slipery slope here, I'm going to bring this up at the next PTA meeting.
Every kid should be a valedictorian and is worthy of the school Heisman Trophy...even the sissies who can't add.
Posted by Hank on September 19, 2007 07:45 AMDave if you took a step backwards and looked at the way adults live their lives, the only thing that parents should be ashamed of is not setting a good example. Take for instance all the fathers that sit around all week watching football instead of getting out there with their 2 and 3 year old teaching and playing it. What I'm trying to get readers to see is that as adults we dont get the oppertunity to work out at work. We take our time to sit infront of the T.V. 'excercising' our fingers on the remote. We set the example so why shouldn't they get the oppertunity to have some kind of physical sports in school while they can. My 13 year old son pays Football, Basketball, Baseball and Fall Ball. He wanted to take weight lifing in school but they took away his elective and put him in two math classes to boost the CSAP scores. What is so wrong with putting some responsibity on the school. They practicaly raise our children during the day anyways. They get more freedom to discipline our kids then we do. So yes this should be a part of the schools "curriculum"
Posted by Jennifer Reiter on September 19, 2007 07:47 AMI thought Duck Duck Goose was an adult game for the S&M crowd.
Posted by just sayin' on September 19, 2007 07:59 AMHank has a great point (with tongue firmly in cheek) I was held back in the 8th grade and it did me wonders.
I also sucked at football but I still tried out for it and was rejected. Yes the initial sting gives you a bad feeling but it teaches one how to deal with failure. What are all of these kids of today going to do when they aren't hired or for that matter are fired because they thought somebody else would take care of their job?
I say stop giving everyone a trophy and start playing tag and dogeball again - it builds character.
While I agree that PE should be mandatory, I have seen a sad turn in schools that do have it. In the Boulder Valley School District, PE has been reduced to practicing for the Presidential Fitness Test. No longer are they playing and learning soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball/baseball but have to practice push ups, pull ups, running the mile and sit ups. Unfortunately, this is teaching our kids that working out is boring and setting them up to quit as soon as they get out of school.
There are many ways to exercise and we should teach our children all of them.
Posted by L on September 19, 2007 09:28 AMtruth, you said it.
Posted by Sharon B. on September 19, 2007 09:58 AMHeres a great way to bond with your kids and have them get exercise while watching those crucial football games on Saturday and Sunday.
#1. Make the kids stock up the cooler with beer for you. This means not only filling it with bottles/cans of that rich foamy sudsy delight, but also lugging ice from the nearest 7 - 11 to keep it icy cold. Also put the cooler in the neighbors driveway so they have to run like Forrest to get you another cold one.
#2. Go hide the remote and make the kids change the channels by hand between commercial breaks to the other games, of course make sure they also time it to make sure you always have an icy cold one in your hand.
#3. Have all the fixins on hand to alllow them to make you from scratch your favor kind of pizza. Better yet, give them a list of the ingrediaents and have them run as fast as they can to the grocery store to pick them up. MMMMMM, piping hot fresh pizza and ice cold beer.
#4. When the games are over make them clean up the mess they created in the kitchen and also run the empties down to the grocery store for recycling.
I can hardly wait for the weekend to bond with my kids. Ice cold beer, hot pizza and the old fashioned method of changing channels. Is that a great way to bond and get exercise or what?
Posted by TIRED OF ENTITLEMENTS on September 19, 2007 10:34 AMWhen I was in school, it was called junior high, not middle school; and we had football (real, not flag), basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, track/field, almost all the sports that high schools have. We took buses to the games. We had cheerleaders and pep squad. Our parents didn't pay for the uniforms. The school already had the uniforms; you just passed them down from year to year.
Now, with my kid in middle school, it's $70 per sport and it's coed and parents who volunteer to drive students to the games. In Lakewood, the sports are coached/ref'd through City employees. It can get pretty pricey if you have a kid who gets involved in more than one sport (I guess this is a warmup for the price to play high school sports).
No tag in elementary, Nerf balls for dodge ball. No more of "meet you at the flagpole after school." And that "he hit me or she pulled my hair" will now get you an assault charge, even in first grade.
Posted by Lainie on September 19, 2007 10:47 AMFat parents raise fat kids, it's that simple. It doesn't require a school program, money for a sports program, or any other entitlement or special attention to keep our kids from becoming more and more obese. If the parents show interest in physical activities, the children will follow. Get off the couch and go for a walk, ride your bike, play catch or kick a soccer ball. It doesn't require a lot of money or time to stay relatively healthy. However, the consequences of not doing so can eat up a lot of both.
Posted by Physically Fit on September 19, 2007 11:48 AMParent for Charter Schools & 5:56 - of course you want to blame the public schools for all your shortcomings as parents - takes the burden off your own shoulders and lets you feel oh, so, superior. Who do you think raised the stink to ban tag, dodgeball, etc? Who do you think demands this and that and the other be catered to by the public schools?
TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!!!!!!!!!! Stop insisting the schools raise your children & take some responsibility.
LOL, TIRED OF ENTITLEMENTS, I take it you are one of those parents who just had children to be slaves. Well slavery ended long ago, and if I recall so did child labor. Maybe if you looked into your heart of hearts you would see that majority of people like you end up with children with complexes and authority issues. Maybe you should have been fixed at a young age.
Posted by You have to be kidding me on September 19, 2007 12:48 PM9:10, Yes Hank has a point, however, why can't sports teach you that it's a fail or succeed? Someone in our kids lifetime is going to be better at something then they are. Why not just throw in the towel and say " I haven't tried but that's okay I wouldn't make it anyway". Is that what we want our kids to learn, Give up, lie down and let people think that you aren't worth the time. I would like my kids to know that they can do what ever they want if they put in the effort to try. If they FAIL... either they will work harder if they really want it or know that it just wasn't for them.
Garsh dad, I just didn't apply for that job because I know Johnny will be so much better at it...
Pleezze, give me a break. Just because you think your kids are weak doesn't mean they are. And as far as scolastics go..They can work hard and get the "Heisman Trophy" and sports. Why do we limit our kids possibilites? Because we failed in our childhood. They aren't us and we shouldn't put the stigma on them. Let the kids decide if they want to play sports in school. I bet 60% of them will try out for them. And parents who bought the Playstation and XBOX that complain their kids are on it too much... Shame on you. Not the kids. Who is the parent and who's the child? Do you control how long your child plays on it?
I have 3 children 12:21 and I take part in all their lives. They are in Band, sports, music, choir. So don't think that parents who are requesting sports to be inforced in school is lazyness on our part. I just think for parents who need a little helping hand who cant fork out the $1000's of dollars for their kids to play sports should have the oppertunity to get them a head start in school. Keep them healthy mind and body....
Posted by Jennifer Reiter on September 19, 2007 01:11 PM I raise my kids but still have to fight the bs the schools put out. I would love to have a voucher to send my kids to private schools for a wonderful education. no there is not a feeling of superiority on my part but you would not understand how to be a real parent if you except the norm from public schools as being wonderful.
who brought up the stink about everything kids cant do, the ever so thoughtful liberals of the world where everyone has to be equal thats who. and the wonderful teachers union and administrators back them because the little suzies and johnnys of this day and age dont want their feelings hurt. life will be a big shock to them.
LOL, TIRED OF ENTITLEMENTS, I take it you are one of those parents who just had children to be slaves. Well slavery ended long ago, and if I recall so did child labor. Maybe if you looked into your heart of hearts you would see that majority of people like you end up with children with complexes and authority issues. Maybe you should have been fixed at a young age.
Posted by You have to be kidding me on September 19, 2007 12:48 PM
Let me take a wild guess, your a LIBERAL!!!!!!!!!!! Judging people you don't know. Calling making your kids do something around the house "child labor". Oh my, I'll bet you have a nanny to wipe your kids @ss so they don't exert themselves doing it, yet alone get hurt feelings when the fingers poke throught the paper. Complexes and authority issues tend to come from Liberals who have a real hard time coping with the real world. You know, working and being successful and happy. BTW since you have all these "issues" I'm sure your friends at the DNC can get you fixed for free so you don't spew out anymore pansy limp wristed liberals.
Posted by TIRED OF ENTITLEMENTS on September 19, 2007 02:53 PMLet me take a wild guess, your a LIBERAL!!!!!!!!!!! Judging people you don't know.
Let me take a wild guess, you in your intire life youve NEVER judged anyone... I doubt it. Your judging your kids buy treating them that way. Like they are just to be around so your Drunk @ss can be lazy. Yes I called you out, Maybe I'm passing judgment on you but if you take it this personal... maybe you know that its the truth. Anyone who cant stand to be sober while their children are around is a sorry excuse for a parent. Any parent who thinks smoking dope don't hurt their kids is a LIBERAL!!!!!!!!!!! If you cant see that this "opinion" is for the better of your children and others then you have some serious problems. You can't even make an Informed Decision or comment with out being childish yourself. You can't go through life joking your way through it.
Take your pansy limp wrist and well... GET OFF.
Posted by on September 19, 2007 03:22 PMParent for Charter Schools, you missed my point. I was not defending the socialist schools as much as I was questioning the logic of making the schools responsible for the solution. By the way, are you saying today's parents are too gulible to know when they are being "manipulated?"
I don't buy that philosophy. While the public school system has been overrun by socialist whackos, I don't think it's necessary to make them the end all, beat all to every social problem that comes down the pike.
If your children are fat...oh excuse me (obese), then do something about it, don't blame it on the teachers or the priniciple....look in the mirror for the solution.