The more I hear, read, see the more saddened I become. I don't know about you, or anyone else but I'd be very pleased to hear my son was following the teachings of generosity that I and his father have taught him. What I don't understand is this, a boy in California has been 'disciplined' for sharing his lunch with a classmate. A lunch that by Mrs. Obama's plan is inadequate to start with, and not very high in nutrition.
My son comes home everyday and tells me how small the portions are for the same crap that the school has always served. It seems to me that if the 'First Lady' wants to improve lunches she would be better served in finding out how the quality and nutritional value may be improved rather than merely declaring that serving sizes shall be smaller. What exactly does this achieve? Far from encouraging 'mindful eating' this does, in fact, the opposite because a hungry teenager can really pack away the food.
Would this campaign to combat childhood obesity not be better served by encouraging schools to plant organic heirloom gardens, and in the elementary schools reinstate the institution of recess? Let's be honest, there are not many 5 to 8 year old kids that can sit still an entire school day. You want to combat obesity in children? Introduce them to better quality food, and reinstate recess.
Here in the US it is estimated that somewhere between 40 to 68% of all elementary schools do Not have recess. Then the school boards of these school districts wonder why kids that are transitioning to middle school can't get along? Hmm. I wonder... Let's look at that.
Recess is more than just a time to run around and play. It allows children to learn how to problem solve on an interpersonal level. If a pair of students are constantly supervised where teacher steps in the very moment the slightest hint of a confrontation erupts, how then are they to learn how to solve disagreements? Again, pointing to my son.. When he transitioned from elementary to middle school it was a big change. To him the change that was the most difficult to become accustomed to was not having a teacher right there the very moment trouble started to poke its head out of hiding. He had to learn how to cope, which is something that recess allows kids to do through play.
Yes, I know the argument against recess, "Children are mean. The bigger kids bully the smaller kids," and who's fault is that? The teacher's? The school administrators? No, that goes back to parenting, as in not enough 'parents' are being Parents. They rely on the schools to teach their children how to behave. What is right, and what is wrong. Really? Isn't that the job of the person that gave birth to the brat along with the person who fathered said brat? Since when did the matter of the children being brought in to this world cease to be the responsibility of the people that are responsible for the child/ren being here in the first place?
Parents, not schools, are the ones who must teach their children how to act. Schools must allow for the best way for kids to learn, which is through play. Look it's simple, after about two hours of sitting still most kids get fidgety. Fidgety kids don't learn well, and often get labeled with being ADD/ADHD when in fact by simply letting them out for a short break this can be avoided. When I was in school recess was about fifteen minutes, but even ten minutes twice a day where elementary kids can get out and run around, play and just have fun while learning how to deal with one another on a one to one basis that would do the most good. Americans are over medicated, under educated, and far too quick to go to court over stupid shit. Yeah, I'd apologize for the rant but I'm not sorry. I've been watching this for nearly thirteen years now, and I have also seen that writing, calling, and emailing doesn't do much to change this. "You understand, we can't let kids have recess. It's for their own good."
In the mean time, kids get fatter and more unhealthy while we have DC beurarats telling us what we can and can not do. How we may or may not dress, and even what we can and can not feed our children. Really? I mean, since when? When did it become the business of the Central Federal Government to Tell Me what to do?
