Comments (0)Editors Note
August 2009
Dear Reader,
Sometimes I wonder if the self-esteem movement has gone too far. This is particularly evident on the school playground.
Take, for example, something that recently happened during recess at an area school. The boys in the grade were playing World Cup, a soccer game where everyone gets a partner and soccer balls are sent onto the field. Each team tries to score a goal and the last one who does so is eliminated.
I don’t know if some of the kids complained, but I do know that shortly thereafter the game was banned from recess. One of the reasons given was that some of the children were being eliminated and thus felt “bad.” Later, the game was reinstated, but the kids couldn’t play every day—only on days set by the administration.
To me, instead of banning this game at recess, the situation should have offered valuable lessons to the children. First of all, not everyone can win in life and some people are better than others when it comes to certain skills. I doubt a school would dream of placing kids from all skill levels in the same math class so that the less skilled would feel good about themselves. Why do so on the playground?
Second, life is about decisions and choices. If some of the kids weren’t happy losing, they could decide against playing the game, do something else when they were out, or cheer their remaining classmates on.
Finally, true self-confidence comes when children can be eliminated, or fail at something, yet still feel good about themselves.
Another time, rules were stipulated by the administration regarding the playing of football. Instead of letting the kids work out issues on the playground, the administration decided, everybody had to rotate positions each turn, so no one would feel bad. For example, a boy could not be quarterback for more than one play; after his turn, the next person played the position. If you caught the ball once, you couldn’t catch it until everyone on the team caught the ball.
The end result: Football season ended.
Not that I’m advocating bullying. I also believe that every child, regardless of his or her ability, be allowed to participate in any game during recess if he or she wants. And, in certain situations faculty are needed to help children mediate a situation.
But, in some ways, the playground offers life lessons for youngsters, including working with others—even working with more difficult classmates. It’s a skill we all need as adults.
This month, in “Boys at Play,” iNSIDER looks at recess and asks several boys and parents how they want to play on the playground. As this is our education issue, we also take a look at preschool trends. Finally, our story “All Dolled Up” showcases the world of Jewish dolls and what kids learn from them.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Sincerely,
Rochelle Eisenberg
Editor
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