Are There Too Many Safety Rules For Kids?

East Valley Tribune ^ | 13 October, 2005 | Hayley Ringle

[Tennessee_Bob]

I'm doing everything I can to keep my daughter safe. I simply duct taped her into her bed. Sure, she complained for a couple days, but after that, not a single word out of her.

[JamesP81]

IMO, All of these safety precautions are raising a nation of scardy-cats..People who will not take risks to help themselves or others..crybabies.

Children cant ride a bike or skateboard without helmets knee-pads, elbow pads, goggles..geez! Why should a child constantly worry about a skinned knee..or worry about what MAY go wrong..instead of what can go right.

You know, a lot of people have said that we ought to have a law requiring everyone to serve in the military for a couple of years out of high school. It might cure some of these problems the public schools cause. I know they would still get told all through school that they can't do anything and that those little geckos on the playground might eat you, but it'll all be cured when they report for boot camp and the drill sergeant runs them 3 miles through the woods and then has them shooting stuff with an automatic rifle afterwards. It might turn out to be the first real outdoor fun any of those kids ever have, especially for boys.

[bdog2995]

The Brave and Risktakers don't live very long

but the Cautious and Scaredy-Cats never live at all!!!!!

[craig_eddy]

I recently heard a businessman talking on CD about dodgeball when he was a kid:

"When we played dodgeball if you got out you had to put your shorts on your head and run laps around the gym in your jock strap. And it didn't hurt my self esteem...IT TAUGHT ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE BALL!"

We need to be teaching our kids to get out of the way of the ball, not deluding them into thinking that a ball will never come their way.

[Tennessee_Bob]

No centerfire rifles until the child reaches the age of 12.

LOL! And there I was, ten years old, and my father (the Marine) instructing me - "This is a Remington thirty ought six. From the prone position you should be able to..."

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I think there's a concern for safety, but there's an equal concern about being sued. As we all know, it's everywhere: from the Bic lighter label that warns of flammable fluid, to the warning on the coffee cup that that coffee is hot. I recently bought a car, and the owner's manual is full of safety tips which, if a person didn't know them already, they should have no business driving a car. But Dodge evidently knows that somewhere out there, there's an aspiring Darwin Award winner, and a lawyer who's just itching to help him out.

They're right about kids wanting to take risks. I've seen kids use "safe" playground equipment in ways that were never imagined by the equipment designers.

[Centurion2000]

I have to ask, what the heck is that from?? some kind of game equipment ?

[Sunshine Sister]

To many rules? For everyone? Yes.

[Jack Wilson]

Where's the helmet, eye protection and ear-plugs? I also see exposure to germs - where is the bubble?

[Adder]

Oh GAG!

These "professionals" are the dodge ball losers from when we were in school, right?

[hattend]

Ever notice that it seems like every other kid has asthma? Probably because they aren't outside playing. working their lungs, being exposed to dust, wind, dirt, etc.

[OregonRancher]

Yup! I'm 63 and during my growing up years, our family Doctor told my mother that I averaged a visit to his office once every three weeks......She invested in cat gut.

[LIConFem]

I think it's field hocky armour. I found it on Amazon, under "SLAZENGER PHANTOM BODY ARMOUR".

[LIConFem]

"Where's the helmet, eye protection and ear-plugs? I also see exposure to germs - where is the bubble?"

Those are sold seperately, along with the built-in cardiac monitor and defibrillator.

[Lil'freeper]

What there is ... is way too many wanna be nanny control freaks ...

And they gravitate toward the field of education.

[nk_47]

There's more allergies, too.

Maybe some of this safety hysteria has to do with families having less kids? For instance, there are many more only children now, and their parents are probably more cautious since all they have is that one kid.

[Paleo Conservative]

Merry-go-rounds, seesaws and tall metal slides are gone. East Valley schools also forbid tackle football, jumping off swings and hanging upside down from monkey bars. Students can still play tag — but they must "power walk" or skip at some schools because running is too dangerous. Pioneer Elementary School in Gilbert prohibits tag altogether.

And the bigest risk to children is to not engage in physical activities. Any wonder that childhood obesity is up and diseases related to obesity like adult onset diabetes are becoming common at younger ages.

[teenyelliott]

State lawmakers also passed a junk food ban this year to protect children from obesity

I love this one, and wish all schools would follow this rule.

But all of the rest of these Hitler rules are making these kids fat!!!!! Not to mention hyper, frustrated, and big woosie cry babies.

How are children supposed to learn from people who are so retarded?

[miss marmelstein]

Well, the nuns used to tell us "no running on the playground" and when we did, they would beat the hell out of us.

[petercooper]

Seat belts. A really good idea but a really really crappy law (except in the case of children)

Yes, you can't legislate stupidity.