we were healthier from more exercise, our teachers did this deliberately to give the “antsy” students who couldn’t sit that long a chance to run off some energy....
NOW the kiddies are expected to attend school longer.....sit for longer periods of time with less chance to get up and move......and they blame the child and put him on meds.
I often wonder how these children would do if they were homeschooled.
I will say part of the problem is that the public school system is a POS, but it is what we have today.
what you are describing is especially detrimental to little boys.
When we were growing up, half day kindergarten was the rule as well.
Now, they are expected to spend the entire day at school, without a nap, and one recess period (althought they do go to gym too)
When we showed up at school, we didn’t know ‘nothin.
The kindergarten teachers taught us our letters and counting.
Now the kids are expected to be close to reading level before they enter school.
You should see how the kindergarten screening process has changed just from the time my oldest (18) went through - until my young ‘uns.
So - more is expected out of them.
I think if they had expected the same out of us - we might have gotten ants in our pants too.
On the other hand - I have seen genuine cases where a kid would literally rip the blinds off a window if she didn’t get her ritalin on time.
I think it is real - but I think there are too many teachers trying to “diagnose” this themselves.
That should be reserved for the pediatricians.