Your a nurse--You should know better!!

[racing-mom4]

That is what I was told today by another nurse--the nurse at my sons school.

See I had graciously volunteered my time with about 25 other parents to take over the school for 45min so the entire staff could enjoy a Christmas lunch togather. I was assisgned to gym class. I had the 3rd graders. We could have played kick ball but the kids were not really paying attention--goofing off in line waiting for thier turn to kick---So I had the brilliant idea of lets play "Red Rover- Red Rover" --All kids were included, everyone had a great time.

When our time was up and we were putting on our coats one of the other moms asked what we did in gym class and I told her, that is when the school nurse over heard-eyes rolling/shoulders back and announced in a surpingsly lound voice in front of everyone including the principal. "Your a nurse-you should know better, Red Rover is known to pull childrens arms out of socket, can cause abdominal injuries and head injuries" etc etc etc. Apparently Red Rover has been banned from my kids school for about 10 years now!!

Yikes---if she only knew I actually let my boys climb trees, run with sticks and and play knuckels till someone cries...

[TomLM]

When red rover is outlawed, only outlaws will play red rover.

Seriously, kids should be allowed to play pretty much anything. I really think it does one good to have to go to the emergency room at least once (and hopefully only once) during childhood, preferably for something that will heal well, a cut or a broken bone.

[missjennmb]

One of the biggest problems I see in school these days (my son will be 14 in January) is the lack of physical education. I don't mean the completely unspirited "ok kids lets walk a half mile now" or "its recess everyone go stand on the playground and chat" stuff, but the really creative FUN physically active games that we played as kids. We did so many fun things when I was in school, and now PE is just a 9 week class once a year and thats it. I went to Phys Ed atleast every other day all year long all throughout school.

They should be finding MORE ways to incorporate creative and interesting activities into our youth, not taking them out.

The obesity rate at my son's last public school was too high (according to some rating scale somewhere). Do you know what they did? They cut down the size of their school lunches. There are only two after school athletic activities (basketball and football) and PE is only 1 quarter every year. The playground equipment is completely void of anything breakable or able to wear out. There is no ball on the tether ball chain. There are no seats on the swingsets. There are no balls to play with, or nets on the volleyball court. Nothing what so ever.

Instead of teaching kids to starve themselves to be "thin" we should be encouraging kids to eat healthier options (the school sells candy out of the business office and there is no shortage of soda machines) and we should show them by example that activity should be a part of every day, not just something we do every 6 months or so...

_____ added thought

but who am I kidding... in college classes these days the teachers just read out of the book and I have never seen a lecture either, so I am not surprised. I really wish education was a bit more than just passing tests and keeping students in order to get funding. what ever happened to educational enrichment?

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

i am a school nurse and i say "thank you" for volunteering your time to let the teacher's have a nice lunch. red rover is not going to kill any student.. yes , we have turned them all into wimps, i agree.

you did the right thing and i bet they had a blast. best wishes to you !

praiser :heartbeat

[lucinka]

Pleas, can somebody tell me what is Red Rover? We have in my country a lot of nice bloody childrens plays, but I cant imagine what are you speaking about.

[lpnflorida]

When I was young, it was played with a ball, we would throw it over a small shed or anything else we could find.. yelling

Red Rover, Red Rover, throw the ball over,,,

I think my daughter played it differently though. They would aim the ball at the opposing team hoping to hit them with the ball.

[lucinka]

Oh, really? No guns? No knives?

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I am disgusted by this nurse's behavior for the OP for a few reasons: one is that unless you are an employee at the school that has policies in your hand, how would you know what they are allowed to play versus what they can't? In addition, again, this is the story of a nurse eating their young (I say young because it sounds like you were new to this particular setting, maybe not as a nurse in experience); trying to humiliate you in public. She should have made her statement to you in private. Another issue to me is that nurses are familiar with the areas they have expertise in, not everything under the sun!! For example, I work in an adult clinic, so, I may be a whiz regarding teaching about common illnesses, medications and how to function effectively, but send me to a pediatric inpatient (or even outpatient) unit, I would be lost and insecure. We look to our peers for at least advice if not mentorship, and her behavior is just disgusting.

[shellsgogreen]

racing-mom4,

i have three things to tell you;

1. those kids probably had more fun that day with you than they would have with their regular class teacher, good for you for volunteering your time.

2. before we all know it, physical education classes will be online too, and kids will have even less of an opportunity to get some real exercise or even interact with other students in a fun way.

3. that school nurse is an idiot

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

racing-mom4,

i have three things to tell you;

1. those kids probably had more fun that day with you than they would have with their regular class teacher, good for you for volunteering your time.

2. before we all know it, physical education classes will be online too, and kids will have even less of an opportunity to get some real exercise or even interact with other students in a fun way.

3. that school nurse is an idiot

:yeah:amen to that!!

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

Pleas, can somebody tell me what is Red Rover? We have in my country a lot of nice bloody childrens plays, but I cant imagine what are you speaking about.

The group is divided into two. Half the kids stand on one side linking arm to arm, opposite side does the same. As a group one side yells "Red Rover Red Rover send susie right over" and Susie runs full speed into the other group trying to break through the linked arms, if she makes it through she can pick a kid to take back to her side--if she cant break through she stays on the side that basically captured her. Eventually one side has all the kids or the bell rings and game over.

It really was a fun day minus the insulting comments from the school nurse who made me feel all of 3feet tall for potentially causing massive internal damage to the entire 3rd grade student body!!!

Thanks for everyones positive comments---to those who post they grew up with out shoes--I hear ya...nothing feels like summer than running through the yard only to find the pricker weeds... and how about all those games of king of the raft where your goal is to push everyone into the water off the raft---thats how I learned to swim!!!

[just_cause, BSN, RN]

Seditary is safe... no thanks.

[soulofme]

NO! You can't have a BB gun...YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!