Denied Field Day for hallway horseplay—is this fair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cant tell if this is elementary or middle school? I would want more information about when the prior warnings were given and what they were for. If this is middle school and both boys were given warnings for the same behavior more than once then yes I think its fair.

I will get jumped on for this but if its elementary school I dont believe its at all fair. Young bodies need movement and field day is more of a right than a privilege. On days like today when recess was canceled I would expect extra horseplay. And its usually not an even fair sided story in middle school, meaning, one child reacts to someone pushing their buttons and its more likely to be out of the childs control. I would not allow for my child in elementary school to miss field day as a punishment.

You wouldn't allow it? How would you do that? Whatever the answer, could you also apply that strategy towards not allowing your child to body slam in the hallway?

I would tell the school i didnt agree or approve of that consequence. I would talk to the principal and teacher about consequences we all agree on. No school is permitted to remove children from instruction or activities without a lot of documentation.

When the parents of the child your child body slams choose to press assault charges, you understand you won’t be consulted for your agreement, right?

This isnt a case of assault. It was consenting children playing in an inappropriate way. Both children are "at fault" if you are choosing to view it that way, no one has any higher ground to blame the other.

One child harming another is a very different scenario than OP describes. Dont be so dramatic. These are kids who engage in this sort of behavior regularly and it's fine, it just wasn't fine at school in that moment in that environment. The consequence should teach that lesson. Neither of these kids are criminals.

Both of these kids have the potential to be if no one teaches them to control themselves in a way that sticks— with meaningful consequences. Body slamming and hitting isn’t “fine” in almost any case and is never fine at school. The sooner they learn that the safer they — and everyone around them— are.

And if one of the kids is hurt his parents won’t care if he “consented” before pressing charges.