Think it’s an innocent game of tag? Well, you may want to rethink again. Many teachers have reported that kids these days are often getting quite violent when it comes to these games. There have been instances where they would use a lot of force to hit their opponent. Sometimes, the force of the impact is so great that they would end up whacking their opponents a little too hard. Most of the times, this action is unintentional. However, it is becoming an issue for concern that schools are going to implement a ban on this game.
Signs of aggression
Problems started to arise when the ban of the childhood game became more prevalent. A childhood game which was treasured dearly was scrapped because of safety reasons. This stirred a lot of anger and confusion amongst parents and children. It even appeared in the papers where headlines like “More Schools Banning Tag because of Injuries” and “Banning Tag is Dumb”.
Teachers who have been in the workforce for many years say that the game promotes an aggressive behaviour. It was so bad to the extent that there were kids who were injured from playing the game. One local principal felt that they have to creative to find an alternative way to make the game safer. Thus, they tweaked the game in a manner where it was still fun and safe at the same time. Kids were given foam noodles to “tag” other kids so that would refrain from actual contact with their hands.
Side effects of less vigorous games
This might seem like a good idea by minimising the aggressiveness of the game but it appears that by doing so it might lead to even more problems after this. It leads to health problems where kids who spend less time on outdoor games do not develop senses in their joints and muscles like they did so before. In the past, it was common for children to help out in manual chores that required usage of the muscles and joints. Even playing games such as climbing trees or playing catch would help children develop a healthy and strong proprioceptive system.
Dissecting the problem
Kids who have weak proprioceptive senses would be prescribed “heavy work” by pediatric occupational therapists. This would include anything that would allow a weighted input on the joints and muscles. An example of these activities would be helping out in manual work such as lifting grocery bags or pulling a wagon full of heavy items. These are simple things which can be done naturally if kids are spending more time outdoors instead.
In addition, the busy schedules of kids these days is also one of the reasons as to why children do not have time to head outdoors to play or even help out with household chores which require some manual work. It affects the child physically where they do not utilise and develop the muscles and joints in their system. As a result, kids start to have difficulty knowing how much force they exert when pushing or pulling or even interacting with the people and things around them.
Thus, when kids exert with too much force during a game of tag it could mean their senses are not functioning right. This is all due to the fact they do not have a balanced amount of play and movement on a frequent basis.
How can we fix it?
So, what can us as adults do to fix this problem? If we were to encounter game of tag or other games that might be detrimental to the children’s health, we would take it away. The main priority is the child’s well-being where at the end of the day we just want our children to be safe. But before you jump into conclusions, take a step back and try to understand why this is happening.
If kids are getting more violent, there has to be a logical explanation behind it. It does not mean kids getting more reckless at playing games “safely” or becoming ill-manner but there is a bigger picture behind all of it as well and it is our job as the adults take responsibility
Daycare services can help
If you are unable to look after your kids due to work commitments or other priorities, you might want to engage a daycare service to look after your children. Our Thornhill daycare centre ensures that your child is well taken care of in an environment that he or she feels safe and happy to be in. Our priority lies in the well-being of your children and we want to make sure that your child will be provided the best. We have staff that are well-trained and have prior experience in handling kids of all sorts of different needs. This is why you can rely on us as the trusted daycare partner for children. So don’t hesitate now and give us a call today to find out more!