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I'm not sure if this belongs here or under the Teaching category but here goes:
I'm semi-new to a pre-school and work with 3-year-olds. The lead teacher makes disobedient kids run 2 to 3 laps around the school gym during recess as pubishment.
Isn't this a cruel & potentially dangerous punishment for such young kids? Some of them are very little kids!
Should I inform the director? Or am I over-reacting?
I wouldn't call it cruel. Rather it's dumb because it makes kids associate fitness with punishment. It was very common in school, esp PE when I grew up and made me hate anything to do with fitness. In fact it is so associated with punishment that when we coached soccer and would have the kids jog a couple of laps as part of the conditioning routine, we actually had parents complain to us about "why were we punishing the kids by having them run?"
If the world could harness the physical energy of 3 year old boys.......We wouldn't need solar panels. In my experience its is HARD to stop them from running around. AS for punishment, make them stand still on one foot for 5 minutes....grin.
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I'd be curious to hear more. I've certainly told my kids to run around the park, run up and down stairs a few times, to vent excess energy and it's not been done in a negative way.
Is this done in a really punitive way, for an infraction that didn't involve excess energy? If a kid can't sit still at all during story circle, that would be a good idea to have them run off that pent up energy.
But not for, say, breaking someone else's property or calling someone a name.
I'd be curious to hear more. I've certainly told my kids to run around the park, run up and down stairs a few times, to vent excess energy and it's not been done in a negative way.
Is this done in a really punitive way, for an infraction that didn't involve excess energy? If a kid can't sit still at all during story circle, that would be a good idea to have them run off that pent up energy.
But not for, say, breaking someone else's property or calling someone a name.
She always specifies that it's for punishment. For example, she'll say stuff to them like "Since you were talking instead of paying attention, you'll do 3 laps during recess" or she'll say "Since you won't follow directions in class, you'll run 3 laps in the gym at recess."
And usually the kids cry before, during, & after the laps. They definitely never enjoy doing them. I'm concerned because 3 continuous laps around a school gym seems too exhausting & too unreasonable for 3-year-olds.
It might be that the kids NEED to run around to discharge energy. And why is she expecting 3 year olds to pay attention to anything? Their natural attention span is probably about 30 seconds.
My advice is to find a better preschool to work at. This teacher is just off base.
I wouldn't call it cruel. Rather it's dumb because it makes kids associate fitness with punishment. It was very common in school, esp PE when I grew up and made me hate anything to do with fitness. In fact it is so associated with punishment that when we coached soccer and would have the kids jog a couple of laps as part of the conditioning routine, we actually had parents complain to us about "why were we punishing the kids by having them run?"
Totally agree. Fitness/running should be associates with something fun at that age. . not turning them off for fitness activities later in life
I would check with your state’s minimum standards. In Texas any type of “physical activity” is against those standards and a facility, and ultimately, an individual could be charged with child abuse. I’d get with your boss, who should be up on minimum standards, and confirm with them. Do a google search to see where your state says. As an employee of the daycare you are a mandatory reporter and if your standards say it is not allowed you are legally required to report that to your department of child protection.
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