No score kept in youth league baseball and soccer games. No gold stars given to the brightest students. When do kids learn that life is a competition and sometimes you ain’t the best?
I really feel we are teaching kids that no matter how little you try, you will be rewarded. When I feel failure, I know I need to get better or get out. Shouldn’t children learn this at a young age?
SFC Schwartz
Since you’re citing a John Birch Society publication, can I ask why the good old conservative doctrine of “local control” doesn’t apply here?
Considering that you live in Kansas, and not in the Massachusetts school district where this is taking place, why do you think you should have a say? Has the principal—or any resident of the district—asked you to weigh in on the matter?
How do you square your belief in “limited government” with your apparent belief that school districts to which you have no connection—you don’t live in the district’s catchment, you pay no taxes to it, they haven’t asked for your consultation—still need to mind your opinion?
From CNN Headline News, better?
It effects me because if this becomes a popular idea, then there won’t be honor graduates at any school. As you may have noticed, Kansas is the place where the Flying Spaghetti Monster meme started as a way to show how intelligent design is ridiculous to teach in schools. Instead, what we get is that now the schools have to teach three ways of creation.
I try to provide the facts and hope to see that the concept is a bad idea.
SFC Schwartz
Meh. Every little kids’ soccer or T-ball game I’ve ever been to has kept score. I mean, people don’t get rabid about it, but someone is at least keeping track of the goals or runs or whatever. And yes, kids still get gold stars, still have competitions at school where there are winners and losers, etc., etc. Don’t believe everything you hear.
And anyway, the principal is still having the honors ceremony. In fact, he’s now having it in front of the entire school instead of just the honor kids’ parents, so I’m not entirely sure whose feelings he’s trying to protect here.
Dumb article trying to whip up outrage.
Edit: If you want my credentials on this topic, I have three kids in elementary school right now, and one of them came home empty-handed from a Lego tournament last weekend that he did not win. (Though fun was had nonetheless.)
Okay, time to rank the posts.
MsWhatsit, you had the best post and you win the thread. SSG Schwartz and Kimmy_Gibbler, try harder next time. Remember, there’s no point of participating in a thread if you’re not competing to win it.
What three ways of creation do the schools have to teach?
But I didn’t get to say anything yet… ::: grump ::::
Ironically, I think Little Nemo, *your *post is the best and *you *win the thread. Of course, had the content of your post not been what it was, I might not feel this way. So we have kind of a paradox here of sorts.
I never win at these things
::: pout:::
The world might be a much better place if fewer people had been taught this (and believed it).
Kids need to learn that cooperation is often more effective than cut-throat competition, and that not coming first can, more often than not, be perfectly fine.
Also, you lose for not knowing the difference between “effects” and “affects”.
I know the parents do so, but I know that, at least when I was playing T-ball, the coaches did not acknowledge any score. Granted, this was just because, at our level, there was really no point in keeping score. The next level up kept score and had tournaments and everything.
BTW, it was called T-ball, but you were pitched three strikes, and only if you missed all of them would the ball be put on a tee.
Kids need to learn that both competition and co-operation are ineluctable parts of life. Cutting out one or the other from their learning process will handicap them.
It appears that the Principal changed his mind according to the article. Hard to verify this because none of the sources could be bothered to post the original notice sent home to parents. It’s sad if the ceremony was originally cancelled.
In a word yes.
I’m too lazy to read the article right now but I’ve heard this story before. I don’t know if this practice is uncommon or fairly standard. Whatever it is, it needs to stop.
Hell, I’m all for teaching kids classism as well. Like maybe have VIP dinning during lunches for kids making Bs or above. I’m not sure how you would work that out. Maybe rope off a certain section in the cafeteria for VIPs only and instead of waiting in line like the rest of the kids, have their food brought out to them. And Fridays they could have something special like take out from a local chain restaurant.
But I know I’m on the fringe in that regard.
Team sports in which scores are kept fit the bill nicely. “Team” = cooperation. “Team vs. team” = competition.
But… we all still get trophies at the end, just for showing up, right?
If by “we” you mean “MsWhatsit” and by “showing up” you mean “winning,” then yes.
If parents are unhappy, they can take their kids out and celebrate. Heck, how about one of them foot the bill for taking ALL the honors kids out and having a big party?
In the real world, it’s rare that people hold parties in honor of your accomplishments. Usually, doing a great job just means you get to keep your job and if you want a special dinner, you get your family and friends together and do it yourself. Welcome to the real world, kids.
But what about the self-esteem of all the loser kids? Where are we supposed to get our narcissism and sense of entitlement without participation trophies? Didn’t you get that memo about how everyone’s a winner and the best at everything, just for managing to be born and remain alive?