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So I read this article on a Middle School Girl being sent to the Principle's office for not wanting to participate in the weight in for the school fitness program.
Part of me appreciates the school trying to help with childhood obesity issues but even I know that I would not want people in school to have even more ammunition to hurt kids at that age. I am sure the original plan was created with good intentions but if a child does not wish to participate in this program, it should not warrant a trip to the principal's office.
We as a society have enough issues we ask kids to deal with and here we go adding to the list of things. We should help kids get healthy. BUT we don't need to make them feel crappy if they are overweight or under weight for that matter. If your parent can't afford to feed you anything SUPER healthy what can you do? The school can offer to help with healthy lunches and work with you, but it is time to stop making kids feel bad for not being perfect. Work with them to be good at who they are. Give them incentive to get better but don't punish them for saying No I won't let you weigh me in public. Yes we can be too soft on people, but when society uses weight to shame folks, should we help the folks or keep up the shame?
Still processing the specifics of this but over all it is time to start evaluating people on who they are not who society says they have to be.
Part of me appreciates the school trying to help with childhood obesity issues but even I know that I would not want people in school to have even more ammunition to hurt kids at that age. I am sure the original plan was created with good intentions but if a child does not wish to participate in this program, it should not warrant a trip to the principal's office.
We as a society have enough issues we ask kids to deal with and here we go adding to the list of things. We should help kids get healthy. BUT we don't need to make them feel crappy if they are overweight or under weight for that matter. If your parent can't afford to feed you anything SUPER healthy what can you do? The school can offer to help with healthy lunches and work with you, but it is time to stop making kids feel bad for not being perfect. Work with them to be good at who they are. Give them incentive to get better but don't punish them for saying No I won't let you weigh me in public. Yes we can be too soft on people, but when society uses weight to shame folks, should we help the folks or keep up the shame?
Still processing the specifics of this but over all it is time to start evaluating people on who they are not who society says they have to be.
