10 Things We All Did in School That Are Banned for Kids Today

[rangerrebew]

10 Things We All Did in School That Are Banned for Kids Today
By Julie Prince
chat 216 comments
Dodgeball
Image Credit Shutterstock

Things sure have changed from when I was a kid in the '80s! I was contemplating the "rules" for my kindergartner's Halloween party at school and it dawned on me how much has changed from when I was in elementary school. There are so many things they can't or don't do anymore and some are kind of sad.

10. Playing Dodgeball at Recess

I remember racing Justin Thompson everyday from the top of the stairs all the way down to the far tennis court to see who would get there first. Everyone wanted the far court to play a tough game of dodgeball. I still remember the smell and sound of that red gym ball as we would wind up to strike our victims. It was glorious. Too bad my kids won't ever know what a good dodgeball victory feels like because it's been banned by most schools for being too dangerous. Somebody may break their face off. What a pity.

9. Running on the Playground

https://pjmedia.com/parenting/2016/11/10/10-things-we-all-did-in-school-that-are-banned-for-kids-today/

[Smokin Joe]

We didn't have carpet squares or vending machines. But here are a couple of things:

Say the Pledge of Allegience. Complete, with the "one nation under God" part.

Pray. It was generally expected in the parochial schools, but we got to say The Lord's Prayer in the Public Schools, too.  When Kennedy was shot (John, not Bobby), a nun stuck her head in the door and informed us. We immediately stopped what we were doing and prayed for the President.

Bring toy guns to school and play cops and robbers and "Army" at recess.

If you didn't have a toy gun, you could find a stick, or even hold your hand with your fingers pointed to look like a pistol and say things like "Bang! Bang!" I got you!

Call someone a "faggot", even if they weren't, without having four news vans show up in front of the school and ending up on the six o'clock news.

Smoke. That's right. The High School I graduated from permitted upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) to have a cigarette in designated smoking areas. It was a suspension offense in the public schools.

[EC]

Never played dodgeball at recess. We played that in gym. Knuckles were our recess habit.

[mountaineer]

Thought I'd list the rest (without the commentary):

8. Clapping Erasers
7. Bringing in Homemade Cupcakes on Your Birthday
6. Dressing Up for Halloween
5. Having Your Friends' Parents Drive You Home
4. Sitting "Indian Style" on Your Carpet Square
3. Get a Tasty Treat or a Coke From the Vending Machine
2. Picking Your Valentine
1. Trophies for Winning

We never had vending machines, either, but I do remember when the high school I attended senior year added a smoking area. Of course, the kids still went out in the woods behind the school to smoke the wacky tobacky.

[Cripplecreek]

Apparently vending machines came after my school days. The only vending machines in our school were in the teacher's lounge.

[Idiot]

10 Things We All Did in School That Are Banned for Kids Today
By Julie Prince
chat 216 comments
Dodgeball
Image Credit Shutterstock

Things sure have changed from when I was a kid in the '80s! I was contemplating the "rules" for my kindergartner's Halloween party at school and it dawned on me how much has changed from when I was in elementary school. There are so many things they can't or don't do anymore and some are kind of sad.

10. Playing Dodgeball at Recess

I remember racing Justin Thompson everyday from the top of the stairs all the way down to the far tennis court to see who would get there first. Everyone wanted the far court to play a tough game of dodgeball. I still remember the smell and sound of that red gym ball as we would wind up to strike our victims. It was glorious. Too bad my kids won't ever know what a good dodgeball victory feels like because it's been banned by most schools for being too dangerous. Somebody may break their face off. What a pity.

9. Running on the Playground

https://pjmedia.com/parenting/2016/11/10/10-things-we-all-did-in-school-that-are-banned-for-kids-today/

Wow isn't that funny....  After I read your post about playing dodgeball with the red ball and the smell of it...it immediately brought back memories of playing dodgeball in the gym. Heck I can still remember the smell of the ball and even the texture of it.  Those were good times...nailing someone with that red ball...lol.  We played 4 square and 2 square with that same ball....even kick ball.  I had forgotten about these things....thanks for bringing back the memories.

[Cripplecreek]

I see kids wearing shorts in school today and that was an absolute no no when I was in school.

We also couldn't leave the school for lunch.

[mountaineer]

I see kids wearing shorts in school today and that was an absolute no no when I was in school.

We also couldn't leave the school for lunch.

Our school district didn't permit girls to wear pants until the year I was in 9th grade. Oh my gosh, I am so old.

[Elderberry]

We also couldn't leave the school for lunch.

I had lunch right after gym, my senior yr. I wouldn't suit up except if it was raining, cause then we'd play dodge ball. After roll call I'd be told to walk the track. I'd walk halfway around, jump the fence, and take my car to get lunch. Then sneak back in.

The assistant principal tired of teachers sending students caught smoking to him. So he'd tell them where to go to smoke where they wouldn't get caught.

After school sometimes we'd play more dodgeball. This time with basketballs. I loved dodgeball.

[Elderberry]

One other thing you can't do now in school is carry a knife. Every kid I knew had a pocket knife.

[chae]

I volunteered at a Head Start for a period time, and they had the rule that if you wanted to bring in treats for a birthday or something of that nature, they had to be from a grocery store or bakery in an unopened box. 
Considering one of the parents said, and I quote "It doesn't make any sense to me that you don't carry a bucket with you on the bus so that if a kid has to pee, you can pull over to the side of the road and let him go in the bucket."   And all but one family had questionable, at best, hygiene, it made total sense.

[anubias]

I volunteered at Head Start as well.  It was before they had busses as children were routinely not picked up by their mothers that were too high/drunk to come get them.  Busses would have been a good thing except I wonder what those poor kids walked into when they got off those busses.

As for school, dodgeball was my favorite sport except we used volleyballs instead of four-square balls.  We also brought clothespins and rubber bands to school to make guns to shoot the rubber bands that I assume would get a child arrested now.  We also brought yo-yo's and strings to do "Jacob's Ladder" and whatnot.  My grandkids tell me those are not allowed anymore either.

[andy58-in-nh]

One other thing you can't do now in school is carry a knife. Every kid I knew had a pocket knife.

In my collection, I still have the knife I carried to school with me every day, a nice little 4" Case two-blade that my dad gave me. It's over 50 years old and still in great condition. 

If a kid today did even 10% of the things that my friends and I did on a regular basis in high school, he would be expelled, if not imprisoned. And I was pretty much a straight "A" student.

[EC]

In my collection, I still have the knife I carried to school with me every day, a nice little 4" Case two-blade that my dad gave me. It's over 50 years old and still in great condition.

Eldest grandson has mine. It was given to my Dad on his 8th birthday, then me on mine, then my son's 9th birthday (I weren't home for his 8th), now it's my grandson's. It's just a cheapo two blader, but means something to us.

[dfwgator]

I had lunch right after gym, my senior yr. I wouldn't suit up except if it was raining, cause then we'd play dodge ball. After roll call I'd be told to walk the track. I'd walk halfway around, jump the fence, and take my car to get lunch. Then sneak back in.

The assistant principal tired of teachers sending students caught smoking to him. So he'd tell them where to go to smoke where they wouldn't get caught.

After school sometimes we'd play more dodgeball. This time with basketballs. I loved dodgeball.

My school was so tough we played dodgeball with bowling balls.

[Frank Cannon]

I don't know who this dizzy broad is or where she lives, but everything on that list except for two are currently done at my local school. One thing we do not have is eraser banging because they use dry marker on whiteboards now and the other are vending machines.....which is something I didn't have either.

If this shit bugs this lady so much she has two options. Get off her fat ass and get elected to school board and change things or move.

[Silver Pines]

We used to get to leave school grounds for lunch.  The high school was located next to a shopping center with a grocery store and a few little fast food places.  But that didn't last; some jerk kids shoplifted and they put an end to it for everybody.

[ABX]

I remember we had a hunting safety class in High School. It was not uncommon for someone to bring their rifle to class and learn about cleaning, etc. I seem to recall this was even a required class at the time, for people under 18 who wanted a hunting license. It also was not uncommon for guys to have rifles and shotguns on racks in their truck, coming to school from hunting in the morning.

This wasn't the 1940s or 50s. I graduated in the 90s.

[Cripplecreek]

We used to get to leave school grounds for lunch.  The high school was located next to a shopping center with a grocery store and a few little fast food places.  But that didn't last; some jerk kids shoplifted and they put an end to it for everybody.

Our school was about 4 miles from town in either direction.

[Lando Lincoln]

Not sure this applies, but what the heck. 

When I was in grade school, I always wanted to kiss Judy - my prettiest classmate.  Never did.  But, she went to Prom with me in my junior year of high school.  Sort of made up for it.   

[Silver Pines]

Our school was about 4 miles from town in either direction.

@Cripplecreek

I grew up in the city.  I wouldn't want to go back.

[EC]

Not sure this applies, but what the heck. 

When I was in grade school, I always wanted to kiss Judy - my prettiest classmate.  Never did.  But, she went to Prom with me in my junior year of high school.  Sort of made up for it.   

Carrie Anne Hughes. Stunningly pretty.

I did kiss her.

[Cripplecreek]

@Cripplecreek

I grew up in the city.  I wouldn't want to go back.

I've never lived in a town with more than a few hundred people.

[Elderberry]

In my collection, I still have the knife I carried to school with me every day, a nice little 4" Case two-blade that my dad gave me. It's over 50 years old and still in great condition. 

Would it happen to be this one? This is what I carried and still carry.

[andy58-in-nh]

Would it happen to be this one? This is what I carried and still carry.

No, it's this one:

Still sharp, after all these years (and after a bit of loving attention).