2" tiny Lego gun almost causes suspension

[MaryAnnDVC]

My ds wanted to buy an EyeWitness World War II book at the book fair when he was in K last year, and when he brought it up to the regsiter they told him he couldn't buy it because he was too young for that kind of book. I had given him money for it, we have several of those books on the different wars throughout history and we wanted to expand our collection, who are they to say he is too young for that. I took him to Barnes and Noble the next weekend and bought it for him

These stories make me nuts. One year, the last week of school, when a couple of my kids were in elementary school, the principal sent home a letter saying NOT to let your kids read above their grade level (?!?!?!) because they MIGHT read a book that would be read during the following school year and therefore wouldn't show what their true reading ability was next year. I wrote her back saying that I would NEVER prevent my child from reading above his/her grade level, and that I was shocked at the suggestion. She called me and explained herself away. Yeah, OK...whatever. What an insane concept.

 

[eeyoremum]

I find this amusing because a girl in my son's class brought a pocket knife to school and the school did NOTHING.

She was on a school trip the next day. The only thing she did do was be absent for a group project to "punish" my son and his friend who told the teacher about the knife. She told them they were jurks and that she would not be at school so she could ruin their project.

If is was a boy who brought it to school they would have FREAKED. Not trying to be mean but that is the way it works in my community.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I actually worry about this kind of thing happening. We go over it and over it, don't put anything in your pocket, don't draw any weapons in school, don't take any pictures you have drawn that could be remotely construed as "weapons", and I still hold my breath at times.

Ditto!

 

[DawnCt1]

Common sense gone AMUCK!

Few years back my ds wrote a story at school. It was not about killing people but was actually a dialogue of sorts of a soldier and he drew some pictures with tanks.
DO you know I got a call, that his "story was okay" but the tanks were not!
I was like, HUH!! Was then told that tanks represented "violence" well, my dh went nearly ballistic and called the school as they said that my ds would have to go to the principal. For a Picture of a Tank (that was clearly related to the story he wrote???) Its not like he was blowing up people...
Long story short, the dh called school, spoke to principal who agreed it was a bit "overkill" no pun intended, for the teacher to have contacted us in the first place. (thats a first!) Meanwhile, my ds went on to win an award later that year for "artistic writing skills for Patriotism, " A presentation and local newspaper reported on it...... You can't make this stuff up.....so crazy...

Good for your son. There are just some things that are indisputable. Many boys are interested in wars, tanks, fighter planes, and GUNS! With my first born he had a lot of toys that were just unisex toys. I wouldn't buy him a toy gun. I didn't need to. He made one out of Legos. I think a book that parents of boys should read is the book by Christina Hoff Somer; The War Against Boys. It is older but still has a worthwhile message. There is a newer book that looks interesting to; Why Boys Fail by Richard Whitmere. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/excerpt-boys-fail-richard-whitmire/story?id=9561763&page=2
There just seems to be a lack of common sense that fails to recognize that boys aren't always interested in what girls are interested in. I don't know of too many pistol packing Barbies, but GI Joe comes with a gun.

 

[DawnCt1]

I find this amusing because a girl in my son's class brought a pocket knife to school and the school did NOTHING.

She was on a school trip the next day. The only thing she did do was be absent for a group project to "punish" my son and his friend who told the teacher about the knife. She told them they were jurks and that she would not be at school so she could ruin their project.

If is was a boy who brought it to school they would have FREAKED. Not trying to be mean but that is the way it works in my community.

I think that is the way it works in a lot of schools across the nation. Boys are expected to behave like girls.

 

[luvmy3]

I have to disagree with you...MOST 9 year old boys that I know are out of touch! They don't think of whether the little plastic toy (2"? C'mon..) they stuck in their pocket is considered by overzealous adults to be a weapon or not. If asked, they most likely would look at you like you had three heads. I can see one of my NON special needs boys popping a little lego guy in his pocket and forgetting about it.

I actually worry about this kind of thing happening. We go over it and over it, don't put anything in your pocket, don't draw any weapons in school, don't take any pictures you have drawn that could be remotely construed as "weapons", and I still hold my breath at times.

My oldest ds is a young military buff and he loves to draw so naturally he combines the two. I hate that I have to tell him to not draw what he loves when he has free draw time.

 

[eeyoremum]

I think that is the way it works in a lot of schools across the nation. Boys are expected to behave like girls.

I agree the school system is based on girls needs (so another debate)

But really the girl should have been suspended and NOTHING was done.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

My oldest ds is a young military buff and he loves to draw so naturally he combines the two. I hate that I have to tell him to not draw what he loves when he has free draw time.

Both of mine love to draw stuff from video games, guns, robots, tanks...I tell them they have to do it at home. Makes me mad, too, but I am afraid of what would happen if a teacher saw them. Boys don't like to draw unicorns and flowers, they like to draw action..in fact, if mine came home with a unicorn or flower drawing, THEN I would worry.

 

[luvmy3]

Both of mine love to draw stuff from video games, guns, robots, tanks...I tell them they have to do it at home. Makes me mad, too, but I am afraid of what would happen if a teacher saw them. Boys don't like to draw unicorns and flowers, they like to draw action..in fact, if mine came home with a unicorn or flower drawing, THEN I would worry.

So true

 

[DawnCt1]

I agree the school system is based on girls needs (so another debate)

But really the girl should have been suspended and NOTHING was done.

Oh, I agree with you. Girls are held to a different standard. I remember that when DS#2 was in kindergarten, there was a little girl who was going around grabbing little boys' crotches. The BOYS got in trouble, and those parents got called, until one parent had enough, and told the school, "you better find out what is going on in that child's home before you call mine".

 

[PollyannaMom]

A 2" lego plastic toy is not a weapon and common sense would tell anyone that it can't be mistaken for a real one either.
The rule should apply to real weapons (obviously) and toys that resemble real weapons enough that they can be mistaken for the real thing....

Exactly, "no real weapons or fake weapons that appear real" makes sense. I certainly get that a realistic-looking toy gun could be used to terrify other kids. But every kid I know recognizes Legos as toys.

(Gosh, I can picture DS having a Lego person in his pocket and not even realizing it still had it's tiny little prop in it's tiny little hand! - "But I didn't take a gun, Mom, I just took a guy!")

 

[DawnCt1]

Both of mine love to draw stuff from video games, guns, robots, tanks...I tell them they have to do it at home. Makes me mad, too, but I am afraid of what would happen if a teacher saw them. Boys don't like to draw unicorns and flowers, they like to draw action..in fact, if mine came home with a unicorn or flower drawing, THEN I would worry.:laughing:

Unless it was the sixties!

 

[shortbun]

ITA! I agree with your entire post, but particularly the bolded part. I can remember our DSs taking little GI Joe guns to school and trading them at recess. Now they would be bounced out of school for trafficking in "arms". It has gotten beyond ridiculous.

lol, actually kids are not allowed to trade things in most schools because they change their minds and bad things happen-parents come in screaming, kids hurt each other, screaming and crying, etc. I really don't think it's a bad idea to have school be a gun free-any gun-zone. If the kids want to pick up sticks and use their immaginations, that's another issue.

I would have a huge problem with a teacher who tried to censor my son's choice in reading material just because it had a war theme. But-he doesn't need to bring his toy guns to school.

Btw, I think the gun in this case is very realistic albeit small. My sister has a very small pistol she sometimes carries that is palm sized. It's pretty too. Would a toy that looked like a dainty woman's pistol be ok because it's not typical? I'm just saying guys-don't your kids have plenty of time to play with their toy guns at home? How about a great game of four square, tag, red rover, basketball, kickball...there are so many options on the playground.

 

[agnes!]

lol, actually kids are not allowed to trade things in most schools because they change their minds and bad things happen-parents come in screaming, kids hurt each other, screaming and crying, etc. I really don't think it's a bad idea to have school be a gun free-any gun-zone. If the kids want to pick up sticks and use their immaginations, that's another issue.

I would have a huge problem with a teacher who tried to censor my son's choice in reading material just because it had a war theme. But-he doesn't need to bring his toy guns to school.

Btw, I think the gun in this case is very realistic albeit small. My sister has a very small pistol she sometimes carries that is palm sized. It's pretty too. Would a toy that looked like a dainty woman's pistol be ok because it's not typical? I'm just saying guys-don't your kids have plenty of time to play with their toy guns at home? How about a great game of four square, tag, red rover, basketball, kickball...there are so many options on the playground.

Oh no, not an option here. At our local grade-school one of the stated rules is that the kids WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO RUN ON THE PLAYGROUND. I kid you not...

agnes!

 

[luvmy3]

lol, actually kids are not allowed to trade things in most schools because they change their minds and bad things happen-parents come in screaming, kids hurt each other, screaming and crying, etc. I really don't think it's a bad idea to have school be a gun free-any gun-zone. If the kids want to pick up sticks and use their immaginations, that's another issue.

I would have a huge problem with a teacher who tried to censor my son's choice in reading material just because it had a war theme. But-he doesn't need to bring his toy guns to school.

Btw, I think the gun in this case is very realistic albeit small. My sister has a very small pistol she sometimes carries that is palm sized. It's pretty too. Would a toy that looked like a dainty woman's pistol be ok because it's not typical? I'm just saying guys-don't your kids have plenty of time to play with their toy guns at home? How about a great game of four square, tag, red rover, basketball, kickball...there are so many options on the playground.

We have that lego toy and it does not look realistic, it looks like what it is. A small black piece of plastic cast in the shape of a gun. The most ironic thing is that there are other everyday objects found in school that would do worse damage if one decided touse them as a weapon, take a pencil or a stapler, or a pair of scissors for instance. I don't have a problem telling kids that these little gun like toys are not appropriate for school, but to take a kid to the principals office, calling parents and accusing him of being something other than a kid with a toy and threatening suspension over it is insane.
My dses love to play battles,whether that be star wars, soldiers or whatever, why do they have to change who they are while they are in school? Give them a choice to play kickball or "star wars war" then they'll always pick the latter.

If your sister's toy gun looks like it could be a real one, then of course that wouldn't be acceptable.

 

[LUVMYTINK]

We have that lego toy and it does not look realistic, it looks like what it is. A small black piece of plastic cast in the shape of a gun. The most ironic thing is that there are other everyday objects found in school that would do worse damage if one decided touse them as a weapon, take a pencil or a stapler, or a pair of scissors for instance. I don't have a problem telling kids that these little gun like toys are not appropriate for school, but to take a kid to the principals office, calling parents and accusing him of being something other than a kid with a toy and threatening suspension over it is insane.
My dses love to play battles,whether that be star wars, soldiers or whatever, why do they have to change who they are while they are in school? Give them a choice to play kickball or "star wars war" then they'll always pick the latter.
If your sister's toy gun looks like it could be a real one, then of course that wouldn't be acceptable.

That's what #2DS and his classmates play everyday at recess.
It's either Star Wars or Marines, which isn't really a big surprise since all the boys he plays with fathers, including his, are Marines.

Obiviously drawing Star Wars characters with their light sabers and guns doesn't cause concern in my youngest boy's classroom since that is all he drew with his sentence of the day for 4 months.

 

[DebD4T]

Oh no, not an option here. At our local grade-school one of the stated rules is that the kids WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO RUN ON THE PLAYGROUND. I kid you not...

agnes!

LOL...at my children's former school, at recess the children were supposed to sit on the ground and play. Please keep in mind that they wore uniforms, so the girls were supposed to sit on the ground in their skirts...in the dead of winter...

There was a no running rule in effect also. And no ball playing. I remember one time some boys made a ball out of aluminum foil. They were repremanded because that ball could hurt someone. Really...

 

[Mickeypooh99]

These stories make me nuts. One year, the last week of school, when a couple of my kids were in elementary school, the principal sent home a letter saying NOT to let your kids read above their grade level (?!?!?!) because they MIGHT read a book that would be read during the following school year and therefore wouldn't show what their true reading ability was next year. I wrote her back saying that I would NEVER prevent my child from reading above his/her grade level, and that I was shocked at the suggestion. She called me and explained herself away. Yeah, OK...whatever. What an insane concept.

That is crazy. What gives the principal the right to tell you what your child can or cannot read at home? What is the matter with some people?

 

[Mermaid02]

It was a LEGO toy for God's sake... the most dangerous thing about it would be stepping on it with bare feet..... OUCH!

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I received a phone call that my son and the boy who received the gift were both being suspended because the suction cup darts were considered a weapon.

(...) I of course continued my argument that this whole incident was caused by my stupidity. (... ).

Wait-a-minute!!!

Administrators at your kid's school thinks that suction cup darts are a weapon ... and YOU feel stupid?!?

Does that seem a little Kafka-esque to anyone else, here?!?

I really don't think I could express in words how much I HATE HATE HATE "zero-tolerance policies." I just call them "zero-thought policies."