Have we become too politically correct?

[We_Love_Disney]

Have we, as a society, become too politically correct?
My friend was telling me about the local elementary school letter that was sent home on Oct 30 for the first graders. In part it said; Here is a bag to pack your child's snack in, there will be no party. No costumes are allowed. The children will travel with their group from one grade one classroom to another. Classroom 1 will have pretend candy the children can play with, Classroom 2 will play with bones, Classroom 3 will tell 'scary' stories, and Classroom 4 will be for the snack time. The letter was signed.....get this.."happy autumn" Are they serious? These are 6 year olds.

Yet tomorrow, November 1, they collect candy from this non-holiday to give to the food bank during the non-holiday season that happens in late Nov thru Jan 1!

What do you think? Comments, stories of your own. Too far, or not far enough?

 

[Uncle Remus]

Bull

 

[tink_n_pooh]

that's just ridiculous

Happy Halloween!

 

[Aidensmom]

Ok, that is too funny! Pretend candy?

Yes, we are too politically correct. I think it is sad that Halloween can't be called Halloween. At my son's school, they had something called "Mathoween" last week. I really have no idea what that was as it was in the evening, and my son chose to attend his karate class instead, but I do know the children could wear costumes IF they were of storybook characters. What storybook characters have to do with math, I don't know.

 

[MareQ]

Yup - I agree - way too PC. We cannot please EVERYBODY so what's wrong with pleasing the majority?

In our school - all school calendars a few years ago had to be REPRINTED at an additional cost to the school because one family complained about the religious references. Since they weren't Christian or Jewish she wanted the ALL religious references and dates removed from the calendar. She also was unhappy about the Thanksgiving references as it's not a holiday her family recognizes. (They were a foreign family here for a few years - reassigned by her DH's job etc) The school politely refused to remove that reference stating that it's a AMERICAN holiday and they are in America....

Another family last year tried to ban the Pledge of Allegiance and all birthday celebrations and references, no parties- no boards on the wall noting each child's birthday, no hats(the teachers make cute birthday hats for the kids in the lower grades etc)

The school refused that one as well.

 

[shannonh]

I was just talking about this. I have a 2nd grader, her school has a party for about 20 minutes. They can dress up and they are paraded around the school. It's fun for them. There is an alternate party for the kids that aren't allowed to participate. I'm hoping all of the mumbo-jumbo doesn't make it to our country school anytime soon.

 

[chobie]

My son's class is having a Halloween party today, no costumes but they are going to have pizza and watch Roald Dahl's "The Witches" --the only catch is they have to have quiz on the movie, otherwise the teacher would not have been able to get permission. As long as they can somehow equate the holiday into preparing for the standarized tests its

 

[CEDmom]

That's really sad . I guess it just depends where you are. DD's school has gone all out for Halloween to the point of being extreme but it is lots of fun for the kids. The HS marching band will kick off the costume parade this afternoon. Each class will have a party and all staff are in costume.

We also have Christmas and Easter mentioned on the school calendar along with several Jewish holidays.

 

[Hedy]

Honestly? Having seen a Jehovah's Witness student ridiculed (in High School, for crying out loud) for chosing to leave the classroom during a Christmas video, I really don't have a problem with it.
Is Halloween cancelled at your house? Then what's the problem?

 

[jgmklmhem]

I find it some what amusing living in probably the most heavily populated Mormon county in the country ( I am not of that faith but am Christian) as well as one of the most conservative ones (being that conservative religious folk are normally the ones that protest Halloween activities), but my kids both have Halloween parades and parties in their public schools and I think it is great.

 

[gobears!]

Seeing that Halloween isn't a religious holiday and no one is excluded, (just choose to not participate) it seems silly to rename it. But, I agree, who cares really.

 

[dreamergirl78]

Totally too PC. Let's just call it what it is. It's Halloween. I promise my 8 year old will not sacrafice a cat on the playground. I also swear his Sorcerer Mickey costume has nothing to do with devil worship. It's a fun holiday for kids to dress up and be kids. Don't they have to grow up too fast anyway? I can see trying to include most religions during Christmas. But that can be very fun and educational as well. Shouldn't we teach that differences are ok and expand our kid's points of view. It is way out of hand.
My PC story has nothing to do with Halloween, but here goes. I was at a
B-B-Q at my best friend's house. We were having a discussion about affirmative action, etc. I said something about African Americans and a woman that was there (who is black) jumped all over me saying I offended her because she is not from Africa. To her that was more disrespectful than saying black. I felt horrible but I told her that honestly I didn't see how saying African American was a bad thing.
Honestly, I don't think I can win. It's a darned if you do and darned if you don't situation.

 

[CEDmom]

Honestly? Having seen a Jehovah's Witness student ridiculed (in High School, for crying out loud) for chosing to leave the classroom during a Christmas video, I really don't have a problem with it.
Is Halloween cancelled at your house? Then what's the problem?

Now, I don't in any way believe in ridiculing someone because of their beliefs. However, this is an example of why so many places have gotten so PC. The ridiculing aside, why is it ok for 25 kids not be allowed to enjoy something just so 1 child doesn't feel left out?

We bend over backwards not to offend a small minority and end up offending the majority. Honestly, where is the sense in all this?

Our school provides a fun program in the library for any child who does not celebrate Halloween. They're having stories, a snack and a craft but it's not Halloween related. It's an easy thing for every school to do.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I know I'm going to get killed for this, but it seems that people around my area are more riled up about whether their kids can have a party and if they can wear costumes and what they can have to eat than the how the kids are doing academically.

At the gym this morning, a couple teacher friends of mine were talking about how the biggest issue to the parents this week was whether or not there would be homework tonight-and these are middle and High School teachers!!!

Then there were the two mommies complaining about the fact that the kids couldn't have a costume parade and party. From that, they got talking about how they couldn't bring cupcakes in for birthdays anymore.

How can we expect our children to take education seriously if we don't? If what the parents are most concerned about is the social aspect, that's what the kids will view as most important too.

 

[famofsix]

When I was a kid I was not allowed to participate in Halloween celebrations. I had to sit outside the school principal's office on the bad kid bench while my friends ate candy and did a Halloween play. I felt awful and I felt punished.
Fast forward to now, I have my own kids and I let them dress up and trick or treat for the fun of it. They are allowed to dress up at school and they do have a short party. I draw the line at scary haunted houses and blood and gore...but that's just me.
I would not make the school cater to my beliefs by making them eliminate holiday celebrations however, I feel I have the right to have my kids not participate in something that goes against our family's belief system so I would find an alternative for my children and you can be sure it would not be sitting outside of the principal's office.
I feel it is important for children to develop a world view within their own family tradition. So for me, knowledge of other religions and celebrations is useful in their development of a worldview.
My community is largely Protestant and my 6th grader was the only kid in her class that knew anything about Passover in Social Studies. We are not Jewish. I thought that was sad. Being politically correct or sensitive to others should not mean the elimination of educating children about our differences.

 

[Jynohn]

I was just talking about this with some co-workers today. DD brought a note home saying they'd be celebrating "Autumn Day" and no costumes were allowed, but they could wear orange and black. I had no problem when my son was younger and they told us they could only wear fun costumes (no scary masks, etc.) but I think this is now gone too far. I happen to hate the color orange, so DD didn't have anything orange to wear.


It seems like it's no fun to be a kid anymore. Glad I grew up when these things weren't taken so seriously!

 

[cardaway]

People say and do outrageous and offensive things and then cry people are being too PC.

People go way too far and claim they were only trying to be PC.

It's too bad very few people recognoize the middle inbetween those any more.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

sad but true
people are babies

 

[chobie]

People say and do outrageous and offensive things and then cry people are being too PC.

People go way too far and claim they were only trying to be PC.

It's too bad very few people recognoize the middle inbetween those any more.

A big Amen to that.

 

[disykat]

I just think the letter was poorly written. They are obviously planning something special, why not emphasize that and let the kids call it whatever they want?

When I was teaching 20 years ago, my school only allowed 3 parties a year. The kids voted and my parties were almost always Christmas, Valentines Day and end of the year. For Halloween we always did educational stuff because the school had an evening carnival. I would bring in a pumpkin and we'd cook it down and make pumpkin bars. We wrote scary stories, made spiders for art, etc. I don't know that I ever felt the need to "call it" anything. I sort of focused on Fall, the kids thought of it as Halloween, and anyone who was uncomfortable with that could think Fall with me. We did fun, themed learning all day.

In the years I was teaching I only had one complaint. The parent apologized to me later - her husband had left her that week and she needed someone to be mad at.

My kid's school goes overboard on Halloween IMO. They spend all afternoon partying (most parties start at 12:15 so the parties/parade etc. take up 3 hours and 15 minutes of the school day) AND have a carnival at night. The school I work at doesn't have the evening event and parties start at 1:30. That seems more reasonable to me.