Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Ruckus Raising is Essential for Good Health

When I was in elementary school, back before electricity, we didn't have to sit quietly and eat our lunch. We had no cafeteria monitors glaring at us if we had a negotiation with our table over a bag of cookies someone brought. I don't remember any food fights happening; most of us kids were starving by lunch and would have bit any hand that attempted to grab our sammich or apple. I got to sit with my friends, whoever they were on that particular day. When I was finished eating, I got to rush joyfully outside to the playground and raise a ruckus, which at that time meant that I ran, jumped, hollered, laughed, and had an all-around good time.

These days, however, kids are escorted into the cafetORIUM, marched through the cafeteria line, and then seated at assigned tables and expected to eat quietly without raising a ruckus. There are adults who monitor the tables to make sure that there's no ruckus raising. Anyone who starts to raise a ruckus is escorted out of the cafetORIUM(can you tell I hate that word?) and sent to the office for the standard beration and consequence. I've been in these places during lunch. It is a sadly unappetizing place. It should be outlawed on elementary campuses(but strictly enforced on middle school campuses, because those teenagers talk to darn much about nothing as it is).

What adults seem to have forgotten is that kids need to raise a ruckus at least once a day for optimal health. Most of them can raise a ruckus when they are at recess, unless their recess is as severely curtailed as their lunch. But a ruckus, even a small one such as a whoop of joy, must occur at some point during the day. If a kid doesn't get to raise any ruckus, their brains are stifled and they will not learn. It has been proven scientifically that running, jumping and other aspects of ruckus raising result in higher scores on standardized measures. Some schools have even purchased treadmills or other exercise equipment specifically for this purpose, but I could tell these places not to waste their money. All that is needed for proper ruckus rasing is wide open space in which to run, jump, and holler. Or a grassy hill to roll down while hollering. Or climbing to the top of the monkey bars while hollering. You get the idea. Hollering out your joy is at the heart of all ruckus raising.

I try to let Zane raise as many ruckuses as he can. I let him just run around the kitchen hollering at the top of his lungs for a minute or two before dinner. I let him run around the backyard, and some times I will chase him with the hose. He likes that, and I enjoy it as well. I guess that inside, I am still a kid who likes to raise a ruckus.

17 comments:

  1. Zane is obviously very lucky to have someone with so much insight as his Mommy!

    I agree with you completely!

    Cat Chat http://opcatchat.blogspot.com

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  2. seriously--how much energy needs to be expended to keep the ruckus from happening. It sounds exhausting. I would think the adults would want a break too--just shove 'em outside and close the doors!

    (as a former teacher, i used to be in awe of the teacher across the hall who had the quietest, most orderly classroom. I guess you can tell from that statement that mine was not...)

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  3. A few years back ...I would go have lunch with my grandson, and the close monitoring that was in force caused me to wonder if he and I could even laugh and enjoy one another. He's "grown up" now and has outgrown lunchtime with Pawpaw, but I still have my memories.

    I hear you on the "army brat" thing...I was one also.

    I have added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit my blog and become a follower also.

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  4. Following you from the Tues blog hop...would you mind paying a visit to my blog? You can click on the name Mommy Rantings. Also, a "like" on the facebook badge in the right hand column would be lovely too!

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  5. Hi! I'm a new follower from the Tuesday blog hop too. I'd love it if you'd check out my blog and follow back. Happy blog hopping!

    -DP
    Hip Chick's Guide to PMS, Pregnancy, and Babies

    www.twitter.com/hipchickblog
    My Facebook Fan Page

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  6. I'm all for ruckeses! The only fond memories I have of Junior High were the food fights.

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  7. Found you on the blog hop. Following:)

    Laura
    www.agoddessoffrugality.blogspot.com

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  8. Great blog and post. Love your description. Now following you from 6 in the nest blog hop. I'd love for you to follow me too at http://tvstake.blogspot.com

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  9. Oh, how I HATE what they've turned lunch into for the kids! My son and I have a standing date every other Tuesday where I go eat lunch with him. (His request, not mine!)
    Those lunch room monitors are like the Gestapo. Look straight at your food, don't talk, don't move until you're dismissed. Oh, and do NOT dare to try and sit with your friends! In the elementary school, they had to sit boy, girl, boy, girl. Why? Because they believed it "cut down on shenanigans".
    I remember that lunch was ONE place inside the school building where we could be KIDS. We could talk, compare horrible teacher stories, etc. And yes, I do remember a few good food fights. Let's just say there were a LOT of parents who discovered mustard and ketchup do NOT come out of clothing easily!

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  10. This post really made me smile!!

    I am your newest follower and would love it if you chose to follow back
    http://professionallyinsanem.blogspot.com/

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  11. Following you back! In my kids elementary cafeteria they actually have a stop light that is green when noise is low, goes to yellow when level goes up & at red level siren goes off & flashes then you have to stay in from recess. The Whole cafeteria. I have been fighting the school on this for years, & 10 year later that stupid light is still there! Don't they realize kids need to release some energy at recess and lunch is the only time they can even talk to friends, cause God forbid they make a peep in class or in the hallway. My blood is boiling just thinking about it! Glad last one is 10th grade and soon done with this. Actually once they hit 7th grade & up the noise level isn't a problem & the cafeteria isn't an issue, its only elementary kids that have the glaring lunch monitors & lights! Thanks for a great post!

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  12. Look at all the comments you're getting now!! I'M SO EXCITED!!

    Ahem.... sorry.... yes. Ruckus. Good.

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  13. As a former elementary teacher I can attest to the fact that kids need to raise a ruckus. I also hate the cafeteria rules and would try to always be there, everyday, to mediate when the Gestapo could intervene and when they couldn't.

    You have touched on a very important issue in schools; kids are not being treated as children, and that is perilous.

    Oh, and you are awesome.

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  14. Ruckus raising is the way to go. And I'm glad I can't even remember junior high school ;)

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  15. For a minute, you guys made me think that it was my birthday, with all these wonderful comments!

    Thank you!!!

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  16. Please delete this comment after reading as I just have a question of little importance.

    On my blog comments you say your now following me and I know you are because your profile shows you are. Your avatar appears on the comment section but on my follow wedgit your avatar doesn't appear. At the very back, I have a new follower "TMW Hickman"...is that you? I ask because your last follower is a Larry Hickman.

    Now...the reason I ask at all is because I use the avatars of my followers to return to their blogs from time to time to "catch up".

    Please leave your answer on my comments section and I'll delete it also. Thanks for the follow either way and God bless you.

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  17. School lunch is awful in so many ways. Really, why do kids need to stop being kids? Just to make life easier for the adults? This is one of the reasons we pulled our oldest out of public school and began homeschooling. Life is too short and kids should not have to rush to grow up. We love being able to go outside and run around in between school. At our house, that includes chasing chickens!

    Thank you for your insight...I'm following.

    http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com

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