Mom Asks If Her Daycare Was Wrong For Keeping Her Child Inside During Recess As Punishment
Her question opened up a legal debate.
Rob Hainer / Shutterstock Recess is a part of the day that most kids look forward to. It’s a time to get fresh air and be free of a structured routine.
One child had this opportunity taken away from him for what his daycare teachers called “acting badly.”
A mom is trying to figure out if her daycare is in the wrong for taking away her son’s recess as punishment.
One mother took to the Mommit subreddit to ask for advice regarding her son’s punishment. She explained that her family recently moved, forcing a daycare change for her two children.
Their previous daycare was “beloved,” so this was a tough switch, but the kids “have adjusted well overall.” That is, until a week ago.
The mom claims that all was well for weeks, and said that “the teachers have always said glowing things about my kids being well behaved.” This all changed when her son began to struggle with nap time. At this point, the teachers told her he “was not being quiet during nap time.”
This proactive mom did her best to help out, working with her son at home. “I have spent the past few days since talking to him at home about listening to our teachers [and] being quiet at nap time,” she wrote. However, she thought this was just a phase that would soon pass. “I chalked it up to his body adjusting from the recent daylight savings time change,” she said.
One day, when her husband went to pick the children up from daycare, he found their son sitting inside one of the classrooms with a teacher who was sweeping the floor, while his class and teacher played outside on the playground. According to the mother, “The adult in the room mentioned it was something about him not napping at nap time… [My] husband was speechless but annoyed and left.”
The boy’s mom got involved by discussing what happened with his teacher. “The teacher heard me say ‘punishment’ and went on the defense,” she said.
His teacher argued that it was not a punishment, but rather just a 'time out' that lasted for the 25-minute duration of recess.
Other Reddit users were on the mom’s side. A look at the comments shows that others were fully backing up the mom. One person said, “If your child has energy during nap time and is having trouble being quiet, it makes zero sense to punish that child by taking away the time where they would burn off that energy.”
Other commenters brought up more serious matters, questioning the legality of the situation. “Is this legal?” one asked. “In Texas, we are legally not allowed to take a child’s exercise away as a punishment, not even an entire class.”
People who have questioned whether or not it is legal to take away recess as a punishment are on to something. The Hechinger Report says that some school districts already have policies in place banning using recess as a detention time, while some states are now considering passing legislation to protect children’s right to recess.
Furthermore, “Amid long, structured school days filled with academic demands, recess serves as a critical outlet and break for kids, according to pediatricians and child development experts.”
Clearly, due to the legal battle surrounding using recess as punishment, as well as information provided by experts, withholding it isn’t the best idea.
This mom, who chose to begin looking for another daycare to move her children to, was in the right. Kids need unstructured play time, and the best part of their day shouldn’t be held over their heads as a potential punishment.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.