Labor Day has traditionally been a time of celebration and commemoration for the people of West Virginia. This year, it also marks a time of relief that a simple pleasure from childhood has not yet been given the heave-ho from schools — not yet anyway.
For those who have not kept up with the news, Cabell County schools announced earlier this week that swing sets were going to be removed at elementary schools.
It seems that the real and perceived threat of lawsuits had finally topped the cost of a playground tradition. It was more cost effective to lose the swing sets when one factored in the financial burden of being sued by parents of over-exuberant youngsters who take a tumble when flying high.
On Friday, the school system announced the swing sets would stay, citing a state policy that requires swing sets at all centers offering kindergarten programs.
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Are swings potentially dangerous? Of course. But for those of us who grew up playing make-believe super heroes, and other incredible creatures, we know the value of imagination and rough and rowdy fun should supersede our current culture’s litigious nature.
Yet the benefits of creative play can be a hard sell to those who must crunch the numbers. In an earlier Associated Press report, Cabell County schools safety manager Tim Stewart said the swing sets were being removed due to recent lawsuits and cost concerns over properly maintaining the protective barriers around the swings.
“I get a lot of mad parents basically accusing me of being un-American and saying this is as bad as taking away apple pie,” Stewart said in the AP report.
Actually, my thoughts are that apple pie has already been taken away in order to meet current nutritional guidelines aimed at preventing childhood obesity.
Interesting, isn’t it? We take high-fat, high-calorie foods off school lunch menus in an effort to keep students healthy and fit, then we try to take away a source of physical activity to prevent lawsuits.
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When I was growing up, swing sets were a source of immense pleasure, and pain. At my house, the No. 1 culprit for minor accidents and injuries was the tire swing hanging from the old apple tree.
I loved that swing, and would spend hours soaring to the sky while tucked within its circular chamber. My friends and siblings enjoyed it as well and, often, parent’s instructions were put to the side as multiple kids climbed onto the tire and pushed off for a ride into the heavens.
We knew the rule was one rider at a time. But that didn’t mean we always obeyed. I can recall occasions when five kids — sitting, standing and clutching the rubber circle — would push off from the dirt path and squeal with delight as the swing rose high into the air.
But all good things do come to an end, and such was the case with the tire swing.
One late-summer afternoon I began playing on the swing out of sheer boredom. In the preceding days, my parents had cautioned me about the swing — warning me that the limb holding the tire was dead, and likely to break at any time.
Did I listen?
One moment, my eyes were closed while enjoying a swift breeze that tickled the face. Then, came the ominous cracking sound. In an instant, I was pummeling to the earth.
After hitting the ground with a loud thud, I picked myself up, stepped out of the tire and gingerly made my way to the house. Mom knew something was wrong the moment I entered the kitchen.
“The tire swing broke, didn’t it?” she asked, while carefully accessing my condition. Meekly, I nodded yes.
Wearing a look of worry and frustration, Mom then simultaneously checked for injuries while lecturing me for not heeding parental advice and staying away from the swing.
If taking a cue from current culture, I now know Mom should have instead been thinking about what apple tree organization she could sue for cultivating trees with inferior weight-bearing limbs.
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While one can bemoan the decision of Cabell County schools for the attempt to rid their grounds of fun, and potentially dangerous, swing sets, the reality of their earlier decision is simply a reaction to current times.
The school system has been sued twice in the past year over swing set injuries. One lawsuit, eventually settled for $20,000, involved a broken arm when a youngster on a swing “jumped like Superman with arms extended,” Stewart told the AP.
Although I can fully understand the child’s antics, I don’t understand the parents’ decision to blame the school system. Kids do stupid and reckless things in their quest for fun. Why not accept the action, and the responsibility, and move on? Why blame the school system and curtail enjoyment for all the students?
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On this Labor Day weekend, I will be thankful I grew up in an era when I could ride high and fast on a swing — and fall — with no more repercussions than a knot on the head and an admonishment from my mother.
My parents didn’t make a buck whenever I trudged into the house slightly bruised. Instead they used the mishaps as a teaching tool and life lesson.
For me, they were invaluable learning experiences.
Samantha Perry is managing editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at sperry@bdtonline.com.
Columns
September 5, 2010
Simple joy of swing sets fading amid today’s litigious culture
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