Moms of the Sixties believed that children were less irritable and/or constipated if they ran around out in the fresh air and sunshine as much as possible. It probably helped our moms' outlook, too.
The bell rang at Eastridge Elementary at 3:15 p.m., and we all walked home, with older siblings looking out for younger. We didn't have backpacks because we didn't have homework. What a concept! We accomplished a great deal at school because we wore our "school clothes" and knew not to bring "nuisance items", and then we went home, changed into our "play clothes" and played. It didn't hurt that our moms all knew that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and that bedtime was eight o'clock. We went to school fed and rested so we could do our job of learning, and then we played in the yard. All that fresh air and exercise helped us sleep and eat well. What a wonderful, healthy, balanced system! I wish no child would be left behind from that system, instead of being stuck in the perpetual testing mode of elementary schools today.
"Playing in the yard" looks like kids wearing plaid pedal-pushers, Keds, grass stains, and calamine lotion. It sounds like Simon Says, crickets, squeaky swingsets, and a golf ball bouncing on the driveway in a game of jacks. It tastes like strawberries with powdered sugar, honeysuckle flowers, watermelon, and roasted marshmallows. Playing in the yard smells of fresh mowed grass, dog poop, pine needles, soggy fall leaves, and chalk for hopscotch. It feels like grass between toes, snow down your overshoe, and the stinging burn of merthiolate* on your skinned knee.
*I hope no one uses that stuff anymore!
No comments:
Post a Comment