I remember dreading going back to school after vacation. I remember feeling that the break was not long enough and that I still had a lot of sleeping to do.
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That early wake up the first week back was painful. Maybe that is because I only remember middle and high school.
The two week break that my daughter just finished was plenty long enough—for her and for me. I was lucky to have been able to also take some of that time with her. One of the last days of vacation, she asked me if she could go to her school playground. She missed the monkey bars. Even though it was pretty cold out, I happily obliged. I knew she needed the fresh air and exercise.
She spent a solid 30 minutes running from various monkey bars to slides and back again. However, once I could no longer feel my fingers, she asked if we could go peer in the window of her classroom. We found her room and she regaled me with stories about school and how much she could not wait to go back.
I was pretty proud. (I decided not to be offended that she was a bit bored of running errands with her mom). I was also very happy that the food she was served at her school is healthier than it was when I was a kid and that her school understands the need for kids to have 2 recesses each day.
My only disappointment with her school (and almost all Maine schools) is that she only has PE once a week for 45 minutes. That is just not enough. The American Heart Association believes that kids C’s age should have PE for 150 minutes a week—that is over 100 minutes more than her current level. Half of that time should be spent in vigorous physical activity. Sure, she runs around at recess, but what about the kids who don’t? They need to learn what quality PE teachers teach. Lifelong habits that promote good health and safe exercise. Then maybe C’s generation will be able to turn around our obesity trajectory. Good thought for a new year.
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