Pre-school bans kids from using term "Best Friend"

[ssjup81]

Hm, 2 steps forward, 100 steps back. This is so stupid. It's like people don't want kids to learn how to deal with disappointment or loss or any of that other stuff you have to learn to deal with as kids so you can deal with it as adults. People move away, people grow apart, it's a part of life. The generations coming WILL be nothing but delicate little snowflakes who can't handle any type of negativity or finding healthy ways to deal with that negativity.

Anyway, I doubt kids will actually go by this, though. They'll probably still have a best friend regardless. It's only natural.

[newfan]

While I get what some mean by 'Best', when used here it doesn't mean someone is better than someone else, for I don't know how long it has just meant a child's/persons closest friend, most see it that way.
TrutleWA, agreed on inclusion and encouraging a wider number of friends, this is being done is schools (I assume across the board) and is a good thing, preventing close friendships is different (I know you didn't say it wasn't btw, I'm just continuing on), this is natural to all of us, but as pointed out, that isn't what the article was about.

... I got into 2012's trutles and I end up here taking about best friends ....LOL

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by newfan

... I got into 2012's trutles and I end up here taking about best friends ....LOL

The folks around here have a lot of feelings.

[newfan]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

The folks around here have a lot of feelings.

Oh, that post wasn't meant as complaint, I just found it funny getting into some conversations and then remembering why I came here to start

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by TurtleWA

If your under the impression that folks are trying to take friends away, stopping kids from making friends or forming close bonds. Then you have missed the point. No one is wanting to do any of that.

Then what exactly it will achieve? Alright, you banned the word, but kids still will make best friends with someone. So what's the point?

Why rising generation of fragile hypocrites who will say one thing, but do the other?

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Can't have one kid feeling privileged and another kid feeling inferior now...

Seems some people definitely operate on this logic, no matter how little sense it does.

[Casey]

You guys get offended by every clickbait article the media posts. “They can’t say best friends!? This is because they started letting boys wear pink! I knew this would happen!” But then someone is like “Hey, you’re using the wrong pronouns and it really sucks so...” and you scream “Stop being offended!!!”

[TurtleWA]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

The folks around here have a lot of feelings.

And opinions. I think that is a good thing btw imo. I like the folks around here bc of that.

Originally Posted by Sumac

Then what exactly it will achieve? Alright, you banned the word, but kids still will make best friends with someone. So what's the point?

Read the article in OP and it may offer insights into what the school is hoping to achieve. I can’t help you beyond that.

[Wesley]

Political correctness gone mad.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Casey

You guys get offended by every clickbait article the media posts. “They can’t say best friends!? This is because they started letting boys wear pink! I knew this would happen!” But then someone is like “Hey, you’re using the wrong pronouns and it really sucks so...” and you scream “Stop being offended!!!”

Funny how this works, right?

[Utrommaniac]

My mother is the director of a pre-school. And if I know anything about my mother, she would call great b-s on this .

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Casey

You guys get offended by every clickbait article the media posts. “They can’t say best friends!? This is because they started letting boys wear pink! I knew this would happen!” But then someone is like “Hey, you’re using the wrong pronouns and it really sucks so...” and you scream “Stop being offended!!!”

Dissaproving of something does not equal to being offended.

[Utrommaniac]

Yeah, there's a big difference between what "best friend" means to a nine year old and a four year old.

I'd surmount the whole issue in this particular school being from someone higher up in staff being sick of "best friend" being "weaponized" as described earlier. It's a dumb reason, but it's the best I can think of.

Right around Duckling's age, I would guess that kids start to scale back on that "Bestie Warfare".

(Though, I'm not really one to talk, as I didn't exactly have a "best friend" in school, on account of being the weird kid with a double whammy of being very early bloomer)

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Yeah, there's a big difference between what "best friend" means to a nine year old and a four year old.

I'd surmount the whole issue in this particular school being from someone higher up in staff being sick of "best friend" being "weaponized" as described earlier. It's a dumb reason, but it's the best I can think of.

Right around Duckling's age, I would guess that kids start to scale back on that "Bestie Warfare".

(Though, I'm not really one to talk, as I didn't exactly have a "best friend" in school, on account of being the weird kid with a double whammy of being very early bloomer)

I'm not sure the difference is so much what it means as how they deal with it at those ages. A nine (10 in her case) year old realizes that people have different interests and tastes, so they don't internalize it as much, where the 4 year old see it as one person getting more attention from the friend even though they are friends with both. That makes a difference, I think. It's all in the maturity level of the friendship.

[Machias Banshee]

Enough of the Personal sniping/attacks... you can debate this stuff, but stop it with getting PERSONAL.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Apologies, Machias. That might have been a bit over the line. I do feel however that certain behavior has been going on too long, mainly concerning belittling the opinions and beliefs of others here, and especially treating anyone with differing views as "leftie snowflakes". That is a violation of rules, isn't it?

[newfan]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Yeah, there's a big difference between what "best friend" means to a nine year old and a four year old.

I'd surmount the whole issue in this particular school being from someone higher up in staff being sick of "best friend" being "weaponized" as described earlier. It's a dumb reason, but it's the best I can think of.

Right around Duckling's age, I would guess that kids start to scale back on that "Bestie Warfare".

(Though, I'm not really one to talk, as I didn't exactly have a "best friend" in school, on account of being the weird kid with a double whammy of being very early bloomer)

I can relate a little to the last part of that only I was fortunate to have had a few close friends.
I found that 'best friend' issues came as an older child rather than a younger one, you spend time with another child (without the best friend) and you are called out by class members, that mindset had gone by the teens years but I still had a close friend who I was with most of the time besides having other friends. (she's remained a good friend)

I don't think it's the description or that a child has a close friend that is an issue, it's the taunting 'nah, you aren't my best friend, he is' or pairing and not playing with others also, that's what I meant earlier about encouraging inclusion and friendships instead.

[Utrommaniac]

That's actually a good point...and probably part of why "best friend" can be weaponized. Especially when they want to deliberately isolate other children. Which does happen in preschools.


Of course, the big problem is, what preschooler is going to abide by this "rule"?
If anything, they would probably have made the problem worse.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Machias Banshee

Enough of the Personal sniping/attacks... you can debate this stuff, but stop it with getting PERSONAL.

That's fair.

[newfan]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

That's actually a good point...and probably part of why "best friend" can be weaponized. Especially when they want to deliberately isolate other children. Which does happen in preschools.


Of course, the big problem is, what preschooler is going to abide by this "rule"?
If anything, they would probably have made the problem worse.

Yes there is a difference in what you can expect an older child to understand. We have people who are closer to than others but obviously think differently, we wouldn't turn to a colleague at work and say 'I like you but ,<whatever name> is my favourite person here, I like you 2nd best,

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

That's actually a good point...and probably part of why "best friend" can be weaponized. Especially when they want to deliberately isolate other children. Which does happen in preschools.

Who can weaponize it?
Little kids?