34 of the Most Wildly Ridiculous Rules at Kids’ Schools

‘They banned running on the playground during recess’
34 of the Most Wildly Ridiculous Rules at Kids’ Schools

I’m not some incorrigible old scrooge who thinks kids these days are headed to hell in a handbasket because they’re looking at their phone instead of playing hopscotch. I understand you had a lot of fun playing jacks, old man, but we can both admit PlayStation blows those little repurposed caltrops out of the water. I’ve never used the term “snowflake” unironically, though I will admit to harrumphing about the demise of cursive.

Even the most liberal of parents have occasionally, however, been left speechless by a modern school policy. I don’t think kids should be getting injured every recess like they used to, but if they do go down? I feel like it’s fair to let them put on a Band-Aid without a caretaker’s personal confirmation. 

Parents on Reddit have shared moments their children’s schools have deserved, and earned, an exasperated “c’mon,” and I’ve collected the most eye-roll-worthy below.

GlitteryMoonbeamWhb . 6mo ago They banned running on the playground during recess
Adorable-Writing3617 . 6mo ago Real story - Kids aged 8 and 10 came home with a note, freaking out that the school was going to force them to allow doctors to look at their privates. Everyone in class was stressed over this. Upon reading the note | had to sign, it said curvature of the spine exam, and boys and girls will be screened in private areas.
SomeGuyNamedJ13 . 6mo ago Gave my brother an award for having a black parent....
Asshole_Poet . 6mo ago Edited 5mo ago Hah, my grade school principal tried to convince me not to call my mother when I'd broken my arm on the monkey bars. She was... upset about that. Edit: Quote from my mom to my principal: It infuriates me that you breathe the same air as I do.
PreviousSpread5142 6mo ago School wouldn't let my son carry his own ventolin inhaler for asthma; instead he needed to go to the administration office and ask for it (he was pretty good at knowing when he needed it). Head office lady called and said his frequency of visits was increasing, that perhaps he was forming a habit and should she still give it to him? Stunned silence... Не needs it to breathe...so yes, please still give it to him
Limpy-Seagull 6mo ago There was set to be a really good solar eclipse in 2015 and despite the children all having safety viewing glasses, the school intended to keep the children in the hall to watch on TV instead. The eclipse was expected at 0930, so I asked could I take him to watch the eclipse and return him to school immediately after and they said no, it would be recorded as an unauthorised absence if I did. So, I did anyway. It was a once in a childhood educational opportunity that the school planned for them to miss. I
lechef . 6mo ago During the protests in Hong Kong kindergarten told us not to allow the kid to wear a face mask or risk being detained by police or mistaken for a rioter. Kid was 6 at the time. Very dangerous age.
InadmissibleHug 6mo ago Argued with me about sun safety. More specifically my son wanted to wear long pants when he was supposed to wear shorts. | let him wear them. They were the same as the shorts required, just long. The vice principal called me to take me to task and told me that he couldn't possibly get sun damage on his legs because the kids don't stop moving. | told her to cut it out, and that she knew that was bullshit. I live in Australia.
colinthehuman94 . 6mo ago Not a parent, but my younger sisters' elementary school banned the Nike Just Do It shirts because they were suggestive. Suggestive about what and to whom??
Current-Pipe-9748 6mo ago My kids' elementary school issued a policy that the kid who, in an argument, delivered the last hit/blow would be punished. However, they did absolutely nothing about bullying, so often the kid hitting was a kid hitting back or defending themselves. So If someone punched my kid and my kid hit back, my kid would be punished. Once a little girl in first grade was attacked by a much older boy. She was very much into martial arts and dislocated his shoulder in the fight. They called in her parents and wanted to start some disciplinarian action
StylingMofo 6mo ago That children weren't allowed to have a best friend. If two kids got along too well, the teachers would intentionally separate them by switching desks, put them in different groups, not let them be partners on projects,.etc. They would even mess with their recess and let one kid out on time and the second a minute or so late, hoping the first would start playing with other kids before the best friend came out.
alancake 6mo ago During the summer holidays one year we dyed the last 6in of my daughter's long hair reddish purple. It had faded a fair bit by the time school started again, but we still braided it and put it up in a neat bun so no colour could be seen. One day it started to fall down after a PE lesson, so instead of simply helping her tuck it back up the teacher CALLED ME to tell me off for allowing her to have coloured hair. I was incredulous, and let the teacher know exactly what I thought
ghjkl098 . 6mo ago Didn't give my son an ice pack to put on an injured knee until they could speak to me and get permission (I was at work and so couldn't respond immediately and they didn't bother calling anyone else on the list) because according to them it is a medical procedure so they need parental permission. I don't even really care about the ice, it was a very minor injury. But I was baffled by their reasoning
AlienInOrigin . 6mo ago A friends son goes to a school that has banned all physical contact, including in sport. They can get suspended for any contact whatsoever.
heifferflump 6mo ago Kids were allowed real ear piercings, but my daughter wasn't allowed stick on ones. Apparently because kids could take them off and play with them. When I pointed out that real ones could get ripped out though they just looked at me clueless. I told them it was the most ridiculous rule I'd ever heard and let her continue to wear them.
WebBorn2622 6mo ago That kids had to invite their whole year to their birthday party. The whole year consisted of like 40-60 kids depending on what year you were in. If you weren't rich enough to rent a venue? Just don't have a birthday party My sister wanted to invite like 7 people in her class and have a small birthday party in our living room. And the school said that was exclusion. My mom said So 8 people are excluding 32 people?
Special_You_2414 . 6mo ago They made my husband leave work 40 mins away to put disinfectant spray and a bandaid on our 8yo son's slightly scraped knee that absolutely didn't require neither and he could've done himself cause they're not allowed to administer medicine
Icy-Tax8149 . 6mo ago They told me that her having head lice wasn't a reason to keep her out of school....... And then I understood how she freaking got them
useraccount4stonedme 6mo ago Girls were no longer allowed to wear tight leggings because it was distracting to male teachers. Yes
coolcookie27 6mo ago Not a parent. But my I went to pick up my sister because she wasn't feeling well. they'd tried to call my dad (who's deaf) and finally got to my mom who sent me to pick her up. It wasn't until after that my sister told me that the nurse didn't believe our dad was deaf. She told my sister he'll pick up if it's an emergency and gave my sister a suspension for lying about it.
 . 6mo ago After we asked them to keep his diagnosis confidential, his teacher announced his illness to his entire class. We hadn't even told him yet.
6mo ago MacDaddyDC tried to make my son sell crappy products for shitty prizes that were unobtainable and made it seem more important than anything else. The worst part was that the company proving the shitty merchandise kept 87% of all sales. I really have a problem sending my child door- to-door to solicit strangers after school hours for a so-called mandatory fund raiser, especially when you foist that crap on him and send him home with it. my kid goes to school to get a good education, not learn to be a Kirby vacuum salesman.
FallsOffcliffs12 6mo ago Kids get three passes during the semester to use the bathroom. What are they supposed to do when they've used them up? Mind you this is 5th grade when a lot of girls are starting their periods at inopportune times. Are they supposed to sit there bleeding? | told my kids, get up and walk out if you really need to use the bathroom-and I'll deal with it later.
1tacoshort . 6mo ago The northern most state is Washington. 'Sigh.
meow1983 6mo ago My daughter had 102 + fever but also had a choir concert that evening. Her choir teacher said if she didn't attend at least half a day of school and the concert that night she would have to write a six page research paper. I called the principal to protest when I couldn't change the teachers mind. The principal didn't want to undermine her teachers rules. So, if you're wondering why students keep getting sick it is because of stupid policies like this. My daughter attended half a day of school with a high fever and the
YourUncleCraig 6mo ago My older daughter came home from elementary school frustrated because an answer on her quiz was marked as incorrect. She had answered that a tomato is a fruit. Which it is. I wrote a note to her teacher to explain that, as it has seeds and grows from a flower, a tomato is actually a fruit. Said teacher wrote a response that said something like, While a tomato technically meets the definition of a fruit, because it is used like a vegetable, we are teaching the students that a tomato is a vegetable.
kuro-oruk . 6mo ago Called me in to talk about my child swearing. Turns out he'd said that Frozen was crap.
6mo ago laitnetsixecrisis My son got suspended for punching a kid that spat on him. The spitter didn't get in any trouble.
Falstaffe 6mo ago After I complained about a teacher, that teacher retaliated by putting my 10-year-old on lunchtime detention for sketching during lunchtime. My child is now starting their third year of a university design degree and their work has twice been chosen by lecturers to showcase to visitors and to future students as exemplars. The teacher now helps out in a health food со- ор.
 6mo ago Stream students in such a way that it was impossible for my son to earn a higher grade than a C, no matter how well he worked. Only the kids in the high achieving class could get As and Bs. Naturally that severely impacted his incentive to even try, especially as streams were set by teachers and could not be appealed.
Popular_Working_2234 . 6mo ago Closed the girls' toilets(secondary school) because they might be putting makeup on. Same school banned girls from wearing tight trousers as this might 'distract' the male teachers.
Puzzleheaded-Pay-416 . 6mo ago At the local high school dance, the assistant principal lifted female students skirts to ensure that their panties were not too skimpy. Because you know - thongs are immodest!
ColoradoWeasel 6mo ago They punished my son for being bored and looking out the window by canceling his math instruction. Не was in first grade and very advanced in math. Не was always multiple grades ahead of his class. So he got special one on one math lessons. During normal math time with his class he would race through the work then look out the window. The teacher did not like this so she punished him one week with no special math instruction. Sent his county provided tutor home each day. Не came home crying after no math for a
BitchinBitchTits . 6mo ago In preschool, my kid had a toilet accident and managed to convince the teachers I wanted the poo. Не said you'd want it! AND YOU BELIEVED HIM??!

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