Is this really neccessary?

In Fort Collins, CO students at the Bauder Elementary School have been introduced to a new way of improving posture and attention - excercise stability balls. The idea behind is that when students are practicing strengthening their cores this helps them concentrate on their work and remain focused.

"The whole theory with the brain is that when your body's engaged, your brain's engaged," Tiffany Miller (a teacher at the school) said. "I call it actively sitting. They're maybe moving their legs a little, wiggling some. But their upper body, they're focused on writing, on the teacher. It really works."

Ok I get the idea behind this and it really makes sense however, whatever happened to kids sitting right in their chair because the teacher said so? Actively sitting??!! Isn't that just another way of saying you can't control some students so you stick them on a rubber ball so they'll pay attention?

Granted I don't have children but sitting in such close range at work with so many Momma's I have heard many a story about the new rules for kids. The other day my friend was telling me how she wasn't allowed to bring cupcakes into school for her daughters birthday because it's an unhealthy snack and that she could bring carrot sticks or pretzels. Seriously?! I used to love coming into my classroom on my birthday carrying my munchkins box like a purse! Who wants to celebrate their birthday with a carrot stick? Another woman has a 5 year old daughter with a cell phone... who is she calling?? I couldn't even reach the house phone when I was five and I doubt that was a coincidence! Another says that kids aren't allowed to play tag in recess anymore because they aren't allowed to touch each other or invade their personal space. If we didn't play tag when I was in school we would've kick-balled ourselves crazy!

Umm hello I used to play a game in elementary gym where we literally all stood in a circle and jumped over an empty plastic milk jug tied to a rope. If you didn't jump fast enough then it would wrap around your ankle and the rocks that were inside would come flying out. Yup a rock-filled milk jug in gym glass, we played with it and I remember loving it. Poor Mr. Wonderland (coolest gym teacher ever) wouldn't dream of pulling that jug out nowadays.

Sorry for my rant i'm done now.