So, Eli and Ben have both told me about a school rule that says there is no touching. know that can't play tag, or have any kind of contact like that, but they both insist that the rule means no touching. So we talked about nice touching, and unwelcome touching, and that I was sure that it was okay to offer a hug to another child if they looked like it might be appropriate.
But they are sure there is no touching.
That would be quite a cold environment, and I have a hard time accepting that. From knowing the school, and some of the teachers, and from meeting the principal and having an idea of where he stands, I doubt that they really mean that. So, I emailed him with the story and with my concerns. I hope to be able to got back to Eli and Ben and tell them I was right...
We'll see...
UPDATE: I talked to the principal, who is a very genuine and sincere nice guy. I explained the whole deal to him. He said that the did have a "no touching" rule, but that it was really about games and pushing, that kind of thing. He agree that hugs (as long as the other child wanted a hug, and it wasn't distracting to the class) were of course okay. It was nice to be able to report this back to Eli and Ben.
