A mum calling for the playground game Tag to be banned in schools faced a scathing reaction from Piers Morgan when she appeared on Good Morning Britain.
Amy Nickell visited the ITV show to argue her case, claiming that her son came home 'with a bruise on his chin' after playing the game at school.
On the other side of the debate was behavioural specialist and author Jo Hemmings, who said that children's games should have a certain level of risk in order for them to learn how to cope with certain situations.
The debate was based on recent news that Joanne Smith, head teacher at the Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery in Brighton, had angered parents after banning children from playing Tag on the premises.
Advert
Speaking in support of the school's decision, the mum said: "Wait a minute, who's the winner in Tag? Tag's not about winning or losing, it's literally about one-upmanship."
Jo, one the other hand, said games of this type are good for releasing children's dopamine levels, adding: "Tag is fun. You have to have a certain amount of danger in games."
As you'd imagine, Piers had something to say about it - after Amy revealed that her son had been hurt on the playground, he joked, "Oh no, did he? Is he ok?"
The presenter then went on to say: "I think the audience is watching at home thinking, 'What is going on? Why are we even having these conversations?'
Advert
"We are creating a generation so snowflakey they won't even be able to leave their houses when they leave school.
"We have protected them so ridiculously they are totally ill-prepared for the real world - which, by the way, isn't all about everybody wins and everybody's nice. The real world is tough. You've got to be tough to deal with it."
Guess they'll have to agree to disagree.
Advert
The audience back at home had just as many opinions on the matter, with one viewer writing on Twitter: "That blond woman was talking utter tosh. Children need games like tag to let off energy. They learn so much from these games. As a retired teacher I see the merit of such games."
Another added: "As a sports coach tag like games are fundamental in everything I do with early years foundation level children, they are fun, yet competitive and get so many returns in regard to the children's all round development."
Featured Image Credit: ITVTopics: TV and Film, UK Entertainment