That's 's probably what happened/happens. Adults actually gathering the eggs and helping their kids get all of the eggs. Or the more aggressive and older kids getting all of the eggs. I can see why they had to implement the alternative way. Have you ever watched kids at a parade when they are throwing candy? They get very aggressive and push the younger ones out of the way. I guess the solution would be for people to have their own private hunts. That's what we used to do.

Healthy competition is--to my mind--a GOOD thing for preparing children to succeed in the workplace and in life. We're already raising the second generation of kids who get to the point of getting entry level jobs and don't have a clue how to get along in the workplace--they expect to be coddled (and paid), whether or not they do a good job.

To my mind, the best way to handle those kinds of things? I keep back some of the prizes (eggs at Easter, candy from pinatas) and I discretely walk around, dropping a few in front of those little kids who aren't getting as many--they still get the thrill of finding the eggs, and feeling successful.

A note: when my dd was a child, and the schools were already starting to run 'contests' where 'every child won a prize'--I went out of my way to get her involved in competitive areas, so she could learn what I felt was a valuable life lesson. She's a much more realistic adult, and a very responsible employee--partly, I believe, because she understands competition and that hard work is rewarded.

I agree that egg hunts are kind of dumb unless it is segregated by age. The little kids don't quite get it and end up being bowled over by the big kids.

Even at home I would put my kids first initial on the eggs and they were only allowed to find their own eggs. It was funny when they would find the other one's egg and then try to pretend to have not seen it. When they were too old for egg hunts, the kids hid the eggs and their father and I hunted for them. They'd do the "hotter, colder" routine as we searched. Silly, but fun.

Those mass egg hunts are an invitation for disaster.

I don't know how they do it in our community now, but it used to be that it went by age. Smaller kids hunted in more 'open' areas. I don't remember what age groups they had, but it was about as fair as you could get. Each group was well supervised.

Shirley

azzalea, think i have to agree with you...life isn't fair for everyone..sort of that "new" helicopter" parent attitude!

Dedtired, that's a great way to make sure your kids all get a crack at finding eggs. (Really, no pun was intended!) I used to do that with the Easter baskets as they found it so fun to look for them. I love how you've turned the tables on the egg hunt! My 19-y-o (youngest,) still loves to hunt for eggs when she's home for Easter so I happily oblige.

My kids are all teens now, but way back when-yes, there are parents who aggressively hunt the eggs with their kids....unreal! The kid holds the basket and the parent scoops up as many eggs as possible running in front of other kids. That was the last one we went to except for small neighborhood ones. I also remember one year Publix held an Easter egg hunt inside the store with eggs hidden amongst the groceries. I hadn't known about it and arrived about 20 minutes after it started. The store looked like a tornado went thru it. Wonder whose idea that was LOL?

It's crazy. I think those are the kind of kids who grow up to want what everyone else has but don't want to have to put forth the same amount of good judgment and hard work. So they support concepts like more taxes on people who make more money so they can get more for themselves with less effort on their part.

And in my community it's no longer an Easter egg hunt - it's a Spring egg hunt. Just like at my company it's no longer the Christmas holiday we have off - it's the Winter holiday.

We did one group Easter egg hunt when my kids were little and decided that was enough. The parents/grandparents were rude, pushy, and getting all of the eggs. Competition is fine, but it needs to be the kids against each other.

This reminds me of a contest the kindergarten kids were having in school, races, etc. I was measuring how far the kids could jump. There was a short little girl, who, for her size, jumped amazingly far. The winner was a tall boy who jumped further, but considering his size, it wasn't a big deal. I realized then that it all depends how you view a winner...

I've also heard of telling each child in a family he's to pick up only eggs of one color.

I used to hide a 'sequence' of plastic eggs with clues inside, each leading to the next until the last clue led to a completely hidden basket. Indoors, outdoors, all around the house!

I would hate to see an end to Easter/spring, whatever they are called, egg hunts. It is a fun group game for the children and can be a great teaching exercise (for kids and parents).

It would be so simple to separate children by age, and FORBID adults to be in the area with their kids at the time.

Give them, kids and parents, the rules ahead of time, and I believe most would cooperate.

Sue

I'm glad quite a few agree with me and expressed it better than I could. What's happened to good, clean competition?

Well I think I may be in the minority here but I've never exactly viewed an egg hunt as a competition. My community has a set amount of eggs and based on the number of kids, they get a set amount of eggs. That seems much more fair. The little kids get stuff and the big kids get to enjoy it too. I will say though that not all prizes in the eggs were of the same value and I suppose that's where the competition might have come from. I know this community started doing this years ago when most kids would go home with nothing and the kids with help from their parents got everything. Now that just doesn't seem fair.

What will these kids do when they are adults and have to face the fact that life is not "fair" and we don't all get the same number of eggs each day?????

"What will these kids do when they are adults and have to face the fact that life is not "fair" and we don't all get the same number of eggs each day?????"

1) File a lawsuit
2) Apply for government assistance
3) Complain a lot

Cynic, you are funny! The answer is probably all 3...