Do kids sit "Indian style" anymore?
I got to wondering this one recent visit from the speech therapist. Or is it a victim of some political correctness? We're working on trying to teach Cole to pick a square on our (conveniently) color-tiled carpet to practice being at school. When it's time for a new activity he is supposed to sit down with his legs crossed, quietly, wait patiently, and say "my turn" rather than grab or get up to cut in.
She noted that--at least around here--the teachers will be asking him to sit "criss cross applesauce." What? Pardon? Never heard it called that before.
Although I've done some research on the interwebs and found that the term for sitting on your butt with your legs crossed in front of you has a widely varying terminology including "tailor-fashion" and "Turkish style."
So...is this a regional thing? Is it like the soda/pop distribution map where if I'm in Ohio we say pop and Indian style but I'm living in the land of criss-cross applesauce and soda currently?
What really makes me laugh is the "applesauce" on the end...just for effect. They're kids, they like to rhyme. I get it. But the logical side of me wonders why a simple "cross legged" didn't take off? Is it because then we have to debate about whether it is "leg-ged" or "leg'd?"
We could eliminate confusion there with a simple, "please sit over here with your legs crossed."
Native Americans, are you upset one way or another? By the use? By the non-use? There are certainly much more harsh and wrong ethnic idioms. At least one Navajo I read said it didn't bother them. If I were Native American (technically I'm 1/32nd or something), I'd be more upset about Chief Wahoo and the Tomahawk Chop before I started getting all worked up about telling kindergartners how to fold their legs up.
Personally, I'm rooting for the Lotus Position to make a big cultural leap.
I got to wondering this one recent visit from the speech therapist. Or is it a victim of some political correctness? We're working on trying to teach Cole to pick a square on our (conveniently) color-tiled carpet to practice being at school. When it's time for a new activity he is supposed to sit down with his legs crossed, quietly, wait patiently, and say "my turn" rather than grab or get up to cut in.
She noted that--at least around here--the teachers will be asking him to sit "criss cross applesauce." What? Pardon? Never heard it called that before.
Although I've done some research on the interwebs and found that the term for sitting on your butt with your legs crossed in front of you has a widely varying terminology including "tailor-fashion" and "Turkish style."
So...is this a regional thing? Is it like the soda/pop distribution map where if I'm in Ohio we say pop and Indian style but I'm living in the land of criss-cross applesauce and soda currently?
What really makes me laugh is the "applesauce" on the end...just for effect. They're kids, they like to rhyme. I get it. But the logical side of me wonders why a simple "cross legged" didn't take off? Is it because then we have to debate about whether it is "leg-ged" or "leg'd?"
We could eliminate confusion there with a simple, "please sit over here with your legs crossed."
Native Americans, are you upset one way or another? By the use? By the non-use? There are certainly much more harsh and wrong ethnic idioms. At least one Navajo I read said it didn't bother them. If I were Native American (technically I'm 1/32nd or something), I'd be more upset about Chief Wahoo and the Tomahawk Chop before I started getting all worked up about telling kindergartners how to fold their legs up.
Personally, I'm rooting for the Lotus Position to make a big cultural leap.