I have read some of the stories about the skateboarder problems. I understand that these kids should have a place to skateboard, and that some of the museum employees who wrote about this problem wanted to find a peaceful solution, but shouldn't this problem be handled more firmly, whereas you give fair warning to the skateboarders to not use the museum facilities as a playground, and if you disregard this rule, you will have to face a punishment e.g. pay a fine, parents or children; or do community service), and if that doesn't work, then maybe the authorities should talk to the parents of these children.
A business, especially a museum with some of its artwork outside, must be firm in dealing with these kids, and not have to cater to their every whim - especially when not dealing with the educational purposes of the museum. As a former teacher assistant and teacher, I know for a fact that if us adults don't set boundaries, even to something like skateboarding on the museum's grounds, then they won't learn to respect the museum as a special place of education, not to be used as a stomping ground, or at least not respect it as quickly.
Unfortanately, some of the children -not all of them- may not be getting the discipline and boundaries that they need at home (another close observation of a teacher/assistant teacher), so the rest of the adult society have to sometimes bear the brunt. Well, I must be going.
Sincerely,
Merri
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