UK kids have it worse than prisioners

[Blair]

This is where I can say I'm grateful I grew up on a farm. I spent a fair amount of time outside either playing the neighbouring kids (Did you know a two man canoe can fit six kids in? True story) or horse riding with my mother.

I think a massive part of the problem is that parents don't want their kids (think 10 year old plus) going to the park by themselves. The local park near me has had used needles found in the sandpit and such. Or even walking around with friends due to the increase panic of thinking that they'll get abducted or assaulted.

 

[nightshade]

Maybe that's where you are but here more and more people are setting up activities for children, new dance classes are starting up all the time, we have rugby tots started, you can even gets kids doing aerial fitness with hoops and things. None of those rely on government funding, and most things here don't, they are set up by people and funded by people, yes they will cost more per session, but it's getting kids involved in something, and most places do a free first session so the kids can try it out and see if they want to continue.

The aerial class btw is £38 for every 6 weeks, so less than a family for one movie

 

[Mr Trick]

This is where I can say I'm grateful I grew up on a farm. I spent a fair amount of time outside either playing the neighbouring kids (Did you know a two man canoe can fit six kids in? True story) or horse riding with my mother.

I think a massive part of the problem is that parents don't want their kids (think 10 year old plus) going to the park by themselves. The local park near me has had used needles found in the sandpit and such. Or even walking around with friends due to the increase panic of thinking that they'll get abducted or assaulted.

Think that's true but I don't see what stops them from taking the kids to the park themselves. After all we are only talking two or three times a week here. I understand there are restrictions because of the School and work. But you have the weekends, and also the School holidays.

 

[Blair]

Maybe that's where you are but here more and more people are setting up activities for children, new dance classes are starting up all the time, we have rugby tots started, you can even gets kids doing aerial fitness with hoops and things. None of those rely on government funding, and most things here don't, they are set up by people and funded by people, yes they will cost more per session, but it's getting kids involved in something, and most places do a free first session so the kids can try it out and see if they want to continue.

The aerial class btw is £38 for every 6 weeks, so less than a family for one movie

I think a lot of people in Australia can only afford one activity a week. I know when I was a teenager I was allowed one activity a term (I'd swap my drum lessons in between tennis and netball season) And since then the price of after school sports has gone up so much. I run my own business as a music tutor for kid's lessons after school (I teach adults too) and I charge a lot less than anyone else around-the price of music lessons is crazy expensive. There are some good after school sports I've seen around that are cheap, but for anything like netball and football these days, it's insane. I recall when I was a kid just insurance for netball alone was $120 for the season on top of fees.

Think that's true but I don't see what stops them from taking the kids to the park themselves. After all we are only talking two or three times a week here. I understand there are restrictions because of the School and work. But you have the weekends, and also the School holidays.

Not saying that all parents are like this but, jeez that means that the parent has to go out of the house! Some do, but some certainly can't be bothered.

 

[nightshade]

I'm thinking the insurance is an Aussie thing as I've never heard of kids being charged for insurance before.

 

[GwenRaiden]

We have no excuse not to go to the park, even though we live inner city, the city's biggest park is right on my doorstep. Would much rather galavant around the parks than go to the cinema, but that's my own personal preference (I hate the cinema). There's actually loads to do at the park next to ours. There's two different play parks, the bigger one is all sand which is a hit in the summer. There's a botanical gardens with an indoor cafe and also a museum. There's rowing on the river and go cart tracks on the other side of the park.

Obviously once winter hits, that's when things get difficult. It gets so cold and the torrential rain means playparks are a no go. Indoor softplay is usually the destination during cold months.

My mum takes my daughter like once every couple weeks, and she also lives next door to a massive park. Lots to do there too. She is actually with her right now, and I think they are at the park.

We don't do any paid membership stuff (yet), just indoor and outdoor playgroups that are free for kids under 5.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Obviously once winter hits, that's when things get difficult.

I am sure all of the other tykes and the park feel the same way. 'Damn, she's back'

Would much rather galavant around the parks than go to the cinema.....

But on the serious tip, the park is free, and it outside and interacting with others (even if they are running away from you in fear). Cinema costs money and it's sitting in front of a screen. There is no 'play' time. Which was what the article was suggesting is that kids have: physical (outdoor) play time.

 

[The Bronze]

That's really sad to see. In the 5-12 age bracket they're talking about I used to love playing outside. Sure we all used to have games consoles as well but as a general rule if it wasn't raining you were out playing. In fact we used to be outside in terrible weather as well sometimes. I wonder how many problems are being built up to explode years down the line. There must be links to all sorts of mental illness when you're brought up in front of a screen and with limited exposure to the real world.

 

[GwenRaiden]

Which was what the article was suggesting is that kids have: physical (outdoor) play time

Yeah, I do not disagree with that. I think it's important to interact with others and exercise outside of the home. My sister and me were never indoors when we were young. We'd sail up the canal once a week and go sailing at the lochs and sea at the weekends. We were always driven to country parks and taken to the swimming pool, playing tennis and making our own net in the summer, building tree houses and jumping in the canal basin at summer.

And we turned out juuuuust fine.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Yeah, I do not disagree with that. I think it's important to interact with others and exercise outside of the home. My sister and me were never indoors when we were young. We'd sail up the canal once a week and go sailing at the lochs and sea at the weekends. We were always driven to country parks and taken to the swimming pool, playing tennis and making our own net in the summer, building tree houses and jumping in the canal basin at summer.

And we turned out juuuuust fine.

It's even like those little "playpin" things at the mall that parents drop their kids off at. Even those aren't that bad. Let the kid learn to entertain themselves versus a phone/tv/cinema screen entertaining them. You set the behaviour and they will follow it.

 

[November]

Is there a lack of vitamin D and other exposure type minerals missing from these kids? It would be interesting to see. For future medical issues.

I did girl guides, one of the very few, still affordable activities, the skills i learnt there were really enjoyable and useful to my life. Camps were great, the night alone in the bush was a quick lesson in resilience. It was also a super inclusive environment that was missing from many of my white middle class clubs. And the bickies... Mmm

I bet a heap of kids see that as uncool. Who taught them that? I know we coped heaps of teasing as we were in uniform on display often.

 

[Professor Walsh]

I am a parent. I'm going to be the first to say that my children have waaaaaay more screen time than I am actually happy about. And yes, often it is a cop out. Either, I can't muster the energy to handle the conflict, or I need to get something else done, or I am at work and see no reason to create a rule I cannot enforce (particularly since my children are pretty good about most rules; I don't want to ruin that). Here, almost every child owns a smartphone by the age of 10.

I used to think that too, but actually there's loads of things kids can do, they just have to go out and actually do it instead of taking the easy option of staying behind a screen. I think a lot of the time it's a case of parents not bothering to encourage kids to do things, or not wanting to take the kids to places.

Well, I guess it would be easier if the stuff on those screens wasn't so fascinating and fun.
If I was a kid today I wouldn't go out either if I wasn't forced to it.

I was fully able to spend a whole day in my room reading when I was a kid, not venturing out unless someone forced me to. (My dad got me a horse. Wise move.)

But I can imagine several problems for the parents too.
How do you get the kids being more active when you don't feel secure about letting them be outside alone and don't have the time or possibility otherwise for constant supervision?

I wonder, though, around the world: How much of this worry is based on real dangers? The other day, I sent one of my minis of to the ski slopes on his own. He had his train ticket and money for an afternoon skiing ticket, and orders to pack himself a lunch before he left. He took his snowboard and went off while I was at the stables with the other two. He got there fine, but after a couple of hours he broke his arm. That was not a very big deal, to be honest. I got a phone call, I picked up the kid some forty minutes later and we went to the A&E. Kiddo now has a cast on his arm, apart from that no harm was done. He'll turn 10 later this year.

Now, this kid is also a person who gets so hung up on YouTube and Netflix that trying to count his screen hours on a bad day makes me cringe. One day, he'll be out and about with his friends until way after dark, some other day he'll be glued to the couch, binge-watching dubbed American series of dubious quality. These things are not mutually exclusive. What strikes me about today's childhood, at least here, is that children are so used to adults organising their time. So often, children live in a shedule. Soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, playing the piano every Friday right after school. Homework. So many children have organised activities during the weekdays, that my children find it hard to find someone who's free to play if they just nip out on an idle afternoon. I think this is part of the equation as well. If a child's free play is interrupted by organised activities too often, it's no wonder they stop taking the initiative.

Now, this adult has been sitting in front of the screen for far too long tonight. Time to get something real done before heading to bed.

 

[Blair]

Well that's another thing- homework. Like you said @Professor Walsh it seems that so many kids have their whole week timetabled out that there's no room for them doing anything chilled and spontaneous off their own back.

The high school I went to from 2003-2005 actually had a homework ban purely because they wanted us to get outside and have more hobbies. Only in year 10 would you be expected to do one science assignment a term in your own time and a maths assignment every two weeks. I know that schools are generally like "We're preparing you for Year 12 by giving you a load of homework now" but seriously, we were all fine. One of the students from our school (that school I was talking about only went to Year 10 because we were such a small town. You had to go to the neighbouring town for senior high school) was the Dux of our year from the senior high school. So all that talk about prepping us with homework was complete BS. We all did fine.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Professor Walsh,
jeez I hope you are a girl 'coz, paragraph 3 on reply #32 states "I sent one of my mini's off to the ski slopes"..
GewnRaiden you said you were sorry to hear about the broken arm. Did you mean about you being sorry to
hear of said person having a broken arm or that you couldn't add your name on the caste?