Haloscan et my comment. No, I'm not posting another one.
I can hear you pleading from here.
I am pleading. It's turning kids into gigantic sucks. Plus, I think that bullying would be less of a problem if kids knew how to make their own games up and there was more to do outside in the playground other than harass each other for fun. When's the last time you saw a game of skipping or double dutch? I haven't seen girls do that for years. You know what they do now in the schoolyard? Mimic music videos. That's right, a bunch of 8 to 10 year olds lip sinc to popular songs. Very creative. They are losing the ability to entertain themselves and make up their own games. This is the "entertain me" generation, and you can't even get mad at them because they haven't been encouraged to do anything else.
Have you also noticed how play structures have changed? Many parks and schools don't even have any of those old metal jungle gyms anymore... I read an article recently about so-called 'safety advocates' who even want to get rid of *swings* because maybe one kid per year might fall off and die (and I'm not trying to minimize anyone's loss, but the chances are pretty remote). It's more dangerous to ride in a car, for chrissakes.
we're way ahead of you here in Canada. We haven't had swings for a long time. Most parks have had them removed, and metal play structures are a thing of the past. Slides have to face north or south so that they don't get hot in the summer, and there has to be a minimum of 6 or so feet of soft surface surrounding any play structure, in case your kid falls off or decides to deliberately take a header off of it. Some wood structures have been torn down because of the kind of sealer that was used on them, and God forbid your kid gets a splinter. Bushes have to be trimmed of sharp branches. I know all of this because I do a daily playground inspection before the children are allowed to play in the playground, and I pay about 400 bucks a year to have a company do an independant inspection to make sure that I'm not lying about any repairs that might need to be done. On top of having a government agency come in twice a year to check my playground inspection reports. If I"m missing any, I'm in big shit.
I'm telling you, bubble wrap and helmets for walking will be next
I think you're onto something here. I have also seen studies that show a sterile environment and lack of exposure to dirt and germs can cause auto-immune diseases. Kids should be out playing. Shoot, we ate dirt when we were kids, and we're fine.
Amen, sestro.
My little one.. and to be fair, she's an only child w/ no playmates in the neighborhood... I was out raking the leaves today. She comes out, picks up a rake, and after 5 minutes she says she's "tired" and wants to go in and play her video games. What? My mom would have kicked my behind from here to the heavens. I said NO..go swing on your swings. Another thing she hates, swinging alone. Puffing and pouting she protested. I said: get on those swings and swing as high as you can or I'll take them down by myself with a screwdriver and send them in the mail to a kid who really wants them.
~unphased~ she's like: how are you gonna mail my swings?
What I wouldn't give to live on a quieter street with kids.
I could remember being out until all hours of the night (well, really until about 8 or 9 p.m.) during the summers, playing manhunt on block - not just the street. I remember playing kickball in school and getting slammed in the face with the ball on accident when someone kicked it too hard. We all laughed.. a lawsuit wouldn't even enter my mind.
Times have changed. Parents, especially moms have changed. I'm gonna get my kid out and moving every day. She's so into her own little world, she has yet to enjoy the true fun of the outdoors.
Michael Gurian is not a family therapist of any kind, though he has held himself out as a neurobiologist or brain researcher (e.g., in his execrable Boys and Girls Learn Differently!). In fact, the only degrees he holds - despite his willingness to be called "Doctor" - are a bachelor's in journalism and a master of fine arts. He's intentionally sketchy about his actual credentials in his work, though he's happy to let readers believe that they are extensive and relevant to the things he writes, but a little digging is all that is necessary to understand why he does such a bad job of reporting and analysing the scientific literature he claims supports his "findings."
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