Comments on: Let a kid be a kid!

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:41:08 +0000

I have to say that I would be very fucked up today if I had not had the childhood I had. In many ways physiological, spriritual, emotional and mental, playing outside as much as I could, whenever I could, with or without that huge bunch of my friends, has given me the ability to grasp and access different perspectives that a normal adult should have.

I used to play anything that the minds of my friends and my own can conceive. Like rounders, a cousin of softball. We didn’t have fancy baseball bats and balls, so we made do we what we could find. A plank of wood for a bat, stones and rolled up paper for balls. We ran like crazy, climbed everything we could climb, the whole works. We conquered even construction sites. On barefoot.

We played in the drains too (it was way cleaner back then). The small drains in residential areas in Malaysia are shaped like a ‘v’, don’t know about other places. So we placed our feet on the sides inside the drain and walked around in it and played ‘Sultan’ à la Age of the Malaccan Sultanate centuries ago. That kind of ‘game’ did a lot for our ability to not only preserve but also cultivate creativity.

Those days were heaven. I pity the kids today. I wish they know what they’re missing.

By: superc0ntra

superc0ntra — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:43:21 +0000

Luckily the “art of suing” has not reached Sweden the same way as in America and health care is universal so there is no need for me to fear going bankrupt from other kids playing and bruising in my yard. Here it’s more a matter of media fear mongering and general lazyness both by parents and kids that keep a lot of them indoors.
I have a group of kids I teach outdoor/wilderness skills to and they love every minute of it and so do the parents that tag along.

By: iluvburpees

iluvburpees — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:03:02 +0000

hmmm…I just noticed the Red Sox banner in the back. Brainwashed from the very beginning, I see lol

By: Dragonn76

Dragonn76 — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:52:51 +0000

I feel the very same fustrations about this. I think it’s stupid that I have to tell my kids not to let their friends not to climb the tree on my property because I know that if one were hurt badly their parents would hit my insurance full force. I can barely afford to pay my mortgage as high as it is already. My kids don’t understand my logic so I try to explain it to them. The poor guys try to get it, but I don’t think that it’s fair. I never had to worry about that kind of crap when I was a kid. My poor labrador suffers too, lots of little tikes come onto my property and I worry if he knocked one over onto the cement what that would mean? I always have to get onto the boys for teaching him to jump onto their chest. Maybe on day people will come to their senses and learn to settle things like my fathers generation instead of calling their lawyers.

By: Kez

Kez — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:08:54 +0000

Wow!!!
We were never allowed to sit around inside, at home or school. If you didn’t play sport or do something physically challenging people thought there was something wrong with you.
I believe they were right!
No running in some schools??? Show me a kid who doesn’t love to run…

By: BillyD

BillyD — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:06 +0000

Sweet Dolphins pennant!

By: Youri

Youri — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:19:40 +0000

I’m glad you give this problem some extra attention. Because it really is a worldwide problem!
I live in Belgium, and altough we are always ten years behind on the USA, I sea the same thing happening. Playing outside seems to be illegal!
Recently, a popular magazine wrote a series of articles on ‘the child in the woods’, or how that child doesn’t exist anymore.
I can’t imagine my childhood without playing outside and exploring the nearby woods. And altough I’m only 19 years old, times sure have changed dramatically! Parents are affraid of pedosexuals and other problems exagerated by the media (twenty years ago, pedosexuals existed as well, but the media didn’t pay as much attention to this very small minority).

I fear obesity will – in the near future – conquer Belgium as well as the USA…

By: Faust

Faust — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:12:31 +0000

Once more agreed, Ross!
I often wondered about this problem. It’s exactly the same thing in Germany but without the excessive lawsuit possibilities. As a teacher I know it’s hard to motivate the students for even just a few miles WALK. Most of them would rather go to McD on excursions than anywhere else. Which brought me to force them to go for a walk in the woods or elsewhere through natural landscapes. Not very astonishing, it mostly ends up a good and learning experience for most of them.
Kids and teenagers just need a little push in other than the most convenient direction. Our kids need guidance and care (which naturally involves taking risks), which I see a lot of parents can’t provide accurately anymore.
My reaction to that fact is to teach my students as much as possible to make them think and decide for themselves in a reasonable and friendly way, to be aware of their possibilities. That is my little attempt to better the world, and, from time to time, it seems to work.
Anyway, often times the things you mention, Ross, are plain common sense and it scares me that the majority just gets along without.
Faust

By: Chris Fitz

Chris Fitz — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:30:08 +0000

I remember staying out past curfew during summers playing bball with my friends. we stayed until the court lights went out.

I would come home dirty, maybe have some cuts and bruises. I’d go to bed, wake up and shower and repeat the process.

Now, during the summers I work at a sports camp and its frightening and quite sad to see kids who would rather spend time playing video games instead of being outside and playing games or sports…I can’t get it through my head. Its a shame to see. But I can hold my head high and know that if I can get through some of the kids and get them to be more active, then I know i’ve done a good job.

By: permitfly4

permitfly4 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:06:52 +0000

Amen, Ross.
I am also on a tear about how soft the kids have gotten. On my sons 5th grade football team, 5 kids weighed in at OVER 200 pounds!
Some can not get into a three point stance.

Take Ross’ advice and get your kids outside. Hike, walk, swim, fish with them together and demand that they have some unstructured time outside to figure out some way to entertain themselves. Restrict video games and TV.

Good Job Ross…Great post!