Cotton Wool Children

Teki187

Teki187

Teki187

Permabanned
Joined
15 Sep 2006
Posts
4,642
Location
Somewhere in York
Are we, the current generation to blame for not giving children the freedom they need?

Just been watching the BBC news this morning (for my daily dose of scaremongering) and they did a piece on parents not letting there children go to the local shop. Children aged 10-13.

Then there is this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7380691.stm

What do you think?
 
I dont know how to put it, ive tryed 3 times and still cant word it right:(

Ill try this one more time!

Kids are too coverd up from things in life, They shouldnt be hidden behind all sorts of PC BS.
They need to see and learn about the world, not to be coverd up and not make it out to be fantisy land.
They need some freedom to see things for them selves.

And if the kids do start to be little ****s they need to become punished and taught not to. They need a good screaming at and a small slap behind the legs. Not to hurt them but to shock them(shock is what gets to them most)

I watched saving private ryan when i was 13, i know people that wont let them watch it when they are that age.
I say let them watch,(if they are that age, maybe much younger would be a bit too far) learn what happens. If they dont like it they can turn it off.
It wont harm them, they might ahve a bad dream but they wont die from it.
Ratings are too tight.

People are going too Tough on things they shouldnt but too soft on the things that do.
 
I wish I was never allowed to watch Alien when I was a kid, jesus christ... Just jesus christ :(
 
10-13 and they can't go to the shops? When I was a kid I would ride off all day with my friends for hours and not been seen when I was like 10 years old.
 
When I was a kid and I mean 10 and younger, I used to pop to the bakers (boulangerie) near our flat in Paris every morning almost to get myself my pain au chocolat/croissant. I also used to go the park with my friends unsupervised to kick a ball about. I don't know if it is because Paris is safer or if it was just because the 80s were less dodgy. I knew how to cross roads, not to talk to strangers - even though I did! :o, and generally I knew how to behave.

When I see kids out and about now I just think "hmmm what they're up to"... I think it's because society has changed the perception of innocence in children which is a shame.

I used to fall over and cut/bruise myself, I used to do stupid things, blew things up, electrocuted myself, and god knows what other kinds of silly things - but I was allowed to learn from my mistakes - I wasn't mollycoddled and feel I'm much more balanced and open minded than a lot of children seem to be these days.

Yes accidents happen, but **** happens all the time. I think it's more criminal over protecting your children than letting them live/grow up and maybe let themselves hurt themselves doing it.
 
I was the same as Freefaller in that I would go out all day on my bike, ride miles away with friends and only come back for my dinner. And I was around 7-8 years old when I started doing that.

Would be out until it was pitch black as well as long I stayed somewhere in the street.

Freefaller said:
or if it was just because the 80s were less dodgy.
Click to expand...

I have 2 kids now aged nearly 4 and 6 and they don't leave my sight in the street and they don't go out to play on their own. There are some kids in our street of similar ages who just roam around unsupervised, but I'm not comfortable with that as I don't think it's as safe as it used to be when I was a young 'un.

I certainly wouldn't let them go to the park which is a 10min walk away on their own as someone could easily bundle them into a car and that's game over. :(
 
Last edited:
TBH parents that are scared that there child will be taken is so dumb is all because of the massive media about Madelin.

about 7+ for a child is the time to let go but i can see where people see problems with the amount of Chav and scum in towns and built up areas.

but is the answer keeping them inside. there is a program on 4od called cotton wool kids just watch that and you will see how dumb it really is
 
I'd say we as a society in general have it so good in this country that trivial incidents (not kidnapping) get blown out of proportion and worried about way too much. Getting in a scuffle, falling over, climbing a tree etc. are not in the same league as the daily fight against poverty, disease and violence plenty of children in third world countries have to endure. No I'm not a lefty tree hugger, but if people think watching a gory film is bad, what about the kids who see gore for real in these countries?
 
Zip said:
Kids are too coverd up from things in life, They shouldnt be hidden behind all sorts of PC BS.

I watched saving private ryan when i was 13, i know people that wont let them watch it when they are that age.
I say let them watch,
Click to expand...

The OP is saying kids should be let out to play, not that they should be allowed to stay in watching violent films.

My opinion is the kids should be out playing, climbing trees, playing football, falling of skateboards. Sat inside day after day playing violent games or watching violent films isn't healthy (for body or mind).
 
Hawkpie said:
but I'm not comfortable with that as I don't think it's as safe as it used to be when I was a toung 'un.

I certainly wouldn't let them go to the park which is a 10min walk away on their own as someone could easily bundle them into a car and that's game over. :(
Click to expand...

Aye naughty men and women have only really come about in the last 15 years or so. Things really were so much better.
 
It's not just the current generation, I know a few teenagers/young adults who were treated that way, and it's really affected them in negative ways now they are older. Mainly, they have grown up unable to make a good risk assessment of the danger of an activity, meaning they either hide away and do nothing, or do dangerous or stupid things that people who were less closeted and allowed to learn from mistakes don't do.

Give kids freedom to experience and learn, and they will be much better, more rational adults than those brought up wrapped in cotton wool.
 
Hawkpie said:
I have 2 kids now aged nearly 4 and 6 and they don't leave my sight in the street and they don't go out to play on their own. There are some kids in our street of similar ages who just roam around unsupervised, but I'm not comfortable with that as I don't think it's as safe as it used to be when I was a toung 'un.

I certainly wouldn't let them go to the park which is a 10min walk away on their own as someone could easily bundle them into a car and that's game over. :(
Click to expand...

The country is no less safe than it ever was, statistically you're at just as much risk now as you were then, and at far more risk from parents or family/friends than strangers.

Unfortunately people have lost the ability to be rational recently, and expect everything to be perfect rather than accepting there is an element of risk in everything we do, and learning to deal and manage the risks accordingly.
 
So watching Aliens and Saving Private Ryan at a young age is considered as practical parenting? I’m not sure about that one.

Although I agree that we do tend to smoother our kids in cotton wool, I think the problem is down to two main factors:

Firstly, the media are partially to blame. As media coverage has grown (internet, TV etc) we tend to hear about more isolated incidents than we did 20 years ago and have therefore become more vigilant.

News worthy or not, as a parent, these incidents can make you feel quite insecure about your children’s surrounding. The rebranding of a pervert by the media to paedophile would make you think that has only been around for the 10 years or so but the truth is that it’s always being going on. When I was a kid, we had the same warnings etc. but you hear more about them today.

Secondly, the “claim your compensation” gravy train has had a big impact on the way that a lot of institutions and organisations review their policies. My wife is a childminder and we are registered foster parents too. We have to cover our arses so much we are practically wearing girdles 24 hours a day. It wouldn’t take much for a complaint to follow in a claim for financial gain. We know both child minders and FPs that this has sadly happened to.

Despite that however, I’m always trying to push my kids out of the door but the TV and video games are too much of a reason not to. That wasn’t a problem when I was younger. 3 channels and a ZX spectrum weren’t that appealing to stay in for. Sign of the times.

I think it’s positive that we understand the environment our children live in today because it’s a lot different to what it was 20 years ago. You just have to look at the roads for example. Protecting your children is a natural parental instinct that only parents would understand but there is a fine line between protection and wrapping them up too much that they gain no awareness for themselves.
.
 
greengiant said:
Roads too busy so better not let the kids cycle to school.
Well, how about not driving the kids to school and making the roads busy!
Click to expand...

Can't agree more with this - it's unbelievable how much quieter the roads are when schools are closed :(

Ok so I'm sure not ALL that traffic is school run, but most of it has to be, surely?
It's not like all parents can take the entire summer off work to stay with the kids.
 
$loth said:
10-13 and they can't go to the shops? When I was a kid I would ride off all day with my friends for hours and not been seen when I was like 10 years old.
Click to expand...


same as, though in fairness the neighbourhood would have been safer if I wasnt allowed out :p
 
Sinque said:
I wish I was never allowed to watch Alien when I was a kid, jesus christ... Just jesus christ :(
Click to expand...

I watched Alien when I was 7, never did me any harm. i used to playout side when I was little and yes I got cuts, grazes, sprains. never did me any harm. Too muc hstuff to mention, kids are molley coddled No wonder society is becoming so pathetic and people get ill more (kids dont play outside as much and therefore dont build an immune system). Wods can't really describe hwo I feel about it, but it really annoys me.

- Pea0n
 
I live in the country and my son will be out and about as soon as possible.

No way am I driving his lazy ass around in a car. He's getting a bike.

Still I will be worried but what can you do. My wife is much worse than me. I let him away with things.

Example he likes jumping from the couch to a beanbag. Small stuff my wife is worried he'll fall. I say let him. He falls, ho hum he's got a bruised knee. Not the end of the world. 5 mins later he's again jumping.

In my wife's eyes we should have stopped it from happening but come on you have to let them have their fun. I have told her than as a boy I had a dart in my head, broke my arm and gashed my leg and all before I was 5.

It's called playing.... :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom