nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
Here's the culprit
Where have all the kids gone?
- Thread starter I like Skol
- Start date
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Here's the culprit
Lol
Cheddar George
oober member
- Location
- Location: Location
Here's the culprit
I'm 46 years old and he still makes me feel uneasy !
jhawk
Veteran
- Location
- New Brunswick, Canada
As a generation up from the kids you're referring to, I think it's a bit of both also. I remember growing up in Weston, and my friends and I would rarely be home. It'd always be something, be it footy over the local rec, in the side-streets, or riding around on our bikes. When we were inside, it wasn't usually at our own homes, rather that of our friends. My friend Callum and I spent almost every summer day together one year, most of it was playing football - pretending we were David Beckham or Stevie G, but some days it would be spent inside, playing PS2, or what have you. Virtually inseparable. And his Mum was a bloody good cook!
I miss my childhood so much!
What I see today does sadden me somewhat, kids being less active, not spending as much time in the outdoors doing stuff - and while I am guilty of this myself, I do think there needs to be a resurgence of that outdoorsy-lifestyle (particularly in the Summer).
I miss my childhood so much!
What I see today does sadden me somewhat, kids being less active, not spending as much time in the outdoors doing stuff - and while I am guilty of this myself, I do think there needs to be a resurgence of that outdoorsy-lifestyle (particularly in the Summer).
OP
OP
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
There appears to be a common thread to this topic that is showing up in the replies.
Some kids are active, but not in the way they used to be. There seems to be quite a lot of kids that mummy and/or daddy drive to the activity/park/event, watch them play in a controlled & supervised environment, then drive them back home again to play games inside, behind closed doors.
A lot of people are blaming road safety and the amount of traffic. While I agree that there are more cars on the road than 2 or 3 decades ago I don't think it has changed that much from the late 80s and early 90s which is the period I am talking about. I think cautious parents have created the streets that they were worrying about. By not letting the children play outdoors the roads have effectively been handed over to the motorists. Young drivers these days speed around the side roads without a care because they don't expect to encounter kids playing in or near the road.
If the streets were crowded with children travelling around and playing would people still drive as fast?
Some kids are active, but not in the way they used to be. There seems to be quite a lot of kids that mummy and/or daddy drive to the activity/park/event, watch them play in a controlled & supervised environment, then drive them back home again to play games inside, behind closed doors.
A lot of people are blaming road safety and the amount of traffic. While I agree that there are more cars on the road than 2 or 3 decades ago I don't think it has changed that much from the late 80s and early 90s which is the period I am talking about. I think cautious parents have created the streets that they were worrying about. By not letting the children play outdoors the roads have effectively been handed over to the motorists. Young drivers these days speed around the side roads without a care because they don't expect to encounter kids playing in or near the road.
If the streets were crowded with children travelling around and playing would people still drive as fast?
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
I've only lived here for a few years so can't compare to a generation ago but there always seem to be plenty of kids out playing in the village or riding their bikes, scooters around, walking the dog after school, etc. There are loads of ramps and wotnot in the local woods, where the dog and I have discovered several dens - I even left a bin bag for the users of one to clean up their discarded beer cans (they took the hint).
Some are at home playing on the playstation.
Others are annoying an elderly neighbour by kicking a football relentlessly against the side wall of their house.
A third group are sat in a spotty greasy faced huddle smoking pot in an underpass.
And the lucky ones are round at Kylie out of class 3c's house, cause if you get there before her dad gets in from work she'll show you her fun bags for 50p and you can touch them for a quid.
All but the last group should be ashamed of themselves for not keeping bramble lined tracks clear!
Others are annoying an elderly neighbour by kicking a football relentlessly against the side wall of their house.
A third group are sat in a spotty greasy faced huddle smoking pot in an underpass.
And the lucky ones are round at Kylie out of class 3c's house, cause if you get there before her dad gets in from work she'll show you her fun bags for 50p and you can touch them for a quid.
All but the last group should be ashamed of themselves for not keeping bramble lined tracks clear!
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
I let my kids play out when they were young (probably from when the eldest was 6) but we lived at the edge of a cul de sac and all the houses in the close knew my kids. The main problem was that no one else near by had kids they seemed to be nearing retiring age apart from one boy the same age who would be driven the half mile to school. I couldn't let mine go further afield without supervision as one of mine had a very delayed road sense (to the extent that they were in their teens before they were trusted and they had a number of near misses even aged 12, whereas the other two were safe from a much earlier age).
When I compare it to my childhood I probably played out more but the road which was another cul de sac and all the houses had drives which they parked their cars on. Now when we visit it's hard to drive up the road for the number of cars parked on the road as many houses have 3 cars or vans associated with them. I doubt I would have been allowed to ride around now like I did as a child.
I think children have much less experience of the road now, I was talking to one child who didn't know where she lived or how to get there aged about 11 the other day, though I suspect she was an extreme example.
When I compare it to my childhood I probably played out more but the road which was another cul de sac and all the houses had drives which they parked their cars on. Now when we visit it's hard to drive up the road for the number of cars parked on the road as many houses have 3 cars or vans associated with them. I doubt I would have been allowed to ride around now like I did as a child.
I think children have much less experience of the road now, I was talking to one child who didn't know where she lived or how to get there aged about 11 the other day, though I suspect she was an extreme example.
dan_bo
How much does it cost to Oldham?
I've only just grown out of setting fire to things and smashing windows.
Does that count?
Does that count?
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
Kids aren't so different these days, and they won't be so different in the future. They still want to do stuff with their friends, just maybe virtually rather than physically sometimes. Kids will still love trampolines in the future. In any case, don't give them a hard time. They're just products of the society that we adults create
Pro Tour Punditry
Guru
They've all gone off to war
I've been involved with Venture/Explorer Scouts for the last 25 years (so the 14-18yr age group)
Yes the kids are a lot less fit than they were 10 and 20 and 30 years ago, that is not a feeling its a fact, as we can measure past hikes and the miles done,
They get slightly less year on year, and what could be done 30 years ago as standard is now way beyond the physical capabilities of today youth
We also have 'cotton wool' kids, the "if i push him, will he break" mentality, events that we have organised year on year for this age group, starting for about a decade ago we had parents not sure if their little 6 foot hulking teenager was old enough for that sort of thing yet, to such an extent we have dropped a number of events from the program.
I had a local District Commissioner wondering if he could resurrect a well known hike with a Cup and cash price that was instituted in the 1920's for 14 year old boys. It was stopped in the late 1990's as parents would not let their (older) kids do such things (spend the night out under the stars, build a raft, etc.etc.)
So it's not a case of being an old codger, it is a case of thing ain't wot they used ter be
(Just ask the British Army, basic training, which has not changed since the days of the Boer War has increased by one week per decade, every decade since 1920 in order to permit the 'average' 18 year old to reach the basic level of fitness, the original 6 weeks is now 15 weeks and they expect to add another week in 5 years time)
Yes the kids are a lot less fit than they were 10 and 20 and 30 years ago, that is not a feeling its a fact, as we can measure past hikes and the miles done,
They get slightly less year on year, and what could be done 30 years ago as standard is now way beyond the physical capabilities of today youth
We also have 'cotton wool' kids, the "if i push him, will he break" mentality, events that we have organised year on year for this age group, starting for about a decade ago we had parents not sure if their little 6 foot hulking teenager was old enough for that sort of thing yet, to such an extent we have dropped a number of events from the program.
I had a local District Commissioner wondering if he could resurrect a well known hike with a Cup and cash price that was instituted in the 1920's for 14 year old boys. It was stopped in the late 1990's as parents would not let their (older) kids do such things (spend the night out under the stars, build a raft, etc.etc.)
So it's not a case of being an old codger, it is a case of thing ain't wot they used ter be
(Just ask the British Army, basic training, which has not changed since the days of the Boer War has increased by one week per decade, every decade since 1920 in order to permit the 'average' 18 year old to reach the basic level of fitness, the original 6 weeks is now 15 weeks and they expect to add another week in 5 years time)
kids probably are the product of the society adults create . Perhaps this is a symptom of age and everyone can argue the same but things seem different from when I was young. Kids are no longer responsible for their actions, there seems to be a queue of excuses for them nowadays. No longer do you get badly behaved children its explained as ADHD etc. They are all very aware of their rights "Guv'na" but very few seem to be made aware of the responsibilities that should accpany these rights hand in hand.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Local kids around here hoon about on those scooter things, roller skates, their bikes (at least 2 with backward forks) and funny scooter things with 2 platforms that they sort of scoot/skate - looks fun whatever it is. They play a form of tennis in the road here too. We do drive down it very carefully when in the car.
Then there is next door but 3 with the twins. They both play on their iPads and each weigh more than I do, which is a shame really as they are only about 9 or 10 years old. They don't like going outside. I see them waddling out to the mobile sweet van that arrives thrice daily and waddling back with more sweets than I have eaten in a decade. There must be others not active, but we've not seen them.
I had a look down our old sand pits a while back - where we used to play on our bikes. Half over grown, half built on. I looked at another area that we used to whizz about on our bikes and it's now 'The Dussindale Estate' full of badly built rabbit hutch houses all squished up together with deserted streets, devoid of kids playing out.
Half the problem is parents won't allow kids to play out, and so many kids are overweight and play in on their PCs. All the good places to play out have been built on.
Then there is next door but 3 with the twins. They both play on their iPads and each weigh more than I do, which is a shame really as they are only about 9 or 10 years old. They don't like going outside. I see them waddling out to the mobile sweet van that arrives thrice daily and waddling back with more sweets than I have eaten in a decade. There must be others not active, but we've not seen them.
I had a look down our old sand pits a while back - where we used to play on our bikes. Half over grown, half built on. I looked at another area that we used to whizz about on our bikes and it's now 'The Dussindale Estate' full of badly built rabbit hutch houses all squished up together with deserted streets, devoid of kids playing out.
Half the problem is parents won't allow kids to play out, and so many kids are overweight and play in on their PCs. All the good places to play out have been built on.
