The shocking truth about today's children (or their parents)

[The Mouse]

Hi everyone,

Last week, a group of local schoolchildren - aged about 7 - had a two-day stay at an outdoor activity centre (a field studies centre, in old-fashioned English, just in case you are wondering!). These were not city children, but from a smallish town which is surrounded by countryside.

They were taken to a local stream. To get to the stream, it was necessary to go down a grass embankment. Some of the children had to stay at the top - it was the first time in their life that they had been expected to walk down a slope of grass that didn't have steps in it, and they were unable to do it!!!

The same day, a muddy patch of meadow had to be crossed. One boy was heard to say, "Oh, brilliant! I know how to do this - I've done it on my computer game (Super Mario?), and I'm really good at it. All you have to do is go slowly and carfully!"
As you have probably realised, this was the first time he had ever encountered genuine mud!

It would be funny if it wasn't true.

What is more, that activity centre is threatened with closure because of the local authority cuts, but it seems to me that the place is needed more now than ever before.
If things carry on like this, it will not be long before children totally lose the ability to walk!

[madasafish]

Perhaps you should retitle the thread: "The shocking truth about today's parents"
?

[The Mouse]

Yes, you are right!

[PLUMPUDDING]

I think it is certainly the parents' fault. We had a sweet pea planting session in the local infants' school where we took compost and seeds and the school gave each child a plastic cup. They had made a hole in the cups and written their names on, but half of them didn't want to touch the compost as their mummies would be cross if they got their hands dirty.

Most of them did get stuck in eventually when they realised the compost didn't really dirty their hands and felt quite nice to handle. They were all thrilled to bits when their plants grew and they brought them to the community allotment to plant them and made further visits to see them growing and flowering.

The school gardens are such a good idea, and if the parents aren't going to take them out to experience the great outdoors then the schools should be doing their part. Don't they go for nature walks anymore?

It seems that it is much easier for tired parents to stick their children in front of a computer than to do anything with them, and referring to Alan's point about ready made instant toast snacks, they seem to be too idle to cook as well and feed their children ready made rubbish instead.

[Primrose]

Yes, it's a sad state of affairs. When I was their age I was running around unsupervised in the local woods with my chums, making dens and camp fires, and falling into streams getting my feet wet while trying to catch newts and tiddlers.
I look at today's kids and actually feel sorry for them. They may have laptops, mobile phones and I-Pods but in my book when it comes to their life skills & personal development, they are actually DEPRIVED.

[Nature's Babe]

I agree with Primrose, It is a form of deprivation, I can still remember so many discoveries as a child. How sea anemonies open and close and other delights to be found in rockpools, sandcastles, damming streams as they flowed on to the beach to the sea, cycling from one end of the island to the other to go fishing, meeting a baby owl in woodland and simply being together for a good 10 mins studying each other, tadpoling in green ponds and watching their development into frogs, blackberry and other foraging walks, finding sweet violets and other flowers for mothers gifts, drinking sparkling clean cool water from a spring half way up the hill on return from the beach, playing in treetop houses with friends, dodging the farmer as he squirted the cows milk at us, things remembered 60+ years later. I doubt modern children will think fondly of computer games in their retirement
Oh yes and at weekends our parents took us out for walks, picnics, beach etc, and we got our hands dirty helping in the garden, fed the chickens,collected eggs, manned the hand water pump etc

[The Mouse]

Yes, deprivation is the right word, and it's so sad, isn't it!

I had endless freedom at their age, and my own sons too.
Like most people, I have felt for a long time that children are now overprotected to a ridiculous degree, but I was really shocked to find what effect that is having in reality. I mean, when they are actually unable to walk down an embankment - and too afraid to try!!!

This has make me realise how important places like our outdoor activity centre are. The children have a wonderful time. They build shelters in the woods, go on bug hunts, learn about fire-lighting (then toast and eat marshmallows over the fire), all sorts of things. But it is usually the "simpler" things, like hiding and rolling around in long grass, that show how times have changed - they are afraid of getting dirty and are convinced that anything done "outdoors" is dangerous. Luckily, with a little coaxing, they usually overcome their reluctance quite quickly and go back home with some wonderful memories!

[oldherbaceous]

The chidren round here still do the same things as they have for many years, and that includes pinching some of my peas, they forgot to hide the shucks.

In the Summer they were cooking bacon and eggs up the top of the allotment, and jolly good fun they were having as well.

The only thing that has changed is there are no more small farms for the youngsters to get a little work.

[The Mouse]

The chidren round here still do the same things as they have for many years, and that includes pinching some of my peas, they forgot to hide the shucks.

Are you sure it was children, OH, and not some envious neighbours?

[Monika]

I am sure it's only in this country where there are such exaggerated health and safety concerns about children. We have young grandchildren in France and in Germany and in both countries they get up to all kinds of things IN SCHOOL HOURS.

Just today, my daughter was saying on the telephone that her five-year-old has been coming home every afternoon soaking wet because in their supervised break time they had been snowballing, building snowmen and rolling down slopes in the snow! Good for them, I say.

So I do wish parents and schools would let the youngsters get wet, muddy and (reasonably) hurt.

[haggis]

I find it really sad that some children don't get out to play any more. I guess it is hard in a city but living in a town surrounded by countryside?? had to grin at the last post re school hours. I feel really lucky that my son goes to the local primary school (in a suburb of Aberdeen) where they seem to have a healthy dose of realism. In the summer, whenever the weather is good enough, classes are taken outdoors. Last term they went on bug hunts (their class project was insects) and on a few days they did sums outside by drawing with chalk on the pavements. Last week we were told to make sure the kids had a spare set of clothes with them so that if they came in soaking from playing in the snow they could get changed. When I went to get my wee lad on Friday I was 10 mins early and everyone (teachers included) was outside making snowmen for a snowman competition. Hearing the kids laughing and enjoying themselves was fantastic. I really value education but at that age I think there is much more to learning than just books - thankfully we have a great school that agrees. On holiday in Norway this year I did realise however that most boys of 7 or 8 there are really "outdoorsy". My son learnt to catch a fish and gut it and to build a fire and toast marsmallows. It was a magic holiday.

[Elaine]

I agree with all of the previous posts wholeheartedly. It's a sad state of affairs.
Twenty years ago, I was a Cub Scout Leader and our camps were at the Scouts camp site about 15 miles outside Hull, set in woodland. I was shocked then, at the attitude of some of the lads, about getting dirty, trying new things and their general lack of interest in anything regarding wildlife. Each morning I was up at the onset of the dawn chorus for my "me time" and a birdwatch. By the end of the long weekend, I had a little group of lads eagerly tagging along, fascinated with the things I pointed out. They were intrigued with turning over logs and stones to find the beasties lurking under them. Even the wild flowers became things of interest, rather than just weeds. Eventually, even the most reserved of the lads were roaring around having a grand old time, just being boys and several of them remarked that their Mam's would have a fit if they could see them. Apart from the regular camp activities, badge earning and sports stuff, they loved the freedom. They were well supervised and never in any real danger but they felt that thrill of doing something "risky".
It really opened my eyes as to how some parents wrapped their children in cotton wool and I was thrilled to find that underneath all the restrictions, "my" lads were just that...lads.
Cheers.

[glallotments]

As an ex-school teacher who led many residential activities of the type you mention - one of the major reasons for toning down was the LAs fear of litigation. We all hear reports of children being injured on school trips and much criticism of teachers and supervision, however this is never balanced by how many children are injured when out on trip or holidays with parents.

When we went on residential visits the level of supervision was by far more strict than if children had been with parents but inevitably accidents do happen. A child fell when climbing from a bunk bed to go to the toilet and broke his arm - we couldn't have avoided that other than sit watching him all night! Fortunately the parent was sensible.

Now children can't throw snowballs at school as they may contain a stone that could hurt then, conkers may hurt them, schools are shut during snow because it could be dangerous and they could have an accident. Teachers aren't allowed to touch a child to comfort them when they are upset. All down to the fear that a parent will sue - nothing to do really with keeping children safe!

[Monika]

Doesn't much of this health and safety business come down to the greed of lawyers and "ambulance chasing"? Some parents probably would not dream of suing the school/teacher/ supervisor if they were not actively encouraged to do so by a lawyer?

After all, an accident is an accident, and unless there has been gross negligence which is very unlikely nowadays, that should be the end of it.

[The Mouse]

Parents' attitudes can be very unpredictable:

One angry parent phoned the centre to complain that her son had returned home with his washbag exactly as she had packed it - it was obvious that the boy had not had one single item out of it during his stay. It was pointed out to here that the staff were not going to stand over her son while he washed (or didn't wash, as it turned out).

Another mum's phone call was more humerous. Apparently, she had given her six-year old son strict instructions that he was to put on a clean pair of underpants every day, and had packed five pairs accordingly.
When he got home, she found that he had followed her instructions to the letter - unfortunately she hadn't told him that he had to remove the dirty ones, so he was wearing all five pairs!!!
I think she was amused, but then again ...

Oh, the joys of working with children.