111–120 of 154 posts
I know the article focuses on the UK and what I'm about to state has little to do with the UK, but as a suburban US dad with three children I feel compelled to share that drivers are what keep me from feeling comfortable letting my seven and four year old play outside unsupervised. I've seen so many incidents of (young?) drivers tearing through sleepy suburban streets at highway speeds here in Maryland that I specifi…
Getting a massive "Old man yells at sky" vibe in this thread (and HN in general). Safety laws are written in blood. Whenever a new regulation is passed, it is often in reaction to some horrendous accident. A lot of the comments below are of Boomers who played with unsafe toys or took risks, but they also had some limited supervision from at least one parent. In 2023, both parents are working, so supervision is much m…
I don't think I get the point. Creative, unstructured play and safety aren't mutually exclusive. A kid doesn't need to get a third degree burn or break an arm to "play better", and those are mostly avoidable risks. The article also missed on developing this piece of information: > In urbanised environments, where land is at an all-time premium, finding a place to run around can be a challenge. One in eight children d…
I think the problem here is that bigger kids scare the target audience for a playground away. Unless you are thinking 3 year olds roaming a bit kicking a ball?
But I agree on your point. Safety is not a problem, really. Anything that can be climbed is plenty unsafe enough already. There is no need to add stones underneath also.
It probably comes down to parents not having time, or willing to take the time, to take their children to the playground. "Safetyism" is just a scapegoat.
Todays playgrounds are way cooler and funnier than those I had ...
My favorite toys, when I was a kid, were these sheet-metal rocketships and speedsters. They would have flint flywheels, and would emit a shower of sparks. Cut you to ribbons, and set things on fire -FUN. Also, I had a fully-operational steam engine that took Calcium Carbide rocks (acetylene source).
My dad taught us how to make bows from long bamboo garden canes and gardening string, then notched small garden canes with fire-hardened points to use as arrows. We used to set up ramps on the road in our estate while it was still being built, using piles of sand and planks left behind by the builders. Then, we'd get some airtime on our BMXs. I still have a scar on my chin today from going over the handlebars. Back g…
People even have the nerve to criticize those who have an apatite for risk as "selfish," as though they have a moral obligation to not making other people sad or upset by their possible injury or death. Absolute madness.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ditto. It’s not the breathless hysteria about child abduction or (conversely) busybody neighbors calling the cops on unaccompanied minors that keep my kids inside. It’s the insane drivers in 4 ton lifted pickups and the town’s refusal to lower the speed limit, or even post “Children Playing” signs that does it.
Are "children playing" even effective? Do you think the dangerous problem drivers are actually giving a shit about them? Similar for speed limit signs unless you have strict and regular enforcement. Although at least the prudent drivers would obey those.
"Children are far less free than they used to be. While 71% of Boomers and 80% of Gen X recall playing in the street as children, only 27% of children do today." Freedom is being allowed to get run over in the street!
Either you're over-estimating the risk, or you think kids are playing in streets with 45+ mph limits. Quiet neighborhood roads are fine to play in.
I've been volunteer teaching at my daughter's preschool every other week. Getting this balance right is tricky and it's interesting to see how teachers and other parents at the school approach it. My inclination is to be pretty laissez faire, partly because I believe in letting kids learn things on their own as much as possible even if that involves some bruises and scrapes, and partly because it's just easier to let…
We do the latter, and I was parent teacher. Not a volunteer position: our preschool dues are lower because I worked in the classroom, in a sense it's a "paid" gig.
We had a very relaxed attitude towards personal harm. Getting hurt, crying, and getting better is part of the learning process. Not to say that we excessively allowed kids to get hurt, or allowed them to engage in explicitly dangerous activities, eg: throwing things, hitting kids.
But I did supervise some kids who wanted to "wrestle" and "fight"... I took it upon myself to teach them to "fight clean" and when people were down we would call a break and let everyone stand up and try again.
Also the prechool was mostly outside, and kids got dirty. Oh yes indeed, the mud pit was very popular!
This all btw is in San Francisco.
I've been volunteer teaching at my daughter's preschool every other week. Getting this balance right is tricky and it's interesting to see how teachers and other parents at the school approach it. My inclination is to be pretty laissez faire, partly because I believe in letting kids learn things on their own as much as possible even if that involves some bruises and scrapes, and partly because it's just easier to let…
One could even make the case that youth is THE time to learn the lessons to be had in bruises and scrapes, because they are valuable and kids heal like starfish.
Not counting developmental insults like head trauma, persistent environmental toxins etc but like falling out of a tree is usually better than being on a football team
I don't think I get the point. Creative, unstructured play and safety aren't mutually exclusive. A kid doesn't need to get a third degree burn or break an arm to "play better", and those are mostly avoidable risks. The article also missed on developing this piece of information: > In urbanised environments, where land is at an all-time premium, finding a place to run around can be a challenge. One in eight children d…