Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
May 16th 2005, 3:30 am
#31
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
I can say that it's about the only safe babysitter there is when you have to do something and you're the only adult about willing to worry about the kids. I use it sparingly, I try to watch every programme with my kids so I know what's going on, and I turn it off every chance I get. Kids have been taught that strangers = bad, and outside could mean bumping into strangers.... my eldest is afraid for my youngest to go in our own fenced in backyard! On the other hand, sensational cases such as the ones where girls were kidnapped out of their own bedrooms do not help parents or kids feel secure. Nor do constant reminders that Al-Qaeda is going to attack again.
May 16th 2005, 3:33 am
#32
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
I know what you mean....but certainly letting a child sit "day and night" (he must be exaggerating!) on a computer is harmful enough. I hate the "fear mentality" that we have to live in regarding our children, or us for that matter of fact.
May 16th 2005, 3:36 am
#33
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by snowbunny
Yep, me too. The little evacuation drill they had in Washington DC the other day didn't help. Makes me wonder sometimes if some conservative pays off people to do stupid things like that (an instructor and a student pilot "got lost" and wandered into the restricted airspace over DC.... hello, the flying conditions were VFR for the student to even be up, and they couldn't like, look down and notice they were over a large city???).
wow....didn't hear about that here......things are really intense in the states aren't they? Was that just because it was Washington or is it like that everywhere in the States?
May 16th 2005, 3:37 am
#34
Joined: Jan 2005
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Yup, we used to leave the house in the morning and show up whenever we were hungry. But of course, it was much safer then, at least it was thought that it was.
On nice days, I force my kids outside. They'll pop their heads in once in a while and say "can we come in now?" - the answer's usually no.
It's nice having a finished basement though....cus on the rainy days, I just boot them down there.
On nice days, I force my kids outside. They'll pop their heads in once in a while and say "can we come in now?" - the answer's usually no.
It's nice having a finished basement though....cus on the rainy days, I just boot them down there.
May 16th 2005, 3:39 am
#35
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by willmore
wow....didn't hear about that here......things are really intense in the states aren't they? Was that just because it was Washington or is it like that everywhere in the States?
May 16th 2005, 3:55 am
#36
Joined: Feb 2002
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Just out of interest....
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
It seems so formal to me, but I guess that so many children here have scheduled activities you have to look at a calendar to see when they're going to be 'free' to play with their pals.
When my children were small and we were still in England we lived in a cul-de-sac with an airfield opposite the house (in a village in Essex)...it was quite safe for all the kids to play outside and ride their bikes.....although there was once a problem for a couple of weeks when a small gipsy encampment was set up next to the airfield and the gipsy children nicked all of our kids bikes!
We moved to Singapore when my youngest had just turned six and it was an ideal situation....we lived in condominiums which were family orientated so there were lots of kids on the condo to play together....they had swimming pools, tennis courts, a playground, small indoor play area and one landlord even installed a soft-surface soccer area for the kids. There were 24 hour security guards at the gatehouses to the condos so they kept intruders out....and kept an eye on the kids so they wouldn't wander out of the condo unsupervised. It was a wonderful place for children to grow up in.
My friend said to me that she is fed up of all the 'playdates' as she feels that she is providing a sort of 'free' babysitting service; she thinks the mums see it as an opportunity to go off and get manicures or errands done whilst she would prefer to have their company and chat over a cup of tea.
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
It seems so formal to me, but I guess that so many children here have scheduled activities you have to look at a calendar to see when they're going to be 'free' to play with their pals.
When my children were small and we were still in England we lived in a cul-de-sac with an airfield opposite the house (in a village in Essex)...it was quite safe for all the kids to play outside and ride their bikes.....although there was once a problem for a couple of weeks when a small gipsy encampment was set up next to the airfield and the gipsy children nicked all of our kids bikes!
We moved to Singapore when my youngest had just turned six and it was an ideal situation....we lived in condominiums which were family orientated so there were lots of kids on the condo to play together....they had swimming pools, tennis courts, a playground, small indoor play area and one landlord even installed a soft-surface soccer area for the kids. There were 24 hour security guards at the gatehouses to the condos so they kept intruders out....and kept an eye on the kids so they wouldn't wander out of the condo unsupervised. It was a wonderful place for children to grow up in.
My friend said to me that she is fed up of all the 'playdates' as she feels that she is providing a sort of 'free' babysitting service; she thinks the mums see it as an opportunity to go off and get manicures or errands done whilst she would prefer to have their company and chat over a cup of tea.
May 16th 2005, 4:02 am
#37
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by Pigtails
Yup, we used to leave the house in the morning and show up whenever we were hungry. But of course, it was much safer then, at least it was thought that it was.
Apart from being worried about 'bad people' I also worry constantly about the traffic and even though we live on an enclosed development we still get the same few idiots who seem to think it's cool to drive at 50mph in a 25mph zone.
May 16th 2005, 4:05 am
#38
Joined: Jan 2005
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by mandpete
My Nan told me that when she was young the dangers were there but because there was no TV or many national newspapers people just didn't get to hear about it as much. She remembered stories of children being taken by strangers and assaulted or never being seen again, but she never got to hear the gruesome details like we do today.
Yes, that was exactly my point. People talk about the "good ol' days", but to quote Mr. Joel, they weren't always that good.
Apart from being worried about 'bad people' I also worry constantly about the traffic and even though we live on an enclosed development we still get the same few idiots who seem to think it's cool to drive at 50mph in a 25mph zone.
Yes, that was exactly my point. People talk about the "good ol' days", but to quote Mr. Joel, they weren't always that good.
Apart from being worried about 'bad people' I also worry constantly about the traffic and even though we live on an enclosed development we still get the same few idiots who seem to think it's cool to drive at 50mph in a 25mph zone.
May 16th 2005, 4:11 am
#39
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by Englishmum
Just out of interest....
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
Hillary Clinton wrote a book called "It Takes A Village To Raise A Child." She is a very polarised public figure, but I completely agree with the title of the book. The trouble is that with globalisation we seem to have forgotten that everyone still needs a village to belong to, to have some human connections.
In a village a stranger is easily recognised and challenged. People look out for each other. People help each other without need to have someone totally depend on the government, the church, or begging on a street corner. People know who really needs help vs who really needs money for more beer. In this and every other country where knowing your neighbours has become a foreign concept, we need to work hard on re-establishing some form of community. Online communities are one way to start, but you have to meet your physical neighbours too.
(Only some of them don't want to share; some of them move every two months, some of them are really horrible people....)
May 16th 2005, 4:22 am
#40
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
[QUOTE=Englishmum]Just out of interest....
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
We don't have to so much as we live in a very family orientated neighbourhood where everyone knows each other, so it's common for kids to be found playing in each other's yards. My kids are never outside alone at 3 and 5, but it's not uncommon to have lots of kids end up in either our backyard to play. The mild weather we get here on the west coast makes this process very viable for everyone!
...do any of you arrange for 'playdates' for your children?
We don't have to so much as we live in a very family orientated neighbourhood where everyone knows each other, so it's common for kids to be found playing in each other's yards. My kids are never outside alone at 3 and 5, but it's not uncommon to have lots of kids end up in either our backyard to play. The mild weather we get here on the west coast makes this process very viable for everyone!
May 16th 2005, 4:32 am
#41
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Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
So, in your opinion American children don't go outside and play because they can't kick around a football? All of American sports require multiple players, so American children have nothing to do unless they have someone else to play with? Are you really serious or what? So, football, tennis, cricket, rugby doesn't require multiple players?
May 16th 2005, 5:54 am
#42
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 307
Re: Do Your Kids Play Out-of-doors?
We live in a cul-de-sac with kids of varying ages and everyone is out there pretty much year round (except when it's really cold). We also have a fairly diverse group of neighbours and everyone gets on well (for the most part). When we lived in Minnesota, I did find that kids usually only played outside in the short summer, but in winter there wasn't anyone around. Ditto for San Antonio, TX -- except it was summer that was very quiet.
When I was child, my sister and I rode bikes everywhere. We lived in Belgium where there are tons of bike paths and it was a great way of getting around. We were often gone for hours exploring new places.
When I was child, my sister and I rode bikes everywhere. We lived in Belgium where there are tons of bike paths and it was a great way of getting around. We were often gone for hours exploring new places.
