Overprotective Parents and Lack of Movement in Children

[SweetSue92]

Putting this in the Education forum because it ties to a request we had just last year. Late in the school year when the weather is finally nice, many classroom teachers take their students to the playground for extra recess. The playground is next to the parent pickup line where, like in most places, parents line up an hour before. So the parents can see the playground.

It was common practice for teachers to visit while the kids play. This happens in the center of or right night to the play area.

As of last year, we were told we cannot gather and talk; we must "watch the kids". These children are almost all 6+ years old, playing on a safe playground WHILE WE ARE RIGHT THERE.

I don't think parents realize what a problem this sets up for their kids later on. This excellent article gets to that:

Parents go to great lengths to keep kids safe; it’s the core of the job. But restricting kids from encountering tricky movement problems, such as racing at full speed down a rocky slope or climbing high in a tree, can exact a toll. As Marcus Elliott, a physician and one of the world’s most prominent injury-prevention experts, put it to me: “Your fear that your kid will get hurt is depriving them of something they’ll never get back.”

Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

It could actually make them safer.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[MisterBeale]

Helicopter V/S Free Range Parenting: Psychological Effect On Child Development

In helicopter parenting, a parent hovers around their child due to emotional attachment, disallowing the child's free will.

www.psychologs.com

Free-Range Parenting: 6 Pros and Cons

Free-range parents encourage kids to be independent and social, but is it safe? Here are the pros and cons.

www.healthline.com

9 Things You No Longer See on Playgrounds

Safety concerns have eliminated some equipment from the playground. Do you remember these things?

playgroundprofessionals.com

I'd say, if the playground is one of the newer, more childproofed types? Yeah, definitely overprotective.

 

[Cassandro]

It was common practice for teachers to visit while the kids play. This happens in the center of or right night to the play area.

As of last year, we were told we cannot gather and talk; we must "watch the kids". These children are almost all 6+ years old, playing on a safe playground WHILE WE ARE RIGHT THERE.

I didn't know that "yard duty" existed any more, due to union contracts. The lack of adult supervision outside the classroom is shameful and encourages bullying.

 

[SweetSue92]

Helicopter V/S Free Range Parenting: Psychological Effect On Child Development

In helicopter parenting, a parent hovers around their child due to emotional attachment, disallowing the child's free will.

www.psychologs.com

Free-Range Parenting: 6 Pros and Cons

Free-range parents encourage kids to be independent and social, but is it safe? Here are the pros and cons.

www.healthline.com

9 Things You No Longer See on Playgrounds

Safety concerns have eliminated some equipment from the playground. Do you remember these things?

playgroundprofessionals.com

I'd say, if the playground is one of the newer, more childproofed types? Yeah, definitely overprotective.

They are absolutely very safe playgrounds

 

[SweetSue92]

I didn't know that "yard duty" existed any more, due to union contracts. The lack of adult supervision outside the classroom is shameful and encourages bullying.

Oh, so you fall into the camp that says children should never have free time outside of close adult supervision because there MAY be bullying.

Safety culture

 

[martybegan]

Putting this in the Education forum because it ties to a request we had just last year. Late in the school year when the weather is finally nice, many classroom teachers take their students to the playground for extra recess. The playground is next to the parent pickup line where, like in most places, parents line up an hour before. So the parents can see the playground.

It was common practice for teachers to visit while the kids play. This happens in the center of or right night to the play area.

As of last year, we were told we cannot gather and talk; we must "watch the kids". These children are almost all 6+ years old, playing on a safe playground WHILE WE ARE RIGHT THERE.

I don't think parents realize what a problem this sets up for their kids later on. This excellent article gets to that:

Parents go to great lengths to keep kids safe; it’s the core of the job. But restricting kids from encountering tricky movement problems, such as racing at full speed down a rocky slope or climbing high in a tree, can exact a toll. As Marcus Elliott, a physician and one of the world’s most prominent injury-prevention experts, put it to me: “Your fear that your kid will get hurt is depriving them of something they’ll never get back.”

Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

It could actually make them safer.

www.theatlantic.com

The 80's and 90's to me were the best balance, not the free for all of the 60's and 70's but not the smothering of the 2000's on.

As I got older from say 10-14 I was allowed increased block radii that I could wander around freely.

 

[SweetSue92]

The 80's and 90's to me were the best balance, not the free for all of the 60's and 70's but not the smothering of the 2000's on.

As I got older from say 10-14 I was allowed increased block radii that I could wander around freely.

Good news: I think younger parents, just having babies, have seen enough of helicopter parenting and are bringing a better balance.

 

[Mac-7]

Putting this in the Education forum because it ties to a request we had just last year. Late in the school year when the weather is finally nice, many classroom teachers take their students to the playground for extra recess. The playground is next to the parent pickup line where, like in most places, parents line up an hour before. So the parents can see the playground.

It was common practice for teachers to visit while the kids play. This happens in the center of or right night to the play area.

As of last year, we were told we cannot gather and talk; we must "watch the kids". These children are almost all 6+ years old, playing on a safe playground WHILE WE ARE RIGHT THERE.

I don't think parents realize what a problem this sets up for their kids later on. This excellent article gets to that:

Parents go to great lengths to keep kids safe; it’s the core of the job. But restricting kids from encountering tricky movement problems, such as racing at full speed down a rocky slope or climbing high in a tree, can exact a toll. As Marcus Elliott, a physician and one of the world’s most prominent injury-prevention experts, put it to me: “Your fear that your kid will get hurt is depriving them of something they’ll never get back.”

Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

It could actually make them safer.

www.theatlantic.com

I once saw a young mother with a baby in a stroller

The child was wearing a crash helmet

 

[Cassandro]

Oh, so you fall into the camp that says children should never have free time outside of close adult supervision because there MAY be bullying.

Safety culture

AT SCHOOL

 

[Dekster]

When I was a kid, usually it would be 2 classes at a time on the playground with 1 teacher and 1 TA while the other teacher stayed took a break. It was up to you to learn the hard way that the metal slide got hot as the sun in the afternoon or no matter how hard you tried, nobody was gonna do a loop de loop on the swings. The teacher and TA made sure the boys didn't pick on the girls or punch each other in the face and that was about all they did. When you fell off something, you landed on the hard packed fine southern clay that was like concrete. There were no layers of rubber mulch to protect you. Gym class was more structured but playground time was a free for all where teachers wanted you to burn off as much energy as possible.

 

[SweetSue92]

AT SCHOOL

Kids can't be bullied in the neighborhood?

In Cub Scouts?

At church?

What?!?!

 

[Jarlaxle]

I once saw a young mother with a baby in a stroller

The child was wearing a crash helmet

So...you realize there absolutely are conditions that can have a baby wearing a "helmet" for anything from a few days to several weeks...right?

Kids can't be bullied in the neighborhood?

In Cub Scouts?

At church?

What?!?!

None of those have children ordered there at gunpoint and unable to leave.

 

[Mac-7]

So...you realize there absolutely are conditions that can have a baby wearing a "helmet" for anything from a few days to several weeks...right?

I suppose thats possible, but not probable

 

[SweetSue92]

So...you realize there absolutely are conditions that can have a baby wearing a "helmet" for anything from a few days to several weeks...right?



None of those have children ordered there at gunpoint and unable to leave.

Parents are FORCED (at gunpoint!) to enroll their kids in public schools? Who knew?

 

[DGS49]

In my son's life (now 43), there was very little unsupervised play. He went to practices and games, and had the occasional "play date," but not much of just playing stuff with neighborhood kids.

I concluded that this impaired him (them) in the matter of petty dispute resolution. When he got pissed off at one of his playmates, he would just write them off and avoid them.

In my neighborhood, my playmates were the children of my mother's playmates. You could not ostracize or avoid any kid because you needed the whole group to play in the future. If you had an argument or a fight you had to work through it, sometimes at the insistence of parents.

To me, this is the worst aspect of suburban life. Kids' lives are too controlled and scheduled.