We\u2019ve had a couple of nice days lately and in the afternoons, I\u2019ve spent some time reading on the patio. We live in a very nice housing development, or \u201cvillage.\u201d There are quite a few kids in the neighborhood. But while I was sitting out enjoying the great weather, It occurred to me that I didn\u2019t see any of those kids. If fact, I almost never see any kids \u2014 occasionally, you\u2019ll see one walking to the bus stop or maybe home from the bus stop. But you never see them outside playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t remember the last time I saw any kid, or group of kids, playing outside. I\u2019m not sure when this all happened, but I just noticed it. Of course you know where this is leading \u2014 some extensive research. I really was curious and I discovered it wasn\u2019t just my imagination \u2014 kids really don\u2019t seem to play outside much anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s some \u201cfacts\u201d that I found interesting:
Only 6 percent of American children, ages 9-13, play outside unsupervised.
A 2004 survey found that 71 percent of American mothers said they played outdoors every day as children, but only 26 percent of them said their kids played outdoors daily.
A 2005 study indicated that 71 percent of adults reported that they walked or biked to school when they were children, but in 2005, only about 20 percent of children did.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But my question remains\u2026. why?
My guess is that fear may be maybe the most important reason. We obviously live in a more fearful society these days. Parents have a lot to worry about, some of the things are real, some are exaggerated, some are imagined \u2014 traffic, strangers, crime, bug bites, skin cancer, injuries, animals, etc.\u00a0
And a lot of kids don\u2019t want to go outside \u2014 they\u2019d rather watch the screen of their iPads, or TV, or some video game.\u00a0
A lot (most?) kids are raised in an overly structured lifestyle. They\u2019re involved in sports teams, indoor play centers, and other extracurricular activities. And some schools seem to assign an excessive amount of homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyhow, I think it\u2019s a shame \u2014 apparently parents have come to the conclusion that all these \u201cthreats\u201d\u00a0 are real and organized activities are better for their kids than the goof-around, footloose time I had when I was a kid.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We\u2019ve had a couple of nice days lately and in the afternoons, I\u2019ve spent some time reading on the patio. We live in a very nice housing development, or \u201cvillage.\u201d There are quite a few kids in the neighborhood. But … Continue reading