Grumpy Adults Stop Kids Playing Outside

[freakyfun]

Saw this on the morning news.

Any of us getting over enthusiastic? ;)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3127495.stm

FF

[Beth]

so go to the park!!!!

grrrr, if parents had more time for families they could walk down to the park with the kids and they could play there

we have about a million kids playing here at the moment, there is a small park a few streets away :angry: but knowing the parents....ummm.....easier to just scream at the kids from the doorway :badmood:

they are wrecking the trees and bringing rubbish from all over to make "dens"

and they bang and shout and swear, we are talking about 6/7 year olds.

mind you, if you heard the way they get *shouted in* on a night you would see where the swearing comes from

sorry freaky I went off in to a rant there!!

yes kids need to play outside, but not outside me!!! :P

[Annabel]

:o

that report has really annoyed me!!! there are places for kids to play, in their own gardens or down the park!!! it wouldnt be so bad if they played outside their own houses but they blinking well dont, they play outside other people's!!!!! people who dont want their peace and quiet wrecked night after night after s~%%&*g night!!!!!

thats it!!!!

i am going to write to the childrens society!!!

there is a difference between kids who are genuinely deprived and who live in inner city areas where there is no space and ones who live next door to parks, and open spaces and dont use them!!!

how dare they say people are grumpy!!! maybe they would like to come and live on my road for even one week, they would soon be singing a different tune!!

bah :badmood: :angry:

RANT RANT

sorry, lost my cool AGAIN!!!!! ( NOT good in this hot weather!)

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

Children's Society's spokesman Tim Linehan said: "Playing outdoors is a fundamental part of everyone's childhood, but that is being threatened by a culture of intolerance towards children's play in public.

Aah, yes, but in times past children were under constant observation by parents and neighbours and there was discipline. If a child did something wrong you can bet your bottom dollar somebody would have seen and reported it to their parents and punishment would ensue. I am all for letting kids play outside but when that 'play' includes vandalism, abuse and unacceptable levels of noise and complaints to parents are met with more abuse and possible violence then I say 'enough is enough'.

The Childrens Society has a vested interest in this. It was interesting that only 15% said they'd been told off by neighbours, hardly a huge number :P 50% said their parents told them off. Why they were told off wasn't made very clear. Any child who hasn't been told off by a parent is either a little saint or has parents who don't care. So that leaves between 35% and 50% (it wasn't made clear) who have never been told off. So I'd say the headline was very misleading and the Childrens Society should be ashamed of itself.

Misty

[hollygolightly]

NIMBY

:lol:

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

I've just seen a piece about this on Channel 5 news.

They're going to have a talk about it in the 7 o'clock news and they're asking people to email, phone or text their views. I might just email them :D

Misty

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

Good for you HE :)

I watched the 7pm news and they were interviewing a mother and her two little girls. They only had a small courtyard to play in and they seemed miffed that a 'no ball games' sign had gone up.

Now forgive me for being 'grumpy', but footballs can smash windows and that's apart from the annoyance of the constant 'thumping'. I was disgusted with the mother who thought it was perfectly alright. Let them play by all means, but kicking footballs in a small courtyard? Would she pay for breakages if her children smashed any windows? Even if she did she won't pay for the anxiety and distress to the victim.

As I said before I have no objection to children playing, but some common sense wouldn't go astray. What most 'grumpy' adults complain about are not children playing but children vandalising, shouting abuse and shrieking in their little high pitched voices :P

Victoria Meldrew

Oops, gave meself away then :o

Misty

[goosegirl]

I was in a ok mood until I read that article. Ok kids playing make a noise. I can accept that, its the damage to my walls and garden that I won't accept. Do the kids parents offer to repair or pay for the damage?.

No of course not , you just get called a kid hater or picked on more.

If a window gets broken when you are out, no one owns up to it, or trys to make your window secure.

On my street they never play football in two's , its always 7-15 of them outside my house because their parents have cars, and not in their gardens.

We have a football field 10 houses along than us, they never used it yet.

[sapphirelily10]

If SOME parents spent MORE time with their kids(accept this can be difficult for single, working parents to juggle), instead of letting them steal cars til 1 a.m. in summer, and letting them have their own tv/dvd/computer/satellite in their bedsit(age 6) in the winter, then maybe there would be more kids occupied in constructive/harmless fun...and less sufferers from kfh :P

Rant over.

Sapph

[freakyfun]

In America they have had problems with people playing 'Everquest' (online role=playing game) so much they lose their wives/family/jobs. On the plus side, they do gain level 65 characters who can make 'misty thicket picnics' or cultural armor, and get to the highest level of the planes of power (um .. I didn't use to play .. honest)

FF

[Annabel]

all of us should email the childrens society and get our points across.

they have a very handy feedback form on their website.

its these do gooders who are encouraging kids to think they are invincible and can do what they like. at the end of the day adults are in charge!!!! what a shame these precious, hard done by, sensitive, little darlings are getting told off by us wicked adults!! tough! thats life man! when i was a kid i used to get a lot more than a telling off when i stepped out of line!!!

i wish these agencies would concentrate on the really dreadful things that are happening to children .

[Beth]

did you see two days a go there was a failed snatchinjg of a little girl?

it was in huddersfield, she and her friends were playing in a woodland area.

she mangaed to scream and wriggle free from the snatcher

how old do you think she was?

remember playing out in the woods with her mates??





she was only 6

what can you say? it amazes me

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

I just don't understand why some people have kids. There was one family a few doors up from me and the mother just tipped them all out into the street, or left them with a very promiscuous babysitter. The youngest child was quite often found wandering.

One day a woman knocked at my friend's house. She had this same small girl by the hand. She thought my friend was the mother. She was directed to the child's home and she told my friend, she didn't even get a thank you. She'd found the child two roads away!!! I could cite other instances concerning that family and a few other families as well but I'd be here all day :(

Anybody who could let a 2 year old out in the street to play alone should be prosecuted!! No wonder kids grow up out of control or snatched by paedophiles.

Misty

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

I've just been to the Childrens Society website and put in my two pennethworth :)


Hello,

I heard about your study about 'Grumpy Adults' and I would like to put some points to you.

I am a parent of three grown up children who spent their childhood being bullied by local youngsters.** I live on a council estate and I have no objection to children playing.** However they don't just play, they vandalize, they shout abuse, they use coarse language and they play endless games of football with no regard as to where the ball goes, trampling gardens to retrieve it, causing alarm and distress to old people and sick people alike.

I really do object to your use of the word 'Grumpy'.** Children reading that will feel perfectly justified to 'do their own thing' because you have told them that adults are grumpy killjoys.** It seems that we grumpies have to change, why aren't you encouraging the children to change their attitudes?**

I belong to an online community, www.nfh.org.uk and we have members who have been driven to distraction by out of control youngsters who think they should be allowed to do anything, anywhere and whenever they please.** Maybe you should pay a visit an hear the anguish that has been caused to some people, adults and children alike, by children.

I realise that you are representing children, but how about talking about their responsibilities as well as their rights?** I brought my children up with a sense of right and wrong, of taking responsibility for themselves and their actions.** Unlike some of their contemporaries who were allowed to behave as they liked,they have grown into hard working, responsible adults.

'Grumpy' might sound like a funny, quirky word but it is not.** It demeans adults and opens them to ridicule from children.** Any child who has never been 'told off' by a parent is either a little saint or has parents who don't care.** So when children say their parents are telling them off, instead of calling them grumpy, you should be commending them for caring enough about their children to reprimand them for bad behaviour.

Misty_aka_Grumpy

[Beth]

wow!!

great email misty!!
you put the point across there!
please let us know if you get a response!!

[Annabel]

well done misty, i also sent a message but i dont know how to copy it over here...im rubbish with computers. but it was a similar message to yours.

i wonder if they will bother to respond???

[hollygolightly]

Well done Mistyeyeddreamer - great e-mail :)

[kajiee]

Try e-mailing The Childrens Society, they totaly change there tune as to what was reported, I told them to put it right if they were misinturpreted !

The way I read it is that they are encouraging kids to be a pain to all of us and keep us in our hell, they say different !

[Annabel]

;) :huh:

I had a reply fromthe childrens society, basically saying that they do not condone rowdy behaviour. the survey they did revealed that what kids want is to be able to play near their homes, and often play areas are near to busy roads and their parents wont let them go across these roads as they think its dangerous.!!!!!

i wish i knew how to copy over the email to you all, its classic liberal bleeding heart stuff.

they still miss the point though dont they that parents should be supervising their kids and not letting them wander about on their own. GET UP off your bots and accompany your kids to the park!!!!

are we pushing against the tide here or what!!!!!

[Matthew]

Great e-mail Misty, nice one too Annabel!

I haven't so far added this news story (deliberately) to the main news database at http://www.nfh.org.uk/news/index.php

- Do you think we should? :D

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

I got a reply :) Sounds a lot like the one you got Annabel. Here it is:


Dear Misty,
Thank you for making time to contact us and giving us your views on
today's
Playday story about "Grumpy Grownups stop children playing".

The research The Children's Society commissioned directly for Playday
2003
asked over 2,500 children and young people their views about playing
outdoors and we have given your their views we received from surveys
and
from direct consultation with 180 young people in five areas of
England.

The Children's Society does not condone wilful damage to anyone's
property.
As our report was based purely on children's views, we do not feel it
is
appropriate to comment on parenting abilities at this time.

What we are doing in the research for Playday this year has been to
hear
children's views about playing outdoors.** We have questioned why they
play
in their streets and why they play so close to home.** The research
shows
that they would like to have playgrounds nearer to their homes.**
Parents are
concerned about their safety, for example about crossing busy roads or
about
their general safety when their children are playing out.** Parents want
them
close to home.** But there is a general lack of play facilities and open
space for children to do so without causing conflict within their
neighbourhood.**

The Children's Society is asking, through the Get Out and Play
research,
that:
there is a more tolerant attitude to children playing in their
communities;
playgrounds are sited nearer to children;
and for children to have a role in decision making in their
communities.

Imagine this, when a local authority built a very expensive and
desirable
playground on a disused site, they thought that was the answer for the
children of their borough, but they did not realise how close the
playground
was to a busy road.** The playground was neglected by children.**
Parent's
didn't like them crossing the busy road and children did not want to
take
such risks to get to the playground.** Had the children been part of the
decision-making for where to put that playground they could have
alerted the
authority to such concerns.** If we involve children in the decisions in
their community, we make them a valued part of their community.

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to get in
touch.

Yours Sincerely

Kirsty Paterson
Investor Services Team Leader (Acting)


I notice they didn't address my point about them calling adults 'grumpy'. And I wonder why they think it inappropriate to comment on parenting styles? I have a feeling this a pro-forma email with maybe a few tweaks for different people.

Misty

Misty

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

Oops signed my name twice. Sorry, getting big headed ;)

Misty

[Annabel]

Misty, I was sent exactly the same reply!!!!

i wonder if they have had a big response and therefore needed to send out an official response

i think had enough made a very good point. well done you!!!! the older they get the more spiteful and vicious and disrespectful they get.

[Mistyeyeddreamer]

Hadenough, that was brilliant. Short and to the point but you got almost everything in :)

Annabel, I suppose it was too much to expect a personalised reply :( After all, we're just grumpy adults and we don't deserve it :P

Mind you I think if they'd replied personally to everyone they'd probably be still doing it next Christmas :D

Misty

[Annabel]

:huh:

it would be good if they could reveal how many responses they got to this report, in fact i might ask them!!!

i hope they were deluged! :lol:

[Matthew]

Originally posted by HadEnough@Aug 7 2003, 6:47 PM
Instead of advocating these children make everyone elses lives a misery, you should be concentrating on educating them and their parents about their responsibilities.
Indeed - well said!

The only way to prevent future, and future, and future generations of Neighbours From Hell being created from young people and children who live in more 'anti-social' situations or who have less awareness of the impacts that their behaviour could have on others, is education, knowledge and awareness. Prevent the NFH 'syndrome' before it happens.

Many parents of course do this, they care enough to install a sense of self-awareness, responsibility and education into the lives of their children. This has undoubtedly already been touched on many times in this thread :)

What other way is there to stop the 'NFH baton' being passed from parents to children, generation after generation after generation....... :blink: