You have got to be kidding: Overprotective Stories

[Beavah]

My husbands job takes him to neighborhoods where they have built indoor playgrounds so their kids never have to leave the house for fear of infected mosquitoes, ticks, birds, bees "you name it".

 

Yah, dat's one to file in the "You have got to be kidding!" department.

 

I figure it's high time for us all to vent a bit and share our similar stories, within scouts and without, of overprotective kid-rearing. Stuff where kids are no longer allowed to do what we considered routine as children ourselves.

 

I have a purpose for this, and that's in part for da most "special" examples to use in various talks with officials and scouters and parents. But I also reckon it will be enlightening.

 

So, let's hear em!

 

Beavah

 

[Eagle92]

In referecne to indoor playgrounds, at least it comprises a place to do physical activity. I have noticed a certain resteraunt chain doing away with playgrounds, both indoor and outdoor, in favor of video game stations instead.

 

here's my list

 

1) Walking to school.

 

2) Riding a bicycle to school.

 

3) Hiking in the rain (this happened to me one time with the troop when we turned a trip into a family trip. Took a while to allow families again.)

 

4) Allowing kids to fail.

[Beavah]

Yah, Eagle92, your comments reminded me of one, eh? I remember talkin' to a canoe outfitter a few years back. Tellin' me about a scout troop where the leader(s) were outraged that they

 

1) Didn't provide flush toilets on the river at da lunch stop.

2) Didn't refrigerate the (outfitter provided) lunch beyond the waterproof cooler it was kept in.

3) Didn't offer vehicle transportation for da walk of 1/8 mile from the takeout to the shop where the cars were (they were allowed to drop their boats and gear at the takeout, they just had to walk themselves).

4) Told the adult leaders that it was a "short walk" to the adjacent state park group campsite (about 1/4 mile), when clearly it was far too much to be expected to do without minivans.

 

Safety First! The lads might stub their toes on those big, nasty tree roots along the trail.

 

Is the no walking or biking to school thing really real out there? (I suppose that question is da equivalent of "Is Beavah an old fuddy-duddy?" )

 

Beavah

 

[Platypus96]

In my school district, there used to be an overnight trip that students took in the fourth grade. Very tame, we slept in beds, heated house, little nature hikes, home in under 30 hours. The year after I went, it turned into a day trip. They don't even get to do the night hike anymore. I've heard that the tenth grade overnight will be cancelled after the year too.

[Stosh]

Mark my words... the day is coming when parents will be held accountable for neglect if they leave their children outside for more than 15 minutes at a time.

 

Stosh

[moosetracker]

Oh yes Beavah.. Your child is far too precious to walk.

 

In sync with the school buses.. I go to work and the kids are waiting for the school bus, in each of their parents heated cars.. They can't even trade off and have just one parent be the heated vehical so poor children wont catch cold..

 

I took some scouts to a town meeting for some citizenship. Some parent was asking that the school bus stop at their home because little johnny couldn't walk the 2 houses up to the official bus stop.. (I was happy to see them denied.). Also, if you are behind a bus don't be surprised to wait a while for the kids that don't have a heated car. They will stay in their house and come out only when they see the bus, then the bus has to wait for them to walk up the road to them.

 

I remember walking (yes walking) to school (dresses for girls still in fashion). with snow so high we walked on the snow piles the plows made, and would look down on the roofs of the cars that passed by, you could fall into a sinkhole that would swallow you leg and steal your boot. Then our legs would freeze standing for school doors to open and at recess.. The pants were a good thing.. But, I could not believe it when our school required my son to have all this paraphania to go out for recess.. Including snow pants.. Snow pants, required for 20 minute recess?? At least he has jeans on, I had a dress, and there was no consideration for us when I grew up.

 

PS. The indoor playgrounds are that of the rich in our little state of NH, those with houses around the ocean.. Dan Brown author of the "Da Vinci Code" is one of those on his route, to give you an idea of his clientele.. Just built a gorgous new house, but I don't know if he is one with a playground or if he even has kids.

[The Blancmange]

I hear that there is a youth organization that won't allow kids to do things as innocuous as laser tag and is on the verge of banning its kids from going camping or hiking outside the immediate view of an adult.

[Eagle92]

Beav,

The riding bike example is about some parents as I've been told it's not safe without an adult around.

 

BUT I know that when one mom saw a child walking to school, she immediately turned around and offered the child a ride. When the child refused to get in and ride to school, the mom doublebacked and was following the child, just to be safe.

 

Another mom seeing what was going on, approached the first mom and talked to her, then called the cops as she said something to the effect that it was child endangerment.

 

Cops did come, did pick up the girl, and apparently brought her home as SHMBO was the first mom in the story, and did see the police pick up the girl. And when she came home,she saw the police car in the driveway a few doors down where the child lives.

[83Eagle]

Just look at any rubber-coated playground, indoors or out. A little different than the olden days, eh?

[skeptic]

Yet, at almost every school in which I have subbed the past ten years, there are kids that wait for hours for a parent or someone to pick them up. They have to sit in the office until the ride comes. And on a few occasions, I know the school has had to call youth protection authorities, as no one can be found.

 

Meanwhile, out on the playground, they are no longer allowed to play tag or anything else that requires "touching" or possible better physical conditioning in the child to succeed. They still play dodge ball though in most schools, but I have not seen a school or park with a "see-saw" or "teeter-totter" in years; and they either have removed swings, or put in rubber beneath, while banning bailing out or going higher than about a third of an arc.

 

Kids still do walk and ride bikes, skateboards, and scooters at most of the schools, if they are in 4th and above; but there are not very many that do.

 

Of course, in scouts, I have seen so much over protective stuff in the last 10 years, that I simply shrug my shoulders and tell a parent that we cannot guarantee this or that, but we will not allow any real danger.

 

Sigh.

[Platypus96]

At my councils summer camp, there is only one person on the water front staff that can get in the lifeguard chair per BSA rules, as everyone else is too short to do so without climbing equipment.

[The Blancmange]

 

Just look at any rubber-coated playground, indoors or out. A little different than the olden days, eh?

I wouldn't necessarily classify that as overprotective. More like applying lessons learned and modern technology to make them safer. Kids used to get paralyzed in playground accidents. When is the last time you heard of that happening? Doesn't mean the equipment is any less fun for kids, either.

[clemlaw]

That's what I was going to say.

 

The padded material on the ground does not do anything to prevent the types of injuries that you and I suffered as a child, such as skinned knees, cuts, bruises, etc. So kids can still have fun, and continue to enjoy those types of minor injuries.

 

What it does do is prevent the relatively rare traumatic head injuries.

 

Since shredded tires probably don't cost much more than cement, it does seem like kind of a no-brainer to me.

[perdidochas]

Beavah wrote:

 

I remember talkin' to a canoe outfitter a few years back. Tellin' me about a scout troop where the leader(s) were outraged that they

 

1) Didn't provide flush toilets on the river at da lunch stop.

2) Didn't refrigerate the (outfitter provided) lunch beyond the waterproof cooler it was kept in.

3) Didn't offer vehicle transportation for da walk of 1/8 mile from the takeout to the shop where the cars were (they were allowed to drop their boats and gear at the takeout, they just had to walk themselves).

4) Told the adult leaders that it was a "short walk" to the adjacent state park group campsite (about 1/4 mile), when clearly it was far too much to be expected to do without minivans.

 

 

 

 

You've got to be exaggerating about the above, or it was some group of disabled scouts.

[SSScout]

My introduction to this issue was back when I led bike trips for the American Youth Hostels. I also operated a bike repair business out of my basement. AYH office gave a dad my number because he had a question about an upcoming trip. His 14 year old son had a bike that they weren't sure about, was it in good shape, could I look at it? I said sure, bring it around. When they arrived, I looked at the bike, adjusted the derailleur, and pronounced it in fine shape for the trip. Would Johnny like to take it out around the neighborhood to see how it runs? He does so, and dad follows in his car... When Johnny returns, he thanks me, yes it runs much better.The following conversation ensues:

Dad: Are you sure you want to do this?

Johnny: Yeah, dad. It'll be fun. (500 miles around Cape Cod over two weeks in July, 10 teen agers and two young adult leaders. Bikes and Panniers.).

D: But what'll you do if you get a flat tire?

Me: They'll repair it. The leader is trained in bike mechanics.

D: What happens if it rains? (July trip. Cape Cod in the summer)

Me: The equipment list did include ponchos. They will get wet and then get dry.(Dad is silent...Johnny is looking at the ceiling...)

 

Then there was the canoe trip down the Shennandoah where two of the teen girls brought electric hair dryers in their kit...but that's not PROTECTIVE, is it?