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West Ender · 15-09-2007, 19:54

My granddaughter is 8 next month and she is allowed to play outside on her bike after school. She rides on the pavement, which has few pedestrians, from our house to the "2nd lamp post" and back and round the corner, the other way, to the post box and back - about 50 yards each way. On this journey she passes the houses of 2 friends, the same age as her, whose mothers won't let them join her because they are paranoid about their children playing outside. This is a quiet but well populated road. These same mothers will accompany their children to our door if Laura invites them to play in the back garden and will come back to pick them up later.

I'm all for protecting children but, these days, I think the caution goes too far. There's a generation growing up that knows no freedom at all and isn't learning any self responsibility. I know all the dangers of paedophiles etc. but they have always existed, even when Laura's mother was playing out with all the other children on the street 20 years ago. I don't think wrapping children in quite so much cotton wool does them any favours. Do you?

15-09-2007, 19:54	#1
West Ender Passed away 25-11-09 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lymm, Cheshire Posts: 2,674 Blog Entries: 147 Liked: 2 times Rep Power: 193	Playing Out My granddaughter is 8 next month and she is allowed to play outside on her bike after school. She rides on the pavement, which has few pedestrians, from our house to the "2nd lamp post" and back and round the corner, the other way, to the post box and back - about 50 yards each way. On this journey she passes the houses of 2 friends, the same age as her, whose mothers won't let them join her because they are paranoid about their children playing outside. This is a quiet but well populated road. These same mothers will accompany their children to our door if Laura invites them to play in the back garden and will come back to pick them up later. I'm all for protecting children but, these days, I think the caution goes too far. There's a generation growing up that knows no freedom at all and isn't learning any self responsibility. I know all the dangers of paedophiles etc. but they have always existed, even when Laura's mother was playing out with all the other children on the street 20 years ago. I don't think wrapping children in quite so much cotton wool does them any favours. Do you? __________________ * Some cinemas let the flying monkeys in............and some don't.