The weedy generation

[housesparrow]

Modern Britain is raising a generation of weaklings as computer games and health and safety rules are curtailing rough and tumble outdoor play, a new study finds.

A shift away from traditional activities like climbing trees, ropes and wall bars has made modern 10-year-olds physically weaker than their counterparts a decade ago.

They can do fewer sit ups, are less able to hang from wall bars and are generally less muscular than those brought up in the 1990s.

The findings, published in the child health journal Acta Paediatrica, have led to fresh concern about the impact on children's health caused by the shift away from outdoor activities.

"This is probably due to changes in activity patterns among English 10-year-olds, such as taking part in fewer activities like rope-climbing in PE and tree-climbing for fun," said Dr Gavin Sandercock, the lead author at Essex University.





I don't think I've ever been able to hang from wall bars - I 'm sure if I tried it now I would dislocate my shoulders.

[rjpageuk]

Probably have better hand eye coordination though!

[tarzanontarmazepam]

I was always mostly hopeless at sports. A group of us were singled out mostly to go on cross country runs as they had given up on us completely, and we'd end up in nearby woodland with 10 John Player Specials and some girly mags, completely unsupervised.

But they were probably the best of days really.

[everso]

Jun 3, 2011 11:32:55 GMT housesparrow said:

Modern Britain is raising a generation of weaklings as computer games and health and safety rules are curtailing rough and tumble outdoor play, a new study finds.

A shift away from traditional activities like climbing trees, ropes and wall bars has made modern 10-year-olds physically weaker than their counterparts a decade ago.

They can do fewer sit ups, are less able to hang from wall bars and are generally less muscular than those brought up in the 1990s.

The findings, published in the child health journal Acta Paediatrica, have led to fresh concern about the impact on children's health caused by the shift away from outdoor activities.

"This is probably due to changes in activity patterns among English 10-year-olds, such as taking part in fewer activities like rope-climbing in PE and tree-climbing for fun," said Dr Gavin Sandercock, the lead author at Essex University.





I don't think I've ever been able to hang from wall bars - I 'm sure if I tried it now I would dislocate my shoulders.

Me too!

I used to be able to shimmy up the rope in our school gym. I could get right to the top, no problem. I suppose I had less weight to have to hoik up though. ;D

However, I have to say I detested school sports with the exception of swimming - I especially hated team sports. Netball? Hockey? Argghhhhhhhh!!!!!

[housesparrow]

I could climb a rope as soon as I learn to wrap my feet around it and push as well as pull. I was hopeless at most sports and as for cross country runs - well, we had a games mistress who used to give friendly taps to the behinds of those who couldn't keep up, always me.

Rob, what does dislocating my shoulders have to do with hand-eye co-ordination? Mine is rotten and always has been.

[aubrey]

It seems a bit unfair blaming it on computer games when any group of kids playing out are liable to get accused of anti-social behaviour. And when their parents can get accused of neglect for allowing a ten year old to walk to school (was it ten? Still - a lot older than I was allowed to walk to school on my own).


I could never do that gym stuff either. Fingers too weak.

[rjpageuk]

Jun 3, 2011 18:10:24 GMT housesparrow said:

Rob, what does dislocating my shoulders have to do with hand-eye co-ordination? Mine is rotten and always has been.

Sorry I didnt mean you I meant kids. If they spend their time playing computer games it is likely that instead of developing strength and muscles they develop their hand-eye coordination.

[alanseago]

The first time I heard this was in 1950 something, when my mother said, "Get your head out of that book and go out to play, you need the fresh air". This at the peak of coal-burning Lancashire industry.
You can develop your body at any age, the window for learning and mental development is very short, it becomes more difficult as we age.

[everso]

Jun 4, 2011 12:09:26 GMT alanseago said:

The first time I heard this was in 1950 something, when my mother said, "Get your head out of that book and go out to play, you need the fresh air". This at the peak of coal-burning Lancashire industry.
You can develop your body at any age, the window for learning and mental development is very short, it becomes more difficult as we age.

Very true.

[sesley]

this was in the Daily Record yesturday.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/06/03/no-ball-games-no-bikes-no-skipping-killjoy-housing-association-s-rules-for-kids-in-new-street-86908-23176251/

if kids want to have tradtitional outside play they can't they are complained about,so parents keep them in. plus there are very few playgrounds around housing estates for children to safely play in. Its not parents fault its the lack of outside adventure places for children to run around in

[jean]

And then there's this:

www.parentdish.co.uk/2011/05/18/these-feet-were-made-for-walking-how-old-is-too-old-for-a-pushchair/

[everso]

Five is far too old to be pushed around! Of course, my daughter has twins, so it wasn't physically possible to push them both around in their double buggy after they were about 3. I can see why mothers push small children of 2 or 3 around rather than try to hold on to their hands while carrying bags of shopping. You can't let a two year old wander around getting under people's feet so they're safer in a push chair (plus the push chair has places to store bags).

[housesparrow]

Jun 4, 2011 19:42:41 GMT sesley said:

this was in the Daily Record yesturday.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/06/03/no-ball-games-no-bikes-no-skipping-killjoy-housing-association-s-rules-for-kids-in-new-street-86908-23176251/

if kids want to have tradtitional outside play they can't they are complained about,so parents keep them in. plus there are very few playgrounds around housing estates for children to safely play in. Its not parents fault its the lack of outside adventure places for children to run around in

Banning street play is no solution; confiscate a few abandoned tricycles and children will soon learn to put them in a safe place. Most children move out f the way when they hear a car.

I say most, because I had a rather nasty experience in a back street of Hastings when a gang of kinds, aged no more than abut 10, zoomed in from nowhere and surrounded my car with their bikes, screaming obscenities. They thought it was hugely funny and I wish I had run one of them over.

[Weyland]

Jun 4, 2011 12:09:26 GMT alanseago said:

You can develop your body at any age, the window for learning and mental development is very short, it becomes more difficult as we age.

And yet not too difficult in the mental department. It's the body bit I find difficult. But I'm working on it.

Used to cycle about 16km to work in NL, but I dare not ride my bike at all in Britain, so I brought it back here (NL/D border). Haven't lost the knack, and it's a simple pleasure to cycle 3km of a morning to get fresh German bread. The traffic on both sides of the border is well aware of bikes. Where I live in Wales they either don't see them or actively terrify them. Or so it seems.

[housesparrow]

I'm not at all sure that I agree with Alan on that either.

I understand things better as I've grown older; experience clearly has something to do with that. Skills may be easier to learn when young, but they includes co-ordination. And surely if children don't exercise and put their bodies under some pressure their skeleton won't develop properly? I certainly fear for the postures of the children being wheeled around in buggies (Jean's link)

[jean]

Jun 5, 2011 15:46:29 GMT housesparrow said:

Banning street play is no solution; confiscate a few abandoned tricycles and children will soon learn to put them in a safe place.

That's why I like the high-density terraced streets where I live - there are always children playing out, and the primary school isn't more than a ten-minute walk for most of them. And lots do walk.

Most children move out of the way when they hear a car.

The streets parallel to mine are very quiet because they don't lead anywhere, but there's a street that cuts across them that's used as a short cut. People drive far too fast along it, and that is really dangerous.

I'm in favour of a default 20 mph speed limit in all residential areas.

[aubrey]

Jun 5, 2011 15:46:29 GMT housesparrow said:

They thought it was hugely funny and I wish I had run one of them over.

But kids are nearly always a lot better in the abstract, or else one at a time.


A default 20 mph speed limit in built up areas would be a really good thing. It'd annoy people coming along our street anyway.

[everso]

Jun 5, 2011 15:46:29 GMT housesparrow said:

Jun 4, 2011 19:42:41 GMT sesley said:

this was in the Daily Record yesturday.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/06/03/no-ball-games-no-bikes-no-skipping-killjoy-housing-association-s-rules-for-kids-in-new-street-86908-23176251/

if kids want to have tradtitional outside play they can't they are complained about,so parents keep them in. plus there are very few playgrounds around housing estates for children to safely play in. Its not parents fault its the lack of outside adventure places for children to run around in

Banning street play is no solution; confiscate a few abandoned tricycles and children will soon learn to put them in a safe place. Most children move out f the way when they hear a car.

I say most, because I had a rather nasty experience in a back street of Hastings when a gang of kinds, aged no more than abut 10, zoomed in from nowhere and surrounded my car with their bikes, screaming obscenities. They thought it was hugely funny and I wish I had run one of them over.

I've pretended to be an off-duty policewoman before now. That usually makes most kids stop and take heed.

Actually, a camera in the car is always handy. Besides being useful if you're in an accident, you could always take photos of the kids and tell them you will be taking the photos straight to the police.

[housesparrow]

Jun 6, 2011 10:14:26 GMT aubrey said:

Jun 5, 2011 15:46:29 GMT housesparrow said:

They thought it was hugely funny and I wish I had run one of them over.

But kids are nearly always a lot better in the abstract, or else one at a time.


A default 20 mph speed limit in built up areas would be a really good thing. It'd annoy people coming along our street anyway.

Aubs, the speed limit wouldn't have helped here. I was crawling along looking for a house, and that was probably what gave these little horrors the idea of surrounding me, in a warped version of "chicken".

Why don't they play on railway lines, like when we were young?