Cotton Wool Kids

[peter991]

I haven't posted in this section of ThaiVisa before but I came across an article online today I would like to share.

Briefly, in many parts of the Western world, children are 'shielded' throughout childhood. The children I have noticed in Thailand vary from the ones who seem to be scared of farangs and hide behind their mother's skirt and the ones who are very sociable.

Cotton Wool Kids

There's an epidemic that's threatening to stifle the development and independence of our children.

It's an epidemic of fear.

This week Sunday asks; are our kids being over-protected and mollycoddled like never before, and in the end could they all suffer the consequences?

Children are being taught that the world is a scary place, where predators lurk around every corner. Few children now walk to school or play in the local bush or park on their own.

Parents are afraid to let them out of their sight and accompany them everywhere. Yet this fear of "Stranger Danger" is false.

Professor Paul Wilson, Chair of Criminology at Bond University, believes obsessive media coverage has bred a climate of fear. Children are just as safe now in public as they have been for the last 20 or 30 years.

Another reason for overprotection is the shrinking size of our families.

Relative to the size of our population this current generation of children is the smallest we have ever produced.

Social Commentator & Psychologist Hugh Mackay says this had led to "Helicopter Parenting" where parents hover over their children at home, at the park, at school; and "Trophy Parenting" where parents compete with each other via their kids.

Claire Owen who runs a counselling service for kids is seeing more stressed out and anxious children than ever before. She says that there's too much pressure on children to grow up quickly: "kids just need to be kids."

The consequences could be dire.

Hugh Mackay says "We're looking forward to one of the most rebellious generations of adolescents we will have ever seen".

Peter

[torrenova]

Kids these days in the west for sure are wrapped in cotton wool, fed burgers and sit in front of the TV playing the play station. What happened to the going outside, climbing trees, sure breaking the odd bone but generally being a lot more healthy and not overweight. Now they are told not to climb trees in case they fall; we used to know how to climb trees because we understood the trees and fell from small heights when learning. We knew rotten branches and yes, some kids probably died but that is survival of the fittest and the non stupid. now we molly coddle everyone and keep them all "alive" but to the detriment of society in general.

[GuestHouse]

Where do you guys get this garbage from?

Kids live different lives these days for sure, so did you when you when you where a child, you did not have the same life as your parents.

What you had is not better, it's different.

[torrenova]

Different lives yes, but healthier and more rounded lives ? For sure. Look at the kids of today. Look what they get up to. How many are completely out of control ? How many are obese or overweight ? Kids who have never experienced the outdoor life with TV and game centres all consuming.

My childhood wasn't just different it was better. Why, fundamentally because parents let kids go and explore. Now parents are scared to let their kids go out because something might happen to them. Well it just might. On the other hand it probably will not. Kids should not be glued to TV and should be encouraged to go learn by themselves. Put up boundaries for sure but the odd broken finger or scuffed knee never killed anyone.

Tell me any of the changes in the way kids are brought up in the last 30 to 40 years which produce better kids with better morals and a healthier lifestyle ?