Why are the mc & mc children more outdoorsy & sporty?

[Spaghettisavesmysoul]

Following on from the umc lifestyle thread, I noticed many posts saying they were much more outdoorsy & sporty. Skiing is nearly a pre requisite & a silent class marker! The mc kids we know can all swim very, very well, cycling loads, hike, ski, play hockey, tennis & rugby.
Why is this? Is it from the schools they attend, parental aspirations or interests? The wc class kids I know (mine included) are not that way inclined whatsoever, outdoors consists more of freeplay as opposed to sports & my boys enjoy unstructured footie with their pals...

It's MC culture, reinforced by the values imbued by private schooling and supported by sufficient financial ability.

Working full time, as a single parent on Universal credit, and managing six or seven activities is certainly impressive!

But I think that's far from typical of the average person trying to survive, and make ends meet, on the paltry universal credit.

I think part of it (although not exclusively a MC marker)as well as cost, is having an available parent to take you to all the activities.

Where I live is fairly MC and there are loads of SAHM. Many spend their afternoons and weekends ferrying kids to classes and sports matches and tournaments.

With regards to skiing though, which I appreciate is a very expensive sport that not many can afford, dry slopes are available in many places up and down the country. Many of our young Olympians, particularly those from WC or less-well-off backgrounds that weren't raised with a culture of skiing and snowboarding, learned at their local dry slope. You have to pay to access them, but the cost is much lower than for an indoor snow slope and if you just want to try out skiing and give your DC that experience, it's worth looking into. I remember watching an interview with a British Olympic snowboarder who was doing their tricks for the first time on actual snow! They had learned everything they knew on their local dry slope in the Midlands and they had made it to the British Olympic team!!

@whatsup00 That's a good suggestion as the athletics clubs locally do charge a reasonable annual fee only, with uniform kit for events passed around secondhand. It can also be supplemented with the free park run, and I believe some of the clubs run together, with the children's sections that is.

Yes. It can be done cheaply. I know some road races are expensive. But the actual athletics part, especially for children, can be very reasonable.

It brought me a huge amount of joy during a very difficult part of my life so I will always feel indebted to it (Cannock & Stafford athletics club).

I would yes and yes to that. Football or basketball in the park is outdoors, is it not? Gym = sport. You've got to actually want to get active to do any of those things, so they are all 'sporty', surely?

I grew up in a MC family and we did loads of clubs mostly because parents worked long hours so we needed something to do after school!

A lot of it is from school- swimming weekly from reception, tennis club after school from pre prep 1, hockey for girls and rugby for boys also from PP1. Extra tennis and swimming through the luxury gym or members club frequented by the parents. Skiing because the parents enjoy it and can afford it, plus the school ski trip when they get older.
I don’t know anyone that goes hiking though, maybe that’s because we live in London and it’s more of a countryside thing.

I agree time is a huge factor (alongside money). I spend several hours a night ferrying one child about to her various classes. I couldn’t do that if I had a regular 9 to 5 (or more children!).

The added value of sending a child to private school is that the school offers more activities in house for those that are time poor and couldn’t get their children to after school activities.

Time, money, energy and more money. My 10year old kid goes to so many activities because I can afford them and I work at a desk. The thought of my mum doing long days in the care home, getting the tea on and then hanging around outside leisure centres and swimming pools every evening..! Or my dad doing 12 hour shifts as a welder then spending his Sunday freezing in a snowy forest while a kid does some niche winter sport needing a load of expensive equipment... or putting on his whites to do timekeeping at a swimming gala .... well it's laughable. But that's what I do in my spare time. It's a different life that my son has and not one I recognise from my own non-sporty childhood. It's all new to me so I actually enjoy being part of it in my own small way from the sidelines.

MC parents are perhaps better informed about child health and development.

Some of the (physical and mental) advantages they provide for their children, are diet, fresh air, and strenuous out door activity, resulting in good sleep.
It's no coincidence those are the bottom-line provisions by private schools, especially boarding schools.Look at the Royal family. The "best" private education provided no great educational achievements or intellectual prowess, but they do have strong fit bodies and a daily routine that supports lifelong health. Nurtured by a regular daily routine of outdoor activity, excercise, fresh air, diet and sleep.

Parents don't need to BUY that lifetime advantage. They can provide it at home.

In 20 years time, society is going to look back in horror at today's average child, living indoors on a high fat high sugar diet, minimal outdoor excercise or fresh air, glued to screens where most of their social activity takes place. Perfect conditions to raise a whole generation of fat , weak, stressed, unhealthy adults with minimal social skills for the adult world.

I understand what you're trying to say re importance of exercise etc, but my word, this is a condescending and offensive post.

As many others have said on this thread, WC aren't necessarily inside all the time. They're just doing less organised sport etc. Far more informal footie, riding their bikes etc than the expensive, organised, time consuming (for the parent and child) sport.

we are thoroughly middle class. I was privately educated from 4. I hated sport, it involved trying to avoid playing it as much as possible. Tried to hide in the toilets during lacrosse, be GS in netball because it involved running, avoiding tennis as I was rubbish. I don't like hiking, I've been skiing once, didn't like it, I've never sailed, or ridden a horse and I can't see any appeal in going for a walk for walk's sake.

Therefore my middle class urban children do play a bit of sport but I couldn't care less if they play or not. Eldest plays loads of football and loves it. He has done a bit of cricket but gave up, skied once and didn't like it. I didnt' want him playing rugby as it's far too dangerous and he can swim. He likes jet skiiing but sailing and horse riding, not even on the radar. Middle, played football, avoids all exercise as far as possible at her v sport orientated private school and will play a bit of tennis. skiied once and quite fancies trying it again and she can swim. Little doesn't believe in exercise, told the teacher he won't do it. he can swim and do gymnastics and that's it. No interested in horses or boats or karate or anything.

The suggestion of a walk which doesn't involve shops and lunch is laughed at!

It's not particularly important to me. it's more important to me that they've been to all the main museums, that they occasionally go to the theatre, that they do charity and youth work.

This, with knobs on.

Cost, opportunity, inclination, time.

MC people tend to have more disposable income and more likely to have someone available to take children to sports. They might also get more opportunities and know about more stuff.

I grew up working class, both parents worked long hours and had no time or money to take me to specific sports classes outside of school. They also had no idea of which classes existed or knowledge of say, how learning judo might be good for me. It was basically a world of school/Saturday football for boys, nothing for girls. To them, exercise was running or working a physical job.

I think it's just the done thing in MC circles.

Me and DH grew up WC, no time or money for clubs and we got all out exercise from 'playing out the back' on our council estates.

My children attend every club going (football, Futsul, athletics, swimming, tennis, dance & drama) and we plan our working weeks around it.

It's really important to us that we give our DCs these opportunities. Same as going to the theatre and the occasional posh restaurant.

All our spare time and money goes into it.

Dp and myself are from v wc backgrounds, both grew up in households with no money for expensive activities. We both have v mc jobs and although we are not at all wealthy, we do have far more money to spend on leisure for DC than we ever had as children.

We let our son follow his interests. We realise the privilege in that. He does a martial art, trampolining, horse riding, swimming and will shortly begin rugby. He wants skating lessons because he wants to play ice hockey and that is possible if adding in rugby goes well, we don't want him overwhelmed with activity. These things all cost money. Classes, equipment and parental investment in running him around etc.

Yes, we feel it is important and so we make it happen by prioritising these things, but the choices we are making are whether we should pay for enrichment stuff for our children, or more holidays/ days out/ flasher technology etc. My dp would like a massive TV, but we don't really need one, so it isn't top of the list. Whereas some people are choosing whether they can buy those new school shoes this month, or if the ones with the holes will do for a few weeks as if they go for new shoes, food will be an issue. So I don't think it is fair just to blame parental priorities.

I am sure many people would love to give their children every opportunity going, but money is a serious barrier.

Or, those parents could have gone swimming with their kids; or taken them for a walk , or a football kickaround, or a cycle ride. Pop in the library for story time and to borrow new books.Take a sandwich and a flask to the park, play hide and seek, or races, have some fun together.

Why pay other adults to entertain your kids for an hour? Is it really more fun to sit in the car/cafe poking your phone?

I think it is to do with money, but more complicated than just the obvious costs of sports/outdoor activities- it's also about how enjoyable the cheap version is v the expensive version plus family perceptions of activities etc.

I live in an area that people visit from all over the world to go hiking and do other outdoors activities- from my town you could go for a days' hike in beautiful countryside without needing a car. The majority of MC families in the area would tell you that it's one of the reasons they choose to live here and they spend loads of time walking, camping, climbing etc. I also work with children in a fairly deprived part of the same town and hardly any of them go walking etc even though in theory it would be an easily affordable family day out. I think that one of the reasons is that the MC families always have the right equipment to be comfortable- good waterproof boots, breathable but waterproof coats etc. Walking in cheap trainers and a coat that's not properly waterproof or sweatily non-breathable is a very different experience. Plus the MC families will often stop off at a pub for a hot dinner on a chilly day and know that they can afford to get a taxi back/call a friend for a lift if the weather gets too bad. The same goes for camping- pretty cheap in theory but a weekend trying to self cater in a small cheap tent and cheap sleeping bags/mats is very different from camping with all the best equipment and the option to eat meals out. For a less well off family it's also quite an investment to pay for equipment, camp site fees, transport etc for a weekend camping where the weather could be very bad and they might all hate it. For a better off family it's not such a big part of their annual budget if it all goes wrong.

I suspect there's a similar issue in sports. A child with a family who can afford to pay for private coaching, the best equipment etc if their child shows an interest in a sport is likely to have a better experience than one who has an interest but can only go to busy free clubs and use borrowed equipment.

Is it really more fun to sit in the car/cafe poking your phone?

Sometimes that's the only hour I have to think two consecutive thoughts of my own without interruption - so yes!

Do you really need to
ask??? Money pure and simple! My dd is very active (swim lessons, dance lessons, acro lessons etc)… but no way I could afford skiing or horse riding! Very definitely working class and go without a lot so
she can do her activities.

Also, with all due respect, I am not a good teacher. I am quite good at helping my children to be better at swimming, but neither one of them has successfully learnt a basic swimming skill from me. My children are better swimmers because I have paid a professional to teach them.

Ditto, Ds is better at his various sporting activities because he has had a proper teacher. I love going out with them, going to the pool, doing other fun things. But if they want to learn karate or football or how to be a painter.... I need to find someone else to teach them.

Not just UC, I take home about £1600 a month from my job. Ex pays maintenance.

I've totted it up it works out as £148.66 a month for activities. Some stuff is paid annually/ some termly/ some monthly. Where we live lots of parent volunteers run clubs and subsidies/ fundraising mean they can be offered to children for very little.

This isn't everything but for example;

rugby £20 a year per child local club
Music lessons - free (school based but you have to make sure they practice so time commitment)
Ballet term time only £4.50 a lesson
Musical theatre -£6 a lesson less than term time 20 weeks a year or so
Swimming lessons (Council) - £21 a month including unlimited swimming at any council pool
Older child who can swim £10.20 a month for unlimited swimming/ iceskating/ unlimited sports hall for badminton or basketball type stuff which is great when it's cold and wet with friends. (Council)
Kayaking in the pool this time of year £5 weekly session, cheaper on the river in summer.

Swimming does cost the most but we go go 3 times a week so cost per visit is really low. I also think comparatively the cost of extra curricular stuff is lower where I am than lots of places.

You can get a wetsuit for £20-30 we pass them down. A paddleboard costs less than £150 on Amazon; I have 2 one bought this summer and one bought 3 years ago cost per use on the older one must be pennies.

I don't think it's unrealistic. Whilst it's a lot for me (nearly 10% of my take home pay on activities!) some people would spend that a month on takeaways or tot it up over a year and have a holiday. My holiday this year was camping by the loch, with a carrier bag picnic from Aldi. Cost slightly less than free as I'd have to buy food anyway and I saved on petrol by not going home and back again.

I do this for 1 hour a week as I am not allowed into one of my son's classes. I love it. An hour when I can do literally nothing but chill out and poke at my phone? Bliss.