Being a child in England...

[Megancleo]

Just read "school cancels playtime because of noise" and once again thought thank goodness my dc are not in UK. Don't get me wrong,I miss UK terribly but very confused by what seems to be normal childhood in UK these days. When we were dc we got dirty, climbed trees and spent alot of time outside. Here in Germany dc still do this bur in Uk I hear only safey issues, class issues (oh to have a child who dresses wrong) and the worries and concerns of mainstream parents who have forgot what childhood should be about.

UNICEF report makes some great points that as a society we ignore at our peril eg relative poverty

We live in london and I think it's a fabulous place for ds to grow up.

Depends on your views - my mil thinks it's hell on earth for him whereas I feel I cannot imagine bring ds up in her place as he'd be so controlled and have such a one dimensional view of the world and would not cope in a global society.

Just depends. From what I've seen (I've been around and lived abroad quite a bit) - it's fine - but I guess it depends on where in the UK and what the parents are doing or can do for their child.

I don't find my ds is viewed as an irritation - just another member of society.

But I agree on the H&S issues - a bit over the top here.

What I'd wish for that I don't currently have is better childcare so I could work and aless outwardly violently environment (ds 4 and I was caught up a robbery and arrest yesterday - ds was absolutely thrilled but I was thinking, shit, he doesn't need to see this).