To think there's only so much the council/community services can do? And can't solve all problems?

Annoyingwurringnoise · 09/04/2023 17:01

It’s not so much the lack of stuff for them to do, although in most areas there’s nothing to do without money, it’s the lack of support services for families who need early intervention before they get to the point where the kids are going off the rails.

BadgerFacedCoo · 09/04/2023 17:05

Brilliantly put.

Mendholeai · 09/04/2023 17:09

The problem is, if you are the child of parents who have kept you home watching tv, you might not think of doing those things. Maybe your mates from the neighbourhood knock and you follow them. I am not saying you are wrong, I am giving another perspective.

Your area actually sounds great!

EmmaEmerald · 09/04/2023 17:11

Your area sounds great
I agree

I would ban those awful scooters though.

Ponoka7 · 09/04/2023 17:15

There's loads of free stuff for primary age children were my GC live. A lot of parents don't bother, their children are kept at home, on gadgets, so life is easier for them. They also aren't full school attenders. They aren't taught to be a part of groups, join in etc or the idea of hobbies is alien. Some of these families have family support going in, but because of a lack of funding and the raising of thresholds, professionals have to watch while the child's life chances decrease. The parents are going to have no chance of getting these children to school as teens, or getting them in at night. There are masses of poorly parented children, unfortunately and they easily find each other.

Original poster

00100001 · 09/04/2023 17:18

Annoyingwurringnoise · 09/04/2023 17:01

It’s not so much the lack of stuff for them to do, although in most areas there’s nothing to do without money, it’s the lack of support services for families who need early intervention before they get to the point where the kids are going off the rails.

Perhaps. But if families won't engage, what else can be done?

OP posts:

LakieLady · 09/04/2023 17:18

What's a "pump track"?

Original poster

00100001 · 09/04/2023 17:19

Ponoka7 · 09/04/2023 17:15

There's loads of free stuff for primary age children were my GC live. A lot of parents don't bother, their children are kept at home, on gadgets, so life is easier for them. They also aren't full school attenders. They aren't taught to be a part of groups, join in etc or the idea of hobbies is alien. Some of these families have family support going in, but because of a lack of funding and the raising of thresholds, professionals have to watch while the child's life chances decrease. The parents are going to have no chance of getting these children to school as teens, or getting them in at night. There are masses of poorly parented children, unfortunately and they easily find each other.

Yes, but they're the type to blame the councils for their failings.

OP posts:

Original poster

00100001 · 09/04/2023 17:19

LakieLady · 09/04/2023 17:18

What's a "pump track"?

Oh a place you can ride bikes,like a bumpy circuit.

OP posts:

Doingtheboxerbeat · 09/04/2023 17:21

Ponoka7 · 09/04/2023 17:15

There's loads of free stuff for primary age children were my GC live. A lot of parents don't bother, their children are kept at home, on gadgets, so life is easier for them. They also aren't full school attenders. They aren't taught to be a part of groups, join in etc or the idea of hobbies is alien. Some of these families have family support going in, but because of a lack of funding and the raising of thresholds, professionals have to watch while the child's life chances decrease. The parents are going to have no chance of getting these children to school as teens, or getting them in at night. There are masses of poorly parented children, unfortunately and they easily find each other.

You are so correct. I would never have been into playing sports as a teen back in the 80's - I would have felt like a geek 🫣 . No instead, I would hang around getting drunk with my friends and trying to cop off with boys.
I am very very different now obviously, but I still see this attitude 35 years later. Hobbies are for the middle classes and geeks. Utterly depressing.

LolaSmiles · 09/04/2023 17:21

Ponoka7
Agree with you.
The pre-teens and teens you see around towns being a nuisance are likely to be the young people whose parents also didn't do very much with them as children.

A local town to me is very similar. There's lots to do for primary aged children, and a reasonable amount for secondary aged children, but there's still large problems with antisocial behaviour from teens in some areas.
What I notice is that most of these young people had very limited exposure to positive activities as children, have families who don't value activities with younger children, and by the time the child is 14, there's not a very healthy parent-child relationship. The cycle continues when these teens become adults who pass the same values on to their children.

UsernameMcUsername · 09/04/2023 18:48

Agree with you. Our town of 35kish sounds much like yours in terms of amenities, but has increasing issues with anti-social behaviour amongst a subset of teens. I know a few people working directly with the issue in various capacities and everyone agrees that the teens involved have issues dating back to birth pretty much (very dysfunctional family situations). And it was exactly the same on the rough council estate I grew up on back in the 80s and 90s. I'm pro good free or cheap amenities but a skatepark isn't going to solve their problems.

sst1234 · 09/04/2023 18:51

Some people only know how to breed. Not how to raise children. Apparently it’s someone else’s job to teach them that too. As well as pay for them to live.

Skodacool · 06/09/2023 06:27

00100001 · 09/04/2023 16:50

So many people in our local town complain about how the council should "do more" about things like kids on electric scooters, vandalism/graffiti etc.

They complain about things like "well, there's nothing for the kids to do here..."

This is a town with;

2 x swimming pools
Youth gym
skate park - free
pump track - free
Multiple sports fields (set up for rugby, football, cricket and open spaces) - free
3 X basketball courts - free
Air cadets
Scouts groups
Girl guides groups
St John Ambulance
Pool room
Table tennis tables - free
Library, with lots of organised activities - free
Comic book shop with games tables and active clubs
Youth clubs
3 X community centres and activities
Multiple play grounds
Cinema
Small shopping centre

(As well as other paid activities available - such as sports groups, martial arts, chess clubs, diving, gymnastics, roller skating etc)

Only thing we don't really have is ice skating and bowling and mini golf etc.

But apparently, nope, there's nothing for them to do so naturally the only choice is for them to zoom around on escooters being prats...

Absolutely agree with you on this. It’s been said for years to almost excuse antisocial behaviour. Realistically there is always a section of society who won’t make use of the generous facilities that have been provided.

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 06/09/2023 06:35

I agree more often than not “there’s nothing for them to do” is an excuse to not supervise your children.