To want to report Play on Milkshake to OFCOM for...

[OFSTEDoutstanding]

I was watching the Programme Play on Milkshake this morning with my 3 year old ds and I was shocked to see that it was showing children playing on a rope swing across a stream/ small river. The children were between 5 and 11 at a rough guess and the water was not that deep (probably knee height) but I was shocked by the fact that there was not an adult or any mention of only doing this if there is an adult around during the entire programme. The programme then cut to boys playing badminton and then finished with 3 children playing 'pooh sticks' on a relatively fast moving stream. The children were not very old (one was still in a nappy) and again no adults or mention of them on the programme. The stick got stuck on a rock so the youngest child(am guessing about 2 3max) climbed over the slippery rocks in the stream to move the stick and then played it again. Finnally the programme ended with more children playing on the campsite and finnally some adults, tough they were sitting at a table drinking and chatting . Before any of you flame me I have 2 children and no pfb syndrome I let my children have a fair amount of freedom but certainly would be watching them near water so AIBU to want to complain to OFCOM because they had no warnings at all on their programme and didn't mention having 'grown ups' around

I'm stopping myself answering because I would probably hurt your feelings & I don't want to do that.

Read between the lines & that's my response...

You are being rather silly, IMO. Don't let your children read books if you want to protect them from the idea that they can play without adults - that's Enid Blyton out (don't you remember the Famous Five and Secret Seven getting up to all sorts without adult supervision?), hide The Secret Garden, no Swallows and Amazons... nothing much left, really.

I played in streams as a small child, along with every other kid in my village. Worst that every happened was we got wet!

I agree.

Same with that episode of Sesame Street where Bert buries Ernie in the sand.

Totally irresponsible.

oops! 'ever' obviously.

I think it was to be presumed that adults were around rather than "Warning! Although we don't show adults here you must always be accompanied by an adult near a fast-moving stream etc"...

I do see your point however and don't think you are being "silly".

FWIW Edam, my mum reiterated to me some 30 years ago that although the Famous Five went on adventures and stayed out all night without adults or telling adults where they'd gone, it was a stupid thing to do and I wasnt to copy them.

Same with Mr Pinkwhistle Blyton character, where children went up to him and he had all manner of treats for them.

AND Pollyanna the film where the children go in the house of a strange man and befriend him because they feel sorry for him.

So it's not totally to let your DC watch/read but using it to hammer certain points home.

yes but OP is complaining about a TV programme which is no more extreme than 80 per cent of childrens' books. I am sure OP does explain to her children about not staying out all night, that's her job - it's not Channel 5's.

YABVU, perlease!!!

Please be a troll ...

It's true that you see plenty more dangerous things on TV and in books - but it does depend on context. I haven't seen this so I don't know. There's a big difference between obvious fantasy/adventure/animation, and things that seem to be suggesting that this is fine and normal real behaviour IYSWIM.

Rivers and in fact any water are a lot more dangerous than many people think. I was really shocked during the floods last year when - even when children had already been swept away in well-publicized cases - they showed two toddlers playing in swirling floodwater as a kind of "isn't it nice they're having fun" way and didn't even point out what a bad idea this was.

Meant to say, on the news they showed that (not children's telly)

Are trolls generally au fait with the terms flame, pfb and AIBU? @ MummyFor3

Also she (he?) joined in 2007, and I'm not sure you can fake the joining date on your profile page.

In which case it's a very long time planning an attack of trollery, and you'd think it would be better than this!

Agree edam. Ofsted, perhaps you should use such opportunities to tell your DS how children shouldn't play near streams without adults, if you don't already.

I actually caught a bit of this programme and the bit where the children were playing in the stream. I instinctively caught my breath as a tiny girl was retrieving sticks in a stream but my next thought was "how lovely that there is a bit of space in this programme - usually there would have been some voiceover trotting out the "only do this kids with adult supervision" but there wasn't and I found it quite refreshing.

When you think about it - if your kids are in a position to play that joyfully in such an environment I certainly wouldn't be that far away. But kids of the age that were playing don't need to be told this, the adults do - so don't spoil a kids programme by trying to placate the grown ups.

My first thought after watching it was "where's that campsite in Eskdale it looks lovely!"

I do use opportunities to tell them and they know what is safe and what isn't however I was more thinking of the children that don't get that sort of reinforcement from home. Maybe what my title should have said is AIBU that after many years of childminding and doing risk assessments for OFSTED I can only play and let my children enjoy things once I have done a risk assessment in my head!!! FWIW no I am not a troll I do post sometimes and you are right if I was going to commit an act of trollery it would be much better and quite possibly about fruit shoots

Better drowned than duffers. If not duffers won't drown...

at Mr Pinkwhistle. You'd be instantly suspicious of anyone with that name these days. I had one of the books and he treated some small girls to new petticoats and bloomers in it. Wonder if it was this one

Anyway, YABU but have given me a laugh.

I think you're barking to report them. Sorry but you would be mad as a box of frogs to complain

Who do people think was filming the children playing? An unattended camera? And isn't it fine for adults to be sitting at a table loosely supervising playing children?