Campaign to stop the errosion of childhood. 'LET KIDS BE KIDS'. Please sign up.

[avenanap]

As a mother, I am concerned how our children's freedom and movement is restricted at school. Some are no longer allowed to run around at playtime, others are told off for talking at lunch time, others are disciplined for collecting a ball from an area designated for ball playing. Our children are the most tested, least happy children in Europe. Our children need to be able to run around at school, excercise is good for them, the childhood obestity levels in the UK are too high and if our children are not allowed to run around they are not going to improve. Our children are being restricted in a way that inhibits their development and, as mothers, we need to work together to stop this. Our children are not robots, we are not in the victorian age when children were to be seen but not heard. I want to start this campaign to give them their childhood back. Let's get rid of the petty discipline. Let them run around, get muddy and talk. Lets protect the playing fields and playgrounds. Let them play games (including conkers). Let them be children.

Sign up with your tales and lets take things from here. Many thanks. I apologise if this is in the wrong place.

Really Tired - good points.

Most schools are more than happy for children to be children and a lot of educational experts and professionals, like teachers, would agree that Sats testing does little to enhance education, other than to give politicians a lovely big campaign tool and that children should be allowed to thrive and develop in a more child like way, than sitting what are LONG examination in silence, especially when you consider children have, on average, 1 minutes worth of attention span for every year of life (10 and 11 year olds sitting 40 minute exams...4 approximately 4 times their attention span, bit harsh...)

If the National Curriculum was less restrictive then it would be possible to educate to a deeper level over what may be a narrower spectrum and enable children to develop different skills to the currently required ones IMHO.

A lot of the restrictions you mentionned come from the increasing litigation we see in our society (have you SEEN the adverts?!) and the cotton wool culture that is being promoted by some* parents ie my child is never to blame for either their actions, or the consequences of those actions and must NEVER NEVER be held responsible for their own behaviour. It is always the playground / teachers / other child's fault...

This is happening more often.

Things like talking in dining halls are generally just about everyone's comfort, even the children's, as voices tend to get louder and louder as all the excited children talk to their friends. 200+ noisy voices CAN be quite extreme!

Agree that kids need to be kids for as long as possible, let's face it you (usually) get to be an adult for 60+ years, so up to 20 years of childhood before that would be lovely

What do you think we should do about it, other than decide what needs changing? How can parents get things to change?

Well obviously childrens' needs differ, so there is prob nothing that all parents can do.

Personally, I would like more flexibility within the education system.

I understand that some children are ready to learn to read, write, do basic numeracy, etc when they are 3 or 4 or 5, so there would be no point in 'campaigning' for a later school starting age.

But so many parents on MN and in RL say that their children are not ready, so those parents should all keep their children at home/at nursery/at childminder and they should make a big deal of it (publicity, etc).

I bet that this would apply to over half the reception intake each year.

Govt would eventually have to take some notice.

But it won't happen.

TM, like the idea of flexible schooling - think it could work (bar the obvious admin and running it issues) and it seems to work out for (some) kids in the USA e repeating a year. Not suggesting just repeating of course as sometimes if a child doesn't get something the way it's taught the first time, then they won't necessarily 'get it' if they just get taught more of the same IYSWIM

theodoresmummy - my child doesn't have wellies because I can't find any in her size, just seem to be whats left where i'm looking, a bit off topic but can you buy them in the spring.

so far tried - mothercare, boots, asda, tesco, tk maxx

theodoresmummy - my child doesn't have wellies because I can't find any in her size, just seem to be whats left where i'm looking, a bit off topic but can you buy them in the spring.

so far tried - mothercare, boots, asda, tesco, tk maxx

theodoresmummy - my child doesn't have wellies because I can't find any in her size, just seem to be whats left where i'm looking, a bit off topic but can you buy them in the spring.

so far tried - mothercare, boots, asda, tesco, tk maxx

whoops

Hello I own and run a small childrenswear online company. I wholeheartedly agree that we should allow 'kids to be kids' and as a manufacturer/retailer I have a responsibility to design clothes just to be worn. No questionable, revealing tops nor nasty, vulgar slogans emblazoned everywhere. Our children, all children are to be treasured ( protected) and encouraged to live their childhood naturally without pressure to grow up. These children are our future. Don't clothing manufacturers see that? I suspect there are these large chains/shop owners who just see a fast track to making 'filthy lucre' without caring about the fallout.

Shame on all of them.

(www.giggle-giggle.co.uk) not sure if I can add the website - but here goes!

There certainly is a feeling that children grow up to quickly. The reasons are many and complex I suspect