Are we all getting less girls playing?

[radness]

This is a chicken and egg discussion. Do kids not play ball together because parents got involved. Or did parents get involved because the kids don’t play together?

When I was 8 we would walk to the local elementary school and hit balls in the playground or pitch up against the school wall with rubber balls. Now days if an 8 year old walked half a mile to meet friends to play ball people would call the police.

No chicken or egg comparison for me. imo definitely see that parents are not as much involved in paying attention to their kids playing outside including Sports. (what I see as a replacement babysitter is a phone or tablet, tech games, x box...)
That and electric bicycles, scooters, skateboards are taking the place of actual pedaling and footwork.


Of course that's just my opinion of what I'm seeing and experiencing over the years from then till now. Could be different in other parts of the world

 

[uncdrew]

Let's face it, fellas. The world we grew up in no longer exists.

We had one AC in our house, and it was in my parents bedroom. All nine of us could cram in there on hot summer nights to sleep. It was hot in the house, so we didn't want to be inside. We had an aboveground pool, so our house was popular in the summer. We were in that pool every day. I think my kids went in our pool 4-5 times last summer.

We played baseball, basketball, and manhunt with our friends until it was dinnertime. Our bikes had more miles than some low-mileage leases these days. We drank from the hose, and ran through the sprinkler. We were kids having fun and making memories. I wouldn't trade what I grew up with for any of the stuff my kids have today.

Yup, it's different. And that's both fine and to be expected.

Our parents sent us outside to play so they could have free time and be negligent. Now parents give them screens so they can have free time and be negligent.

My kids have a great life. Way different from my childhood, but they'll remember it equally well and then adjust to the life their kids live. We're on this site because our kids play sports. That's already a pretty big leap above many kids who aren't getting much exercise at all. And yes, that is a problem.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Just playing around of course. I did all kinds of dumb things in my life. Once I tried to get a fire started using gasoline. Never knew that was dumb until I had no eyebrows left.

Yeah I had my one (1) gasoline and matches incident as a kid, taught me a very valuable lesson that I still remember to this day!

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Yeah I had my one (1) gasoline and matches incident as a kid, taught me a very valuable lesson that I still remember to this day!

With all the stupid things my friends and I did when we were young, it's a wonder we're still alive.

We once set an entire sump on fire for fun. We soaked a foam cushion in gasoline, lit it on fire, and then jumped our bikes over it, like Evel Knievel. And we rode bikes without helmets!!!

 

[ANNASDAD]

And we rode bikes without helmets!!!

What was a helmet?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

What was a helmet?

I think it was something they made us wear when we came to bat in LL.

 

[chinamigarden]

Yup, it's different. And that's both fine and to be expected.

Our parents sent us outside to play so they could have free time and be negligent. Now parents give them screens so they can have free time and be negligent.

My kids have a great life. Way different from my childhood, but they'll remember it equally well and then adjust to the life their kids live. We're on this site because our kids play sports. That's already a pretty big leap above many kids who aren't getting much exercise at all. And yes, that is a problem.

My mother sent us outside so she could clean the house, grocery shop, bake our bread, cook dinner and make our clothes.

 

[_MIA_]

My mother sent us outside so she could clean the house, grocery shop, bake our bread, cook dinner and make our clothes.

I wore pants my Mom made through elementary school...I was rocking those corduroys

 

[FlSoftball]

I wore pants my Mom made through elementary school...I was rocking those corduroys

I had tough skins- never faded and were nearly indestructible


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ANNASDAD]

I had tough skins- never faded and were nearly indestructible


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Now that's a memory I didn't think I'd have today! Remember just how terrible they were when they were brand new? Like wearing a 2X4!