As the nations schools all finally finish for the summer, ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) has issued a stark warning to children and parents alike.
But, thankfully it is not all doom and gloom, nor is it full of ‘don’t do this’ and don’t do that’. It is refreshingly welcoming and encourages us parents to let our children out to play more than we perhaps were inclined to do in the past.
ROSPA would much rather see children admitted to A&E for a broken wrist from, say falling out of a tree, as opposed to repetitive strain caused from endless hours playing computer games or any other sort of electronic gadget they seem to be obsessed with.
But this report took me back to my childhood and my mother packing us a lunch then we would disappear to the park all day. It also got me thinking of the horrendous games we use to play with the traffic!
Do you remember chicken run whereby you dared each other to run across the road before the oncoming car came to close? I cringe as a write this and ask the poignant question, would I let my children do this?
A resounding ‘No’ but upon reflection it certainly taught us how to judge a cars speed and distance that bowed well when learning to drive many years later.
Anyway, the upshot is, give the children more freedom but not to ‘go and play with the traffic’.
FemaleFirst Jackie Violet