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It is 8:45 on a sunny Sunday. Kids are all over the cul de sac with bikes and scooters and balls. Helmets - yes. Maybe OP needs to get out a bit more. He can also contact the Parks/Recreation department of his city to inquire about how to donate equipment to a park.
In the playgrounds where I grew up in Riverdale and suburban Westchester the monkey bars, merry-go-rounds and see-saws are gone.
Mine was denser, closer-in suburban and thus the tighter rules. But these rules were parent-made and often, parents called each other to make sure the rules were roughly similar. When my wife and I made our own family, we were about the only ones encouraging our older son to use his bicycle, which he did. My younger son, on the autistic spectrum, well, it was a matter of giving him the courage to try new ventures. We really "bucked the tide" on that.
Other threads have discussed the impact of Child Protective Services and other state equivalents. I do not want to violate Great Debate rules by cross-linking other, less genteel threads.
Suburbia has definitely changed, it seems like that is what you are bemoaning, not additional safety of children. I can remember even in the 80's some dicey things happening to children because they were not restrained in automobiles. Sometimes the child was ok and it seemed like a miracle, sometimes the child did not survive. You can't legislate for stupid but you can at least try to keep people responsible when they do get stupid.
I remember being allowed to roam where ever with my mother not knowing which direction we went. The only rules, get your chores done and be back by dark. I think it is amazing that we survived that. My 2 year old brother went missing once and the whole village turned out to search for him. Two boys playing in an arroyo about 2 miles from the village found him and brought him home. Their parents were like mine, as long as they got home before dark no one knew where they went. Sometimes things happen that can't be prevented and often things happen that could be prevented.
As for the playground equipment, I hang out at the parks with my grandchildren and they have much cooler equipment to play on than we did, though we probablly had better imaginations. And I remember kids falling off of the monkey bars and breaking arms, if they had landed differently it could have been their neck. You are just making stuff up to be chuffed about. The world changes and we all can change with it, even you have changed with it, you just want to pretend like something is wrong. There is ALWAYS something wrong to complain about.
Pretty much. Prior to their current positions, most US presidents and those in the upper tiers of legislation were lawyers. Naturally they'll want to direct the money machine to benefit themselves and their ilk.
You are correct about the US being overly litigious - a good example is the recent tragic accident of the little girl who died when a sand hole she was in collapsed. Instantly there was discussion of a "lawsuit" because there were no lifeguards on the beach to watch over everyone. In reality, that accident could have been prevented with a little more parental supervision and a little less human stupidity.
Interesting subject, and though the OP is kinda all over the place, I do agree with the general gist of it.
Deliberately so. It had to be about a general theme or it would have been relegated to the "sewer" a/k/a POC. I ran it by two mods, as it is, and I cut out a discussion topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
The restrictions are much heavier here in the US than overseas. It has to do mostly with the fact that we here created a very litigious society. Lawyers happily take every, even most frivolous case. I’ve always been fascinated by how trivial and common-sense matters end up in courts.
So, in most cases it's all about liability.
The slimebags in my profession get some of the blame. I call them "ambulance chasers." The injured party rarely sees much because of various cost recoveries. I learned this when I had my parents sue after a banister fall and broken hip in January 2007. I shamed the lawyer I hired for them into fighting to reduce Medicare Cost Recovery, and I waived my forwarding percentage (which I would have returned to my parents anyway)
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
BTW
Re: helmets - in most states helmets are required for children till age 14/16/18 - depending on state
There is pot-stirriing to raise that to adult age. When the pot stirs it eventually happens, like air bags and congestion pricing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Re: unsupervised outdoors play.
Kids don't have to stay at home on the range in Texas. Instead, parents can let them run outside and play, unsupervised. Texas law states that parents can let their kids engage in normal childhood activities without being accused of neglect.
I think it was Texas where a bogus CPS report during a campaign encouraged the passage of those laws. I learned that on CD but am having trouble fining the post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Re: children's biking on public streets.
It's simply dangerous because we are a car society and don't have designated spaces/lanes for bikes in most places. There are no laws, no education and no awareness. Most drivers consider bicycles on a public roads a nuisance.
I learned to ride on sidewalks and be careful to move onto shoulder when cars approached. I did it nearly every day in 1971, 1972 and until I got my license in early 1973. Me and my friends are alive and well, having survived that era.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Re: passive restraints in vehicles - passive restraints, or passive safety systems, work to protect you during an impact. They are adopted by all Western countries.
How often do they deploy?
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Aren't lawyers making laws and rules in the US?
Unfortunately and speaking as a lawyer, yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
When you know better you do better.
I'm pretty much in agreement with safety improvements since I was a child.
Yes I and my siblings rode our bikes pretty far on city streets at young ages. We weren't abducted or hit by a car but that doesn't mean it was safe to do. I totally agree with children wearing a helmet. I don't think safety is "wussification."
Parents have a responsibility to teach safely and avoidance of strangers. That job should not be delegated to legislatures or regulators through "one size fits all" and draconian regulations and laws.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
But...parents have even more demands on their time now, especially lower income households with 2-3 jobs. They aren't around to show their kids how to do things safely, the easiest choice is to keep them safe indoors, and that is sad.
People really need to think about their time commitments when (hopefully) deciding on having children.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
I live in a low crime middle class neighborhood, our street is cul-de-sac, some kids play in their back yards but the majority stay indoors. I assume they get their outdoor fun at school and after-school athletic events.
It's really sad that they are staying indoors in clement weather.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChessieMom
I have a very hard time understanding how anyone could be AGAINST bike helmets.
Cuts in peripheral vision, and in summer, overheating
Suburbia has definitely changed, it seems like that is what you are bemoaning, not additional safety of children. I can remember even in the 80's some dicey things happening to children because they were not restrained in automobiles. Sometimes the child was ok and it seemed like a miracle, sometimes the child did not survive. You can't legislate for stupid but you can at least try to keep people responsible when they do get stupid.
I was in the neighborhood in which I grew up as recently as yesterday morning. Aside from changes in playground equipment, same old, same old.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertRat56
I remember being allowed to roam where ever with my mother not knowing which direction we went. The only rules, get your chores done and be back by dark. I think it is amazing that we survived that. My 2 year old brother went missing once and the whole village turned out to search for him. Two boys playing in an arroyo about 2 miles from the village found him and brought him home. Their parents were like mine, as long as they got home before dark no one knew where they went. Sometimes things happen that can't be prevented and often things happen that could be prevented.
I am glad everything turned out OK. It usually does.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertRat56
As for the playground equipment, I hang out at the parks with my grandchildren and they have much cooler equipment to play on than we did, though we probablly had better imaginations. And I remember kids falling off of the monkey bars and breaking arms, if they had landed differently it could have been their neck. You are just making stuff up to be chuffed about. The world changes and we all can change with it, even you have changed with it, you just want to pretend like something is wrong. There is ALWAYS something wrong to complain about.
The changes should be for better, not worse. We should not live in lockdown.
I learned to ride on sidewalks and be careful to move onto shoulder when cars approached. I did it nearly every day in 1971, 1972 and until I got my license in early 1973. Me and my friends are alive and well, having survived that era.
How often do they deploy?
Unfortunately and speaking as a lawyer, yes.
Parents have a responsibility to teach safely and avoidance of strangers. That job should not be delegated to legislatures or regulators through "one size fits all" and draconian regulations and laws.
People really need to think about their time commitments when (hopefully) deciding on having children. It's really sad that they are staying indoors in clement weather.
Cuts in peripheral vision, and in summer, overheating I'm for seat belts, against air bags.
As a lawyer, are you promoting behaviors to keep them busy and profitable?
Maybe you should start a campaign between lawyers to change the laws...
Wanting kids on the roads BEFORE changing driving laws and urban design?
It's not the 70s anymore. Speed limits increased, AND people are driving faster, cars are bigger and heavier with limited visibility (blind zones), drivers are distracted by phones and infotainment systems. Most US roads are not prepared for bicycles. Appropriate laws are not in place. Drivers education is not adjusted.
This is not European mentality and won't be, ever.
It has nothing to do with parenting.
Kiddie parks - they are made safer for kids. In my area, most parks still have all the equipment you mentioned and much more. I know - I go there with my grandkids. Playgrounds are evolving, kids don't need equipment from the 70s to have fun.
Helmets - useful or not (they are not required in many countries overseas) are important here in the US. See above.
There has been a 54% reduction in the number of bike-related deaths since 1999.
Airbags?
Studies show that nearly 3.3 million airbags have been deployed in automobile accidents, saving thousands of lives. They are also credited with preventing or minimizing personal injuries. Properly installed, airbags prevent more injuries than they cause.
Totally related to the litigious society, so now everything is a liability concern.
Yes, the old playgrounds were much more fun with absolutely wild structures and wild kids using them without much incident (I'm sure there were accidents, but never heard a thing about them).
The spinning disk was super fun and threw you off into the bushes - I watched my kids do that and didn't think a thing about it.
I feel super bad for the kids today who are spied on and locked up 24/7. Their spirits have to be broken. Helicopter parents are a bane to/of society.
I feel super bad for the kids today who are spied on and locked up 24/7.
How prevalent do you truly think this is...locked up 24/7? C'mon.
The great debate here is the well-worn phenomenon of rose-colored glasses.
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