Flashback: Parenting in the 60’s

Let’s reflect on the ‘good ol’ days’, no mobile phones, no tracking devices, no Uber, nothing. Yet parents still felt confident in sending their children out on the streets unsupervised. If you haven’t heard your parent or grandparent say “back when I was young, I had to walk 10km’s take 2 buses and walk another kilometre just to get to school” then you’re probably the person telling the yarn and the one who made that infamous trek. Children in the 1900’s were considerably more active, constantly on their bicycles, outside exploring the neighbourhood with their friends and the only rule parents had were the eldest sibling was in charge and they must be home before dark, plain and simple.

Newsflash: Parenting today

On average it can be assumed that a parent expects their child to check in at least 3 times a day, and if they are heading to a different location, you better believe they better give an update ASAP. Not only is bike riding a thing of the past for the pre-teen/teenager demographic but any desire to explore the neighbourhood has been squandered by the ability to check google maps for satellite images of every nook and cranny imaginable. The blasé parenting approach of the 60’s. Whether it’s a lack of trust in the child or a general lack of trust in society, parents today have become extremely tentative when it comes to letting their children fend for themselves, the world is a different, much scarier place and even with the ability to track a child’s every move, a parent’s mind is never at ease. The combination of new technology such as computer games, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo with overbearing parents has created a recipe for child obesity and depression. Kids have no excuse to do physical activity and it is negatively impacting their mental and physical state.

How this is negatively impacting the children:

Statistics show that kids who are more active are considerably more confident and motivated at school. Physical activity on a regular basis for kids provides these benefits

• Strong muscles and bones
• Healthy weight
• Decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• Better sleep
• A better outlook on life

*Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/active-kids.html

This is the ultimate Catch22, parents love their children so much they feel the only way to ensure their safety is through keeping them at home, however, through depriving your child of getting outside, biking the streets with friends, playing sports in the alley way or even going to the beach/community pool, they are negatively impacting their child’s social, mental and physical skills.

So, what is the solution?

How about sending your child to school camps, all Outdoor Adventure Camps in New South Wales and run by professionals and children are supervised 24/7. Camps are the perfect way to not only get children active on a daily basis but a great way to get them socialising face to face, rather than over of a monitor. It is crucial that youths today can build a foundation of socialisation in order to succeed later on in life.