Exercise, lieing to kids, and old fashioned childhood rant

[WoodlandWoman]

I spent a lot of my free time reading, as a kid. I guess I was just a little nerd. The biggest thrill of my life, before I even started school, was learning to read my first word. I knew it was the key to entire libraries and I'd never have to wait for some other person to read something to me. My mom used to yell at me for reading too much. Quite often. Especially when I was supposed to be sleeping at night.

I played outside to socialize with the less nerdy.

I've always exercised, because it's important for your health. Like eating a balanced diet. You just do it. Like you shower or clean your house. Sometimes it's fun, like riding a bike in a nice area, hiking in a great area or playing a game that you like. Other times, it's something you just need to do. I don't think teaching a child to exercise is any different than teaching them to eat right, bathe, clean or be polite.

I do think it's harder to teach a child to exercise or eat a balanced diet if you don't model that behavior, though. Maybe they should have a commercial where the mom goes for a walk and takes her child along. I find that going for walks with kids is not only fairly painless, it gives you a nice time to talk about their day and what's going on in their life, in a non-pressured kind of way. People on a walk just naturally tend to talk to each other. So, you get a double bonus.

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
like the article pointed out crimes violent crime especially against children has actually gone down. Awareness about it has just gone up. There are all sorts of books that are now coming out about how Americans have become so obsessed about the imaginary dangers out there when the dangers are far fewer than there use to be. Children are also far more educated about the dangers than they use to be as well making them safer.

The thing is, the belief that times are more danegrous in the US is largely a myth. We think it is because we hear about it more.

Just think about how it was before the 1950's when the noose justice, vigilantism, prohibition, and so on, gave rise to a lot more unregulated violent crime that the much smaller police departments simply couldn't or wouldn't handle. back then a man could kill his wife if he caught her cheating and as far less likely to be prosecuted than today.

People who reminisce about the past being some how idealisticly innocent seem to forget it actually was more voilent because vigilante justice was more acceptable.

 

[backyardfarmer83]

When I was a kid, we were told to go outside because we were too antsy to sit still and my parents were too impatient to deal with us.

And now that I'm a parent, I totally understand why. Children really do need constant entertainment, but I agree with Thomas423 that there has to be balance.

I see so many young mothers nowadays who want children so badly, but once they have them they realize what a big sacrifice it is that they've made. They were so used to only having to take care of themselves, of having free time, that they start to resent their children. Because children are a full-time job. I've made it a point with both my daughters to be a stay-at-home mom for them. My oldest is almost 6, so she's in school and has friends and can go out in the backyard without my constant supervision (though I do check on her every ten minutes). My youngest is not yet 2 and still needs me to provide that entertainment for her so I'm glad I'm not a working mom. Children need a balance of family time and play time. Sending a kid out to play just so that you don't have to be their entertainment is like buying a chicken and making it fend for itself. But that's not to say that they don't need outdoors time, it just needs to be supervised and controlled without mommy being overbearing about it. (balance)

That being said, I don't see anything wrong with this ad. I do that same thing with my oldest every now and then. It's like playing a game, because even though I'm hiding it from her I know she'll eventually realize that I have it and she had fun in the process of looking for it. An adult would see this as irritating, frustrating, or even time-consuming... but for a kid, it's like a mystery and they have to go on this lost treasure hunt. As long as you at least tell them afterwards or they see that you really have it, I wouldn't consider it lying.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

When I was a kid we had no TV, video games or any of that stuff.

What we did have were chores... a ton of them.

And a whole great big world to explore. We rushed through our chores in the mornings and had to be called in after dark every night. Always something else to do.

 

[kla37]

If we ever watched TV for more than 30 minutes my mother appeared with lists of chores to do.

 

[BrattishTaz]

My mother made us play outside. She would threaten to lock us out if tried to sneak back in. We dug holes, built ramps for our bikes (went to the ER a LOT), tied each other to things, and caught bugs.

Unfortunately, my kids were unable to experience the same freedoms living in the city. It simply was not safe for them. We had to arrange family outings away from home. Organized (supervised) sports were a necessity if you wanted your kids to get exercize.

As for lying to kids, I didn't. I have always believed that if the child was old enough to ask, she was old enough for an answer (age appropriate). We encouraged them to form there own opinions and research independently. My girls are now teenagers and do not hesitate to come to me for advice. They trust me.

They are also glad I shared with them the magic of Santa, the Easter bunny, AND the tooth fairy. Nothing will ever compare to the excitement they shared while setting Santa traps and waking up to gifts on Christmas. I will never forget the time my older daughter started screaming and pointing because she was positive she saw the Easter bunny going down the street! As I remember back to those times and the happiness it brought my girls, I personally have come to the conclusion that they and the magic that surrounds them absolutely DOES exist.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

I am thankful that we live on a private road with only one way in and one way out, right past my house. If you don't belong down here, we will stop and ask why you are here. I let me kids play outside by themselves when it is nice out. Heck, most of the time I tell them to go out so I can have some piece. My kids are far from being lazy, though they do complain if given chores to do, after all, they are kids.

We have a TV, but no cable, we use Netflix and have a ton of DVDs. My kids watch on average about 30 minutes to an hour of tv a day and it hasn't hurt them yet.

Most of the time they would rather be outside playing with chickens or in their rooms playing with toys or reading.

 

[feather and mountain man]

First it would not work with my kids

secound I would not do it cause I would have to clean up the mess of them going through the whole house and closets looking for it


Third if you want kids to be active don't buy video games and tv's and electronics

instead buy trampolines, basketballs, baseballs and bats, and bikes and make them feed the animals and take care of them. Now that my kids are a lil bigger if I can find them they are in the yard. If they are not in the yard I pick up a walky talky and call them home cause they are most likely in the woods. We do have 2 tv one has satellite one has a playstation on it but we don't spend much time on either. I would say we use the 2 computers more but every one has there down time. We spend a lot of time outside.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

backyardfarmer83, sorry to steal the thread for a second, but do you own the horse in your avatar? I went to the TSC today in AR and saw the exact same horse being advertised as a stud horse?

 

[backyardfarmer83]

Quote:
Unfortunately, no. And I have never owned a horse before, but I LOVE them. IMO, they are God's most beautiful animal!! But I put that picture up because I am hoping that I might someday be able to own one, and if I do, I want it to look just like that!