I'm Torn!

            The Capitals won!!! 5-1! We are finally up in the series and I am so stoked! Spoke to my boss about it when I came in today which was nice. I’m so very happy.

            Hockey update is over. Now an issue that tears me apart: Kids playing outside. At this point in life, I want it to happen BUT I don’t think it is safe anymore.

            When I was growing up, we played outside. Whether it was out on the farm while my parents were at work or in the neighborhood with the other kids, my sisters and I were outside. We played soccer, we were on swings, we played kickball, there was jump rope; my neighborhood had a pool and for years we would spend our summers there. Also, we would watch each other. Kids would look out for other kids. We were young but we were taught the responsibility that was necessary to look out for each other so that we didn’t need our parents to escort us everywhere.

            Nowadays? No. I want to say kids should be given the same freedom but for a couple different reasons I’m going to say that that would be a bad idea.

1.     Areas are becoming more and more urbanized. There are more cars everywhere. A neighborhood is now just a pass through for cars trying to get to and from work as fast as they possibly can. This is especially true in the Northern Virginia area.

2.     There seem to be more creeps around. I find more and more reasons every time I watch the news to think that children should never go outside to play again.

3.     Immaturity levels are down. I have been observing this for years and I know adults are seeing it too. Those that are growing up even 5 years younger than me are not as mature as the kids when I was growing up and those older than me. I don’t know if it is a different parenting style or what but they act bratty and entitled. They don’t look out for each other, they look out for themselves.

4.     Hover parents. The ones that won’t let their children grow up and succeed because they know what’s best or are too involved with the kids’ lives.

Playing outside definitely helped my development when I was a kid. I had a free space to try out different games and sports.  I made friends and definitely developed personality traits due to these experiences. I started soccer after my sister did but I kept with it because I had fun playing with kids in my neighborhood. I stuck with swim team for years because I could hang out with my friends in a space that was not supervised by adults 24/7.

Children are not getting the same opportunities I got when I was a kid. I know sports shaped who I am and I know I had to rise to the challenge of responsibility when I was still a kid. I wasn’t forced to “grow up” too fast but I was forced to accept the fact that my actions affect others. This lack of opportunity is not their fault. I can’t put it all on the kids. Granted they are inside playing video games more but I want to look at it without attacking video game culture. Without attacking that, I look at the reasons and I don’t know what side of the fence I stand on.