What mainstream things do you NOT allow your children to do?

thorsoak

At the funeral of a friend last week, I met up with their now grown-up children - and their daughter said how much she loved coming down to our cottage during the school holidays - she remembers that my daughter and herself would "raid" my fridge for a packet of sausages and some eggs, find a frying pan - and would set off down the garden (we had half an acre) - and light a fire and cook sausages and eggs "all day"!!

They weren't exactly "supervised" ....my OH would have been working nearby in the garden, and from a very early age, they'd been shown the safe way of lighting and tending a fire, there was always a bucket of water beside it - we never had any burns scalds or mishaps - but who would do it now?

BTW - the children would have been about 7 when we'd allow them to do this!

pesky85

thorsoak wrote: »

At the funeral of a friend last week, I met up with their now grown-up children - and their daughter said how much she loved coming down to our cottage during the school holidays - she remembers that my daughter and herself would "raid" my fridge for a packet of sausages and some eggs, find a frying pan - and would set off down the garden (we had half an acre) - and light a fire and cook sausages and eggs "all day"!!

They weren't exactly "supervised" ....my OH would have been working nearby in the garden, and from a very early age, they'd been shown the safe way of lighting and tending a fire, there was always a bucket of water beside it - we never had any burns scalds or mishaps - but who would do it now?

BTW - the children would have been about 7 when we'd allow them to do this!

Sounds like great fun, but I wouldn't allow it that young! Call me paranoid

thorsoak

pesky85 wrote: »

Sounds like great fun, but I wouldn't allow it that young! Call me paranoid

.......don't think I'd be at all happy if DD or DSs allowed their 7year olds to do it now either!!!

But this was way back in the time when Adventure Playgrounds were at their zenith ...as a qualified Playleader, part of my remit was to enhance the activities that young children could experience for themselves - which included campfires, building their own treehouses, etc etc etc .....all without a Health & Safety Risk Assessment within a million miles :eek:

pesky85

My childhood wasn't really that long ago, but even still I remember everything as being so much more relaxed than now. Climbing on garage blocks, up trees, playing out with other kids on the street etc. All things I don't really see now!

thunderbird

Mine don't have tvs or computers in their rooms, we don't keep fizzy drinks, crisps, sweets etc in the house but I'm not sure I'd consider that mainstream? (although my son does claim he is the only one at school who doesn't get crisps in his lunchbox)

I'm not sure I can think of anything else - I don't choose their friends, they can go to houses with dogs...
I didn't allow guns when they were little, but you soon realise that it is pointless as even a hand can be turned into a gun!

thunderbird

pesky85 wrote: »

My childhood wasn't really that long ago, but even still I remember everything as being so much more relaxed than now. Climbing on garage blocks, up trees, playing out with other kids on the street etc. All things I don't really see now!

Still goes on around here - plus swimming in the river, building dens and rope swings in the woods.

Felicity

anniemf2508 wrote: »

i will put my hands up to this....we told my daughter to stay away from a girl in her year who had downs syndrome, i felt uncomfortable doing it but there was an extremely good reason for it, the girl in question was a bully, she slammed my daughters head into walls, scratched her, punched her etc with no provocation.

But surely the reason you don't want your daughter playing with her is because she is a vicious bully NOT because she has downs syndrome?

ZXjon

This post make me laugh in a way .. whenever I remember my 4 yrs old daughter to not let her do things that mostly kids do. Like playing angry birds and other stuffs on the net. It's a bit addictive for her

fluffymuffy

Tea-and-Cake wrote: »

What mainstream things do you NOT allow your children to do and why?
.........

..... This is just for fun, I'm just interested.

Awwww - they deleted my post.

thorsoak

Just to give you an idea of what Adventure Playgrounds were like .........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pqMXplAI9Y