I was speaking to my sister who is a teacher and we talked about the things we used to do as a kid. We used to go out and play in the streets. I would often travel quite a distance from home. Play in the local disused factory. Explore the underground garages and drain slopes where I lived. Cycle to the local lake to fish (I can’t swim). We even used to take the lift to the top of the flats (20 odd stories high) and peer off the balconies (where the rubbish chute was kept you could peer off the top with just railing for safety. Action man used to take many a para drop off the top!
My sister then mentioned how teachers are trained to accept risk. You prevent children from unnecessary risk but accept that some risk has to be accepted for children to experience life (falling off swings, crashing on their bike etc).
I wonder as a society if we have forgotten that we have to accept that there is risk in the things we do and sometimes have to accept that we may be injured or killed without blame. As a parent our children may be killed but that we have to let them explore and find their own way. We just accept that fact hard though it may be should the unfortunate happen. But it seems parants are reluctant to let their children explore for fear of retribution should the unthinkable happen.
Whenever there is an accident at a sporting event, whether it be a child that dies in a canoeing accident or fun fare. Pilot at an airshow. Miner down a mine. Teenager in a car accident. The immediate response is to blame, restrict,ban or find some other reason as to why this happened.
I’m wondering if we have forgotten that life is not certain and comes with risk and as a society, as people we have to accept that risk without accusation or blame. Otherwise life is going to become incredibly dull.
By: danjama - 25th September 2011 at 18:47
I’ll keep this brief as I’m on my phone. I disagree completely about parents, they seem to be more careless than ever. Kids seem to run the streets until late night, and they are not playing or exploring like we did. Schools qnd organisations are certainly more safety concious than ever, but parents, sorry to disagree there. Maybe its an Essex/London thing, though…
By: J Boyle - 25th September 2011 at 18:42
Our local county has mandated bicyclle hemets for everyone, not just children.
I live in the country and I’d feel silly putting one on to ride the third of a mile to the post office. Straight road, not much traffic, only during the day in good weather…a bit overkill?
By: TonyT - 25th September 2011 at 18:03
I once walked across the main apron and was immediately stopped for not wearing a tabbard under health and safety rules……. I pointed out they had noticed me as I stood out from what had simple become flourescent green background noise.. and that was the reasoning behind wearing them in the frst place, to stand out…. without having it on I instantly did…..
Sadly it was lost on them……
Totally agree with you Hampden,
I even remember in the military there was some Health and Safety concern’s being expressed with 9mm rounds as the bullet was lead and therefore could poison those handling them, was pointed out it was even more unsafe if you stood in front of it.
By: Scott Marlee - 25th September 2011 at 17:18
we should, but itl never ever happen
i think everyone is far too scared because of the new generation of the ilsueyou’s
you can be sued/fired from your job for pretty much anything these days, which is a shame, if im honest, id preffer to live back in the 90’s when we could play in the streets till late without our parents having to worry at all, we would fall off of our bikes, yes it would hurt but we would learn that for ourselves and learn not to do it again, as with most things, these days the whole country, the whole world in fact is far too safety conscious and PC, and i personally believe its partly down to the new generation of scroats (my generation) who cause everyone else to live in fear of being sued or reported for pointlessly stupid reasons
just my two penneth
By: Sky High - 25th September 2011 at 17:18
Two points I think. Firstly parents have become far more risk averse and there seem,s to be an inherent fear of danger, possibly because parents who grew up during the war leaned to live with danger whereas a generation or two later the day to day risks seem so much greater because there is no greater danger.
Secondly teachers are frightened of exposing their charges for fear of litigation should accidents befall the children in their care. The old fashioned ethos of “accidents will happen” has been superceded by “who was responsible – see you in court”.:(
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September 25, 2011 at 4:52 pm