A childhood expert says that the over-protection of today’s children means they miss out on vital experiences and don’t learn how to look after themselves.
In a book published today, Tim Gill a former British government adviser on children — argues that society is “bubble-wrapping”‘ children and exaggerating the risks they face.
Mr Gill adds that the level of playground bullying is being exaggerated and children must learn to cope with name-calling and teasing to help them develop resilience.
Is he right? Do you remember having more freedom, or should that be less protection as a child? Is this zero-risk attitude damaging our youngsters?
We’d like to hear your views.
Child labour.
Meanwhile fashion chain Gap has withdrawn from sale children’s clothing allegedly made using forced child labour in India. But does ethical shopping help children in poor countries?
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has accused Britain of not doing enough to prevent international terrorism. He was speaking ahead of a state visit to the UK – the first by a Saudi monarch for 20 years – which begins today. King Abdullah also told BBC News that Britain had not made full use of intelligence provided by the Saudis
But some would say that Saudi Arabia needs to get its own house in order before criticising others. One British opposition leader is boycotting the official trip because of Saudi’s “human rights record is appalling”.
Where do you stand?
And is she the new Evita? Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the wife of the outgoing president of Argentina, has become the first elected woman president of her country.
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The first two stories are much related. You wouldn’t say that the parents of India “mollycoddel” their children. There was a shift in the social paradigm when modern world economies moved from being whole family agricultural income based to the one parent working to support the family financial needs based economy. Then another shift occurred when the economics demanded both parents to work to sustain the family.
The agricultural structure naturally leads children to feel a self worth. They were an important part of the farm and its health. (Talk about “child labor”, try milking a few dozen cows before school in the A.M.) In our Industrial bases society, kids have no direct feeling of importance. So they seek ways to “get attention” and gain self worth. While I do not feel that it is right to send a child to a sweat shop to work their lives away, I also don’t want to see a child that is so starved for self worth that he/ she goes to school with guns and shoots the place up. Understanding that common denominator will allow us to adjust policy accordingly.
It may be possible that such extreme forms of protection come from socio-economic standings. Privilege has created classes of people that have provided their children everything, including the lack of responcibility for their actions. One can definitly see this example in the over glorified children and adults in Hollywood, acting without thought. I come from a working class background and have not been handed everything. However, i was taught some common sense. I was told not to talk to strangers, respect my elders, to not put myself in positions that could be harmful and to actually talk to my parents about issues of concern. My mother cared for me and taught me how to be responsible. She did not over protect me. Granted, other countries do have greater concerns that the greatest parental education can not prevent. I am aware that living in the U.S. has allowed me certain safeties. But i believe that my mother gave me the skills to get through difficult times and the room to practice those skills and to learn from mistakes when that time came.