Cocooned kids

Guess what? If your kid climbs on that “jungle jim”, she might fall off and hurt herself. If your kid tries to ride that bicycle, he may fall off and hurt himself. There are two species in the world who will get excited when your kid actually does try to climb or ride: the bleeding heart who thinks that nothing in the world should be allowed to scratch, bump, bruise or otherwise abrase your sweet sensitive child; and the bleeding litigious lawyer who would love to parade before a gullible jury the grazed knee or cranial bump – with supporting x-rays, neck brace and sworn statement attesting to excruciation and loss of dignity.

The phrase “levelling the playing fields" takes on a whole new craven meaning as we weaken tomorrow’s generation by protecting today’s pampered youth from all obstacles, challenges and trials.

This very weekend the Belfast Telegraph carried a report by Gary Grattan which stated:

"According to new research, children are in danger of having their mental and physical development stifled if prevented from taking risks in play. A survey of more than 500 children across the UK aged up to 15 reveals that:

45% say they can't play with water;
36% say they are prevented from climbing trees;
27% say they can't play on climbing equipment; and
23% cent say they are prevented from riding bikes or skateboards.”

The report goes on to say that the Children's Society and the Children's Play Council are urging parents and play providers to balance the need to keep our children safe with the need to let them learn by taking risks. Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children's Society, said: “Research has shown that children learn through taking risks and our survey says children want challenging, adventurous playgrounds. We need to overcome our over-cautious culture and let children take a chance on play.”

And then, last Friday the 2nd August – wait for this – we read that three 12-year-olds playing cops and robbers were arrested in Ashington, Northumbria. The children were taken to a police station fingerprinted and had DNA samples taken because they were playing with a plastic toy gun! Wow! Heavy stuff, this! The police said that new guidelines on recording crime, force officers to take a stricter line on “weapons incidents”. They treated the incident as a public order offence The kids received a reprimand from a senior officer, which will stay on their records for a three-year period, but their DNA and fingerprints will stay on file for life. I can almost hear some hardy PC activists preparing a campaign to save teddy bears from children – who are also known to sleep with teddy bears! (No actual teddy bears were harmed or discomfited in the writing of this piece.)

In North America there has been a similar passion aroused over children who have taken (gasp!) a holiday job during the summer. Do people not realise, we are asked, that teens can be injured when working?

James Bovard, author of Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty, wrote (also this week): “The fact that some teens have job accidents should not be invoked to lock all teens into a pseudo-risk-free cocoon. Teens have more accidents in almost everything they do, from auto wrecks to broken condoms. Teenage years are a time of trial and error, and the government cannot protect kids from all danger without also “protecting” them from personal growth.”

Right on, James. Maybe there is a turn in this tide of madness since all these things have been aired this very week. By the way, put the kettle on, Son. And if you burn yourself with the oh-so naughty boiling water, well, that’s a lesson learned.