Danger In The Playground Can Be A Good Thing

Society has become more increasingly litigious and one side effect is the way we treat our children

. You often hear the phrase 'when I was a lad...' referring to the good old days when you walked off a broken leg. Such good old days bare a stark contrast to the way in which we value our kid's safety, acting as if they were made of fragile porcelain, with danger lurking at every corner waiting to shatter them.

Schools are becoming increasingly hesitant to organise trips where children can enjoy a little risk and adventure to avoid the possibility of being sued. Even contact sports such as rugby have seen their final days due to the school not wanting to be held liable for a black eye or skinned knee.

The book, Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), is set to be a hit in Britain after becoming a popular book with parents in America. It was initially rejected by at least 16 publishers in the US due to fears of lawsuits from parents whose children injured themselves following the book's advice.

Society and schools have become increasingly risk-averse, according to Gummer. "Parents go nuts if their children get hurt at school," she said. "Litigation is every head teacher's worst nightmare." Play England has launched a manifesto for children's play, to try to get the government to enshrine the importance of play during school time. Catherine Prisk, assistant director, said experts were beginning to realise how important it was for children to engage in boisterous, unstructured play.

A survey last year found that 40% of teachers won't organise a trip at the risk of litigation, but why can we not accept that whether a child is playing tag or on a ski slope, they will break their leg. Whether eating worms from the ground or at a questionable Spanish restaurant, they will get sick. It is all part and parcel of being a child and what makes them stronger and well rounded. After all if a child never falls, how can they learn to pick themselves up?

by: Tom Doerr

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