Kids

Yep, I've got another grump, but I do believe this is well-founded.

I have never been maternal but I do believe that mums and dads should have a natural instinct to protect their kids and safe-guard them and indeed have a care of duty toward them.

However, I am sick and weary of seeing children playing in the middle of our road when the parents have a perfectly good back garden where they can be safe.

Ours is a quiet road and I'm a careful driver but, on several occasions, I've swung my car into the road where I live, to find children playing smack bang in the middle of it. They usually disperse quickly as I'm mindful that they might be there, but there's one little lad who cannot be more than 3 years old with a micro-scooter or whatever they're called, scooting along on his own and I've regularly had to stop until he's dragged his scooter off the road, and himself.

Where are the parents? Do they care? Are they interested? I have had to screech to a stop on several occasions now and I've wagged my finger at the little boy who has no comprehension of what danger he's in.

His parents moved in across the road from me just a couple of months ago. Their front door is ALWAYS open no matter what the weather, and when the kid goes out he screams at the top of his voice crying. The older kids from next door to him, when they're out, try to look after him, but I don't think I've ever seen the parents yet.

I feel like I should do something but, short of calling Social Services which I'd hate to do, I do fear for this child's safety.

Re: Kids

I totally disagree with this unless you live on a main thoroughfare then the street is often the best place to play especially when you have something that needs a solid surface to run as opposed to grass (skateboarding, cycling, rollerskating, scootering(?)). Kids should be perfectly safe in a suburban street if drivers behave responsibly.

What is so hard about driving slowly in your own street? Let the kids play and enjoy themselves it is after all a public street - theirs as much as yours. What is the world coming to when kids can't play safely in their own street?

Re: Kids

I'm with Mollie on this one. The street is for driving on, not playing on. And either way, it sounds as though the parents could be a bit more responsible.

Re: Kids

Ditto, ditto and ditto everything Mollie said.

While no children should be playing in the street, it's not so bad when they are older and have some sense of the dangers involved.

I also want to know what in THEE Samhill is up with parents of the three year old? I have my own suspicions and yepper, I am the person that, after enough times of seeing the child in the street without supervision, I would be calling Children's Services.

I have always said that "just about anyone can bear and produce children but not everyone is capable of being a parent".

I have much more respect for the women who chose to remain child-less than those that keep pumping them out and then turn them loose without any apparent concern for their safety.

Stepping off my soapbox, as this is one of a few burrs under my butt

Re: Kids

We lived in back to back terraced houses as kids and we loved playing on the street, although at perhaps only one or two cars an hour it was a little safer then, but every kid on the street joined in with cricket, rounders, hopscotch, skipping etc. and it beat the hell out of playing in your back yard...

Re: Kids

Kids are safer playing in the street,all parents can see them at some time or another.This is what is wrong now, kids go to the park and anything can happen to them. We would have a better England Football team if the boys played footie in the road. Back yards or gardens make children unsociable grownups.

Re: Kids

Well me being a townie all my life I would have to agree with Barry and Annie, although the streets were a lot safer then, today with lunatic drugged up drivers going around knocking down and killing a 12 year old boy on a pedestrian crossing, as happened very near me not long ago, I might think twice about letting them play on the streets, but you have to give them a certain amount of freedom depending on their age.
They still haven't caught the coward yet, how could you live with something like that on your conscience?.

Re: Kids

Okay, mixed responses which is fair enough and I respect that.

I am a careful driver and there is nothing wrong at all in taking things easily on my road, when I know that babies will be playing in the middle of it, but then there are those who come whizzing round a blind corner not knowing what he/she will encounter.

I used to play on the streets as a 3-year old, and I even used to cross the road under supervision, but there was hardly any traffic back in the 50s, and that was what is now a main thoroughfare.

In all honesty, since this family moved in about six months ago, I have never yet once seen either of the parents - just the little one. This can't be right. If one or other parent was outside watching over their child, then I wouldn't be so concerned, but it's the other slightly older kids that shout "James get off the road."

Back yards or gardens make children unsociable grownups.

Sorry Annie, but playing on roads make children dead!

Re: Kids

The children in my area are often playing outdoors but stay on the pavement and still appear to have lots of fun.

Re: Kids

Playing in the road makes them more wary of traffic, when I say road I mean on their street, all playing together,watching out for each other. I think I am thinking of playing when I was young, oh I dont know though there was a farm next door and we played there as well, I learnt to ride a bike there, a boys bike and I was taught by the eldest boy who said "Right Anne you have to ride round the middin and if you fall you fall in that."