Outdoor Play versus Electronics

[Eryn Bradshaw]

Having a sister who is 16 years younger than me has definitely been interesting. My other two siblings are relatively close to my age, my brother being 3 years younger and my other sister being 6 years younger, we grew up playing outside and riding bikes and reading. Granted, there was TV watching, the start of computer and video gaming, but often times my mom tried to get us out of the house. Whereas my youngest sister, who is now the only one left at home, has grown up with a phone or tablet in her hand. She's gotten hand-me-down handheld consoles from us. She does still play outside, but in comparison, it's a lot less than what I grew up with. It would be fantastic if a book like this could encourage kids to get outside and play more, but I think it has to be something that starts with the parents, older siblings, or even the child's friends helping them along to experience the outdoors.

[kfwilson6]

I think it is a wonderful idea to portray kids playing outside instead of inside, glued to their computers, tablets or television. I was reading somewhere that there is an increase in the problem of child obesity in the United States. Hopefully, this will help a little.

Oh yes, very true, even adults too, that population is increasing. I wonder what happened to the days of kids thinking the box a fridge came in was the best toy ever! Kids can be so creative when left to their own devices. I'm worried electronics will stunt that development.

[kfwilson6]

Having a sister who is 16 years younger than me has definitely been interesting. My other two siblings are relatively close to my age, my brother being 3 years younger and my other sister being 6 years younger, we grew up playing outside and riding bikes and reading. Granted, there was TV watching, the start of computer and video gaming, but often times my mom tried to get us out of the house. Whereas my youngest sister, who is now the only one left at home, has grown up with a phone or tablet in her hand. She's gotten hand-me-down handheld consoles from us. She does still play outside, but in comparison, it's a lot less than what I grew up with. It would be fantastic if a book like this could encourage kids to get outside and play more, but I think it has to be something that starts with the parents, older siblings, or even the child's friends helping them along to experience the outdoors.

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

[Eryn Bradshaw]

Having a sister who is 16 years younger than me has definitely been interesting. My other two siblings are relatively close to my age, my brother being 3 years younger and my other sister being 6 years younger, we grew up playing outside and riding bikes and reading. Granted, there was TV watching, the start of computer and video gaming, but often times my mom tried to get us out of the house. Whereas my youngest sister, who is now the only one left at home, has grown up with a phone or tablet in her hand. She's gotten hand-me-down handheld consoles from us. She does still play outside, but in comparison, it's a lot less than what I grew up with. It would be fantastic if a book like this could encourage kids to get outside and play more, but I think it has to be something that starts with the parents, older siblings, or even the child's friends helping them along to experience the outdoors.

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

[kfwilson6]

Having a sister who is 16 years younger than me has definitely been interesting. My other two siblings are relatively close to my age, my brother being 3 years younger and my other sister being 6 years younger, we grew up playing outside and riding bikes and reading. Granted, there was TV watching, the start of computer and video gaming, but often times my mom tried to get us out of the house. Whereas my youngest sister, who is now the only one left at home, has grown up with a phone or tablet in her hand. She's gotten hand-me-down handheld consoles from us. She does still play outside, but in comparison, it's a lot less than what I grew up with. It would be fantastic if a book like this could encourage kids to get outside and play more, but I think it has to be something that starts with the parents, older siblings, or even the child's friends helping them along to experience the outdoors.

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

The parents not wanting to deal with the complaints is a great observation. That is so true. I'm in your boat, no kids of my own so just making observations. But I have seen a lot of parents just give in to their kids. My husband's nephew is not a very good eater and his mom will say, "you must eat everything on your plate." Not once have I ever seen his plenty actually empty. She just gives up fighting him about it. Dang, I wish it were that easy to get my way. But that is a common practice of parents. They get frustrated, they don't want to show anger toward their child or don't want to feel the aggravation, so they take the easy road. And with video games and tv shows being as addictive as they are, it really is an easy road because it can provide hours of uninterrupted entertainment.

[Eryn Bradshaw]

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

The parents not wanting to deal with the complaints is a great observation. That is so true. I'm in your boat, no kids of my own so just making observations. But I have seen a lot of parents just give in to their kids. My husband's nephew is not a very good eater and his mom will say, "you must eat everything on your plate." Not once have I ever seen his plenty actually empty. She just gives up fighting him about it. Dang, I wish it were that easy to get my way. But that is a common practice of parents. They get frustrated, they don't want to show anger toward their child or don't want to feel the aggravation, so they take the easy road. And with video games and tv shows being as addictive as they are, it really is an easy road because it can provide hours of uninterrupted entertainment.

The number of times I was told when I was little I couldn't leave the table until I finished my dinner is innumerable. Maybe we just did it wrong!

I will also say on the subject, I think other people/parents are getting too involved in parenting styles. Parents might be too scared to discipline their children. I mean I watched an argument unfold on Twitter just a few weeks back where a guy argued that every single kid that's been spanked is a victim, was abused, and can't say they weren't victims. I was actually taken back by his opinions. I spoke to my mom about it, and although I wasn't spanked often as a child, my mom said there were a few times she thought it necessary. I can only imagine what people might say about how it might be child abuse to make a kid sit and eat their dinner. I do think technology, while being able to make a child complacent, has also made attention spans shorter. Could potentially be some parents who also engage maybe a bit much on technology don't have patience or attention span to teach their kid to play outside or sit and finish their dinner.

[Jennifer Fernandez]

I'm always troubled by a question like this. Kids don't spend too much time on electronics. Is parent's who let their kids spend too much time on elecronics. Sadly, the thing is times are chaging. Electronics are part of our lives and eveything we do has some technological aspect. Even studying. Right now we are spending time on a computer or some kind of devise to reply to this forum and to participate on Online Bookclub. Critizicing kids for prefering a video game to a basketball is as if older people criticized our generation for prefering basketballs and barbies instead of playing wit yo-yos or spins. Even sadder still, kids can't play outside with the same safety anymore. We could walk alone to the park or the school without a care in the world but, right now, they can't. With this in mind is the parents the ones who have to stablish a healthy balance between video games (some are very beneficial, by the way) and activities outside.

[stacie k]

I do worry that electronics are consuming our children’s lives. We need to be intentional to play with our kids and teach them to do all kinds of activities, whether indoors or outside. Physical activity is an important aspect of a child’s growth.

[kfwilson6]

Critizicing kids for prefering a video game to a basketball is as if older people criticized our generation for prefering basketballs and barbies instead of playing wit yo-yos or spins. Even sadder still, kids can't play outside with the same safety anymore. We could walk alone to the park or the school without a care in the world but, right now, they can't.

I don't think the comparison is quite accurate. There is so much more to electronics than just sitting and watching a show or playing on a game. There is social media, chat rooms, and instant messenger. I saw an article the other day about reasons teens shouldn't be on social media. It talked a lot about the development of the brain. There is so much opportunity to "discover" things on the internet that kids/teens shouldn't be reading about or watching. There is so much discussion about cyber-bullying. Social media has led to a lot of self-image issues for people of any age.

Technology is great in certain ways because you can connect to people you SHOULD stay connected to like long-distance relatives. You can research anything and everything. But do kids know how to look up information in an encyclopedia? Do they know how to use a map? I could probably read a map if I really needed to, but I literally let my Google maps read step-by-step to me where I need to go. Skills are lost as other skills are gained. As we progress and evolve in some areas, we devolve in others.

Overall you are right; parents need to guide their children to a well-balanced lifestyle. I was never trying to blame children for the choice, but books that can subtly advise children to living a healthy lifestyle are great because when a parent says "go outside and play," there may be less of a battle because they might actually WANT to do it.

[kfwilson6]

Could potentially be some parents who also engage maybe a bit much on technology don't have patience or attention span to teach their kid to play outside or sit and finish their dinner.

I think you are absolutely right about this. I told my husband the other day that when I'm at my desk at work I tend to have a ton of things going on at once. I have candy crush up on my phone, OBC up on my computer, I'm answering emails and phone calls, and filling in a spreadsheet. I just alternate between all of those things because it keeps me from getting bored. I can't even sit and watch tv or a movie without doing something on my phone. It makes me restless and I am by no means one of those people who would be classified as ADD or ADHD. I'm just so used to having access to various forms of entertainment, I like to have lots of mental stimulation. That's not to say that I can't sit and read a book for 2-3 hours without looking at the clock! But when you really love something it's different... So I just hope that when I have children they will fail to notice the passing of time with activities like playing kickball with their friends rather than playing video games or binge-watching Troll Hunters

[Bianka Walter]

Having a sister who is 16 years younger than me has definitely been interesting. My other two siblings are relatively close to my age, my brother being 3 years younger and my other sister being 6 years younger, we grew up playing outside and riding bikes and reading. Granted, there was TV watching, the start of computer and video gaming, but often times my mom tried to get us out of the house. Whereas my youngest sister, who is now the only one left at home, has grown up with a phone or tablet in her hand. She's gotten hand-me-down handheld consoles from us. She does still play outside, but in comparison, it's a lot less than what I grew up with. It would be fantastic if a book like this could encourage kids to get outside and play more, but I think it has to be something that starts with the parents, older siblings, or even the child's friends helping them along to experience the outdoors.

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

On a bit of a different note, I wonder what the statistics are (if any) on childhood obesity and how much time a child spends on electronic entertainment. I would assume there is a big upward trend in unhealthy kids the more time they spend indoors. So I'm not sure electronics are exactly healthy. I know that sounds odd, but the more children get out and play, the more active and healthy they are.
Like you say, kids not wanting to walk for 15 minutes is not a good thing. I think their parents should enforce this type of activity.

[Eryn Bradshaw]

I've seen a lot of this as well, the difference in childhoods across kids of different ages. My husband has a similar situation to your own; his brother is 14 years younger. My husband grew up on a farm and he worked as much as the adults did. By the time his brother was old enough to do anything like that, they sold the farm and he is always on his computer or cellphone. Instead of doing homework, kids are playing video games. It's not even that it takes up their free time, it's taking up the time they NEED to give to other things.

When we had birthday parties as kids we would go to the park, skating rink, or bowling alley. All physical activities. Now they have those video game centers where you can play as groups or arcades. Technological advancements are not 100% beneficial.

I agree that those who influence children need to influence them toward active activities.

I totally understand how it can be hard as a parent to get their kids out and doing things. I'm not a parent myself, so I won't judge people too harshly. I did have a conversation with my neighbor the other day though, and this conversation made me think sometimes you have to be a bit tougher. But she was saying she was out buying ice cream because her kids were complaining about the heat (heatwave in UK/Ireland right now and we have no AC) and wanted their mom to buy them ice cream. I made a joke to make them walk to the store to get the ice cream. The store from our house is about a 15-minute walk to the store. It's quite common for kids her son's age to walk from school to home (another 15 minutes in the other direction) or to the store for a little treat because we live in a small, quiet town. The worst trouble kids could really get into is if they decided to mess with the cows. Anyway, my neighbor said something along the lines of, "If I told them that, they'd just complain." I think some parents are a bit complacent and don't try to get their kids out and doing things. And when the parents themselves are so involved in technology like their kids are, why would they want to put in the effort? It's definitely a different time we live in now.

On a bit of a different note, I wonder what the statistics are (if any) on childhood obesity and how much time a child spends on electronic entertainment. I would assume there is a big upward trend in unhealthy kids the more time they spend indoors. So I'm not sure electronics are exactly healthy. I know that sounds odd, but the more children get out and play, the more active and healthy they are.
Like you say, kids not wanting to walk for 15 minutes is not a good thing. I think their parents should enforce this type of activity.

I suppose it depends on what type of game the kid is invested in. If like my sister, they're playing Minecraft, sure obesity may go up. The Just Dance games are quite popular, but some kids are lazy and would rather not get up and play those types of games. I heard the argument somewhere that it's more dangerous outside than it was say 10 or 20 years ago. But is it really more dangerous outside than it was in the past or are we just reading more articles and exposed to more media that say it's more dangerous?

[Lilian Rutoh]

I think outdoor play is much better than electronic because it strengthen our kids growing muscles hence make them active and strong. It also makes their brains work fast and accurate.

[bukworm543]

I noticed that other than playing and singing music, none of Toni's activities included any type of electronics. Toni was not listed as liking to watch tv Do you think children spend too much time using electronics instead of playing with more traditional toys like balls and jump ropes? Will this book help encourage children to play without electronics and enjoy outdoor activities? Toni was even reading his books outside.

Many children who own electronics certainly do, it's like an addiction for some of them. If unsupervised and left to their own antics they will play video games day and night or surf social media. The book is a step in the right direction but parental education and supervision is the crucial factor.

I definitely agree. I am not a parent yet, but I have been a middle school teacher for the past three years, and I have definitely seen a shift in students' attention spans from when I was in middle school myself 13 years ago. I believe that electronics are okay in moderation, and some knowledge of how to use computers is essential in today's electronic age, but we must not drift away from the creativity children learn through playing outside or playing with physical (non-electronic) toys.

[kfwilson6]

I think outdoor play is much better than electronic because it strengthen our kids growing muscles hence make them active and strong. It also makes their brains work fast and accurate.

Very true. Those in favor of video games might argue for increased reaction time and coordination, but you learn all of those things to a greater degree by playing sports.