Can a Playground Be Too Safe?

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Can a Playground Be Too Safe?

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 21, 2011 @07:52AM from the think-of-the-children's-thinking dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "John Tierney writes that the old 10-foot-high jungle gyms and slides disappeared from most American playgrounds across the country in recent decades because of parental concerns, federal guidelines, new safety standards set by manufacturers and — the most frequently cited factor — fear of lawsuits. But today some researchers question the value of safety-first playgrounds. Even if children do suffer fewer physical injuries — and the evidence for that is debatable — critics say that these playgrounds may stunt emotional development, leaving children with anxieties and fears that are ultimately worse than a broken bone. 'Climbing equipment needs to be high enough, or else it will be too boring in the long run,' says professor Ellen Sandseter. 'Children approach thrills and risks in a progressive manner, and very few children would try to climb to the highest point for the first time they climb. The best thing is to let children encounter these challenges from an early age, and they will then progressively learn to master them through their play over the years.' After observing children on playgrounds in Norway, England and Australia, Dr. Sandseter identified six categories of risky play, although fear of litigation led New York City officials to remove seesaws, merry-go-rounds and the ropes that young Tarzans used to swing from one platform to another."

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This "safety net problem" by Anonymous Coward · 2011-07-21 07:54 · Score: 5, Insightful

is far broader than our playgrounds.
1. Re:This "safety net problem" by Opportunist · 2011-07-21 08:22 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  The "safety net problem" is far bigger than that, indeed. Mostly, it's due to parents who would love to pack their kids in cotton boxes 'til they turn 18. Oddly, the same parents then kick their kids out as soon as they're 18, unprepared and unfit to survive in a world they have never seen.
  Parents, your job is to prepare your kids for the life when they're fully responsible for their actions. It doesn't say anything about them not having had a single cut or bruised knee in their time 'til then. Bones heal. Scars heal. And you'd be surprised what damage children can sustain, where you witness it and you're sure they have to be dead, only to notice the child is wiggling his limbs, dusts himself off and climbs back onto the tree. Kids have tremendous healing ability, unparalleled any time later in their life. In other words, childhood is the perfect time to learn what is possible with your body and what is not. Your chances to survive stupid stunts will never be higher.
  The problem is also a psychological one. If you keep your kids locked away 'til they are 18, you not only limit their development and their ability to judge their own abilities, you also prepare them for a life of missed chances. They will look back at their childhood and realize that they "lost" 18 years of their life. Also, their social development will suffer. They will not be able to interact sensibly with peers, and they will not be prepared for the dealings of social life and interactions. In short, they will be the tool in whatever company they will work in.
  That's called bad parenting. Not having a child that has a skinned knee every now and then. Bad parenting is simply not preparing your child for the life after you're no longer responsible for them.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Learning by Anonymous Coward · 2011-07-21 07:57 · Score: 5, Insightful

Fear of lawsuits isn't stupid. It's quite sensible.
Lawsuits are stupid.
In other words by FrkyD · 2011-07-21 07:58 · Score: 5, Insightful

Generations are being deprived of the chance to learn to deal with the process of overcoming their fears?
In a society whose political and media culture centers around obscuring debate by preying on fear?
Whodathunk?
Comment removed by account_deleted · 2011-07-21 08:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

Comment removed based on user account deletion
Re:Umm...yeah no shit. I could have told you this. by MozeeToby · 2011-07-21 08:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

Common sense goes out the window when there's a gallon of hormones flooding your system telling you that this child in particular is the single most important thing in the universe. Everything from over childproofing to being against a public healthcare options to over prescribing antibiotics to giving up freedoms for perceived safety can be traced back to the psychological changes that occur when people become parents.
As a new parent myself I can feel the invasion of these lines of thinking, and it is only through conscious, concerned effort that I maintain my pre-parent sense of right and wrong.
Re:Think of the children! by Wonko+the+Sane · 2011-07-21 08:05 · Score: 4, Insightful

Sure I'm not saying let kids play in a forest alone or something
Why not?
Comment removed by account_deleted · 2011-07-21 08:16 · Score: 5, Insightful

Comment removed based on user account deletion
Re:Each generation coddles the next by Shark · 2011-07-21 08:52 · Score: 5, Insightful

What bothers me most is that if I want to raise my kid like that and let them have a real childhood with all the bumps and bruises and scares it entails, I'll be the evil parent and CPS will come take him/her away.

--
Mind the frickin' laser...
Re:How to Land Your Kid in Therapy by stephathome · 2011-07-21 09:13 · Score: 4, Insightful

Too true. This is why I liked my college professor who describes parenthood as raising future adults, not children. I want my kids to keep growing up. They get better as they get more mature. Sure, babies, toddlers and on down the line are fun, but seeing kids grow up is much more fun than treating them as younger than they are. They're people, not my personal toys.