Do children of today Play??

While I was teaching I would often find children very reluctant to play games on the field, they would discuss games like FIFA 1, 2 and so many .This led me to believe that they love football and would love to play the game. But, to my surprise they were discussing a game on the computer. During games period I would find myself listening to all kind of reasons for not going to play, some would say we would like to read as exams are near or we want to go to the library for internet surfing or please finish some chapter. This led me to wonder what happened to playing games, when was the last time I saw any child play gully cricket and break some poor blokes window panes or some aunties pot of plants?

I started observing children, most of them are watch cricket avidly on the Telly, they even play cricket???? On the computer of course. They love to play Tennis, Cricket, and Football all on the computer. Has technical advancement in someway the cause of our children not indulging in physical games. I have also noticed the schools of today, they boast a big building called class rooms—what about the play ground? What games do the school motivate the children to play? Bangalore has a huge number of schools. It is a thriving business, have a big land, build a huge building put in a couple of desks and chairs and board and voila you have a school, unregistered, registered no problem, we give education in English medium, if you are looking for a bit of sophistication no problem again we put in the name International in the end of the School name, and where may I ask is the play ground the automatic answer is “it is coming up very soon”, how soon we never know.

The regular child’s schedule is get up, wash up, eat breakfast (if possible because school van is waiting) go to school, come home, watch TV, do home work, go to tuition class for maths, go to tuition class for Hindi or any other language as the case may be, come home do the tuition home work and have dinner, go to sleep. Where in this schedule do we see play. Even in Summer I find children enrolling themselves in summer camps that schools provide to do Painting or Drawing or essay writing, quiz, story telling what about plain old games , what about screaming, yelling, shouting….don’t people need to know that the holidays are here .

Hi Priya

Thanks for your FB .

Youu have posted a very relevant thread and it indeed reflects the sorry state of affair in school going children.

Physical activities have been reduced to naught.

In our childhood we use to play all sorts of games like skipping rope, pithu, kho-kho etc.

Parents and schools are squarely to be blamed, for the inactivity among kids.

In the name of personality deveoplemnt, routine playing is sacrficiied. The yore of T.V DVD's has also led to inacitivity.

What we don't realsie is that instaed of going to GYMs to get abs, one can burn fat by playing some games like badminton. Also, playing is essential for over all personality development.

Thanks for bringing up this topic
Ansh

Dear Aqua ,

Youre so right!! Yes the kids these days put less emphasis on games thereby restricting physical wellbeing.
There is a lot of stress interms of education and the expectations far exceed the actual potential of the child so double stress . apart from this the sedantary games as in computers, playstations, gameboys etc, teamed with the extra consumption of junk food is so detrimental to these kids.
Playing games,outdoor games relieves them of this stress thus producing Eustress which is very beneficial to them ,where as what these kids experience is distress.
I am very appalled to know that these days a lot of kids fall prey to ailments like cardiac problems etc, due to their lifestyle ,where physical games is almost extinct.
Aqua i believe that something concrete must be done some strict rule implemented where the kids should have the opportunity to explore their physical skills , and the games onPC,etc. should be banned or at least controlled so that our kids can have a long and healthy existence!

Devika

Dear Aqua ,

Youre so right!! Yes the kids these days put less emphasis on games thereby restricting physical wellbeing.
There is a lot of stress interms of education and the expectations far exceed the actual potential of the child so double stress . apart from this the sedantary games as in computers, playstations, gameboys etc, teamed with the extra consumption of junk food is so detrimental to these kids.
Playing games,outdoor games relieves them of this stress thus producing Eustress which is very beneficial to them ,where as what these kids experience is distress.
I am very appalled to know that these days a lot of kids fall prey to ailments like cardiac problems etc, due to their lifestyle ,where physical games is almost extinct.
Aqua i believe that something concrete must be done some strict rule implemented where the kids should have the opportunity to explore their physical skills , and the games onPC,etc. should be banned or at least controlled so that our kids can have a long and healthy existence!

Devika

Dear Aqua,

Your observations are true. We no longer find children running around just for the sake of running, screaming with joy that the holidays are here and have mothers yell after them that it is time to come home. If the schools bear half the responsibility for this malady by having 10'X10' playgrounds(if any) the parents take the other half. Once kids come home, whether the kid takes some rest or not, they are asked for their homework and made to do them and then study the same old boring stuff a 100 times or are sent off to tuitions. They don't know the meaning of camaraderie, the joy of playing in the sun and rain and coping with bruises. There will be no scars on the knees to remind them of the wonderful days of childhood, no fights with friends that teach them how to patch up, no idea of sharing and caring that comes only when you play with friends. All they will remember is getting numb with watching TV, crying of boredom all through the holidays and the drudgery of studying. Are we not taking the rights of a child away? Don't the parents miss the squeals of joy and peals of laughter? It is time the adults woke up to their responsibilities towards their children.

Dear Aqua, this is an issue very close to my heart and I got carried away while writing. You really hit the nail on the head. Lets hope your thread spreads much needed awareness.

Regards,
Anitha

Dear AM,
Great topic and every word that you have written is soooo true.My friends kids is 6yrs old.I have never seen him come out and play in the mud.No ball games nothing.All the time hes glued o the TV/cartoon channels or computer and thats it.
On weekends, we make it a point to walk and play shuttle for atleast an hour just to rejenuvate ourselves!

Dear Priya,

Very needed topic of the hour. My kids play, jump around but i have to be there to keep a control on online gaming and tv.

I live very near to a big school, so the vicnity has lot of school going children, very very rarely have i seen children playing.

When my son, calls others for playing, he comes back disappointed saying they are studying or at tutions..

Parents become obssessive and forget the kids need a little play also.

The nursery rhyme was just for mugging up...all work and no play makes johnny a dull boy.

Sitting in front of TV/PC and becoming couch potatoes is very common...Parents are scared of sending children outside. the schools playgrounds have shrunk..
the parks are very few. and the children are dust sensitive that in today's pollution most parents prefer the kids sitting at home.

For the purpose of physical excercise, we send them for swimming and my DS for cricket everyday.

We are worried about the health problems in the kids...

Kids don't learn to adjust to circumstances if they don't play with others. They also don't learn sportiveness which is an essential thing in their growing years....

LEt me not get carried away...

Hi!

So very true! But I thought being in US my son is missing out on playing outside, since I was under the impression that kids in India play outside, like we used to years ago! U mean to say, that has'nt happening anymore? Thats really sad! I keep worrying that my 12 yr. old is missing out on outdoor activities, and have enrolled him for couple of them. And I miss India, thinking that it would have been different IF HE WEA IN INDIA!!!

Originally Posted by ansh12

Hi Priya

Thanks for your FB .

Youu have posted a very relevant thread and it indeed reflects the sorry state of affair in school going children.

Physical activities have been reduced to naught.

In our childhood we use to play all sorts of games like skipping rope, pithu, kho-kho etc.

Parents and schools are squarely to be blamed, for the inactivity among kids.

In the name of personality deveoplemnt, routine playing is sacrficiied. The yore of T.V DVD's has also led to inacitivity.

What we don't realsie is that instaed of going to GYMs to get abs, one can burn fat by playing some games like badminton. Also, playing is essential for over all personality development.

Thanks for bringing up this topic
Ansh

Hi Ansh,

Thanks for the FB. Yes parents these days do get carried away with wanting to make their children super beings...forgetting that children need to be children too.

Warm wishes,

Aqua.

Originally Posted by Devika Menon

Dear Aqua ,

Youre so right!! Yes the kids these days put less emphasis on games thereby restricting physical wellbeing.
There is a lot of stress interms of education and the expectations far exceed the actual potential of the child so double stress . apart from this the sedantary games as in computers, playstations, gameboys etc, teamed with the extra consumption of junk food is so detrimental to these kids.
Playing games,outdoor games relieves them of this stress thus producing Eustress which is very beneficial to them ,where as what these kids experience is distress.
I am very appalled to know that these days a lot of kids fall prey to ailments like cardiac problems etc, due to their lifestyle ,where physical games is almost extinct.
Aqua i believe that something concrete must be done some strict rule implemented where the kids should have the opportunity to explore their physical skills , and the games onPC,etc. should be banned or at least controlled so that our kids can have a long and healthy existence!

Devika

Hi Devika,

well put my friend... but how many parents are going to agree with us. You know i conducted an experiment in my class. I had this parent who was complaining constantly saying her son was not achieving high marks, i told her leave the matter to me if he does well within one month no more yelling but she must follow everything that i say...i told her as soon as her son gets home to give him a glass of cold drink along with a snack of his liking....then ask him to play for about solid 1 to 2 hours any game that is physical like tennis or cricket or basket ball or swimming.. he must do it physically then to come back take a shower and give him a whole load of hugs no negative criticism and not asking about home work nothing....this enabled the child to perform better the next test he got full marks...children need space from constant demands of being super humans....dont you agree....

Warm wishes,

Aqua.