A healthy , brisk future generation!

Dear all,
I think the plight of present day children is quite pathetic. With scientific and technological advance , children of today are very fast to grasp anything (and everything) and are generally very intelligent. But are they brisk and healthy? I see many kids whiling away their time glued to the kids TV channels. The others - at the computer playing games etc
All these screen watch is 1. not good for the eyes
.2.develops bad posture and therby pain
3. bad eating habits
4.they are oblivious to everything except the screen
5.don't listen to anything the parents say as they are
busy watching
6. do not have any exercise at all
7. miss out on reading
8. miss out on playing with friends
Of course all these are typical only during holidays. many of them attend summer classese to spend the time usefully; but still there must be other things to do. Like playing outdoors - simple games like making mud idliies, cakes etc. ; teacher and students, and many other interesting games.
Whatever happenned to our traditional games like Pandi, aeroplane pandi, Anju kal and ezhangal ? Pandi is a good game requiring pecision and skill and is good exercise to the players. To top it all ie is such an interesting and simple game. Our goli)marble) and pambaram(TOP) are wonderful games requiring skill and sharpens the sight. The present day power rangers top is good fun without the need for any skill.:icon_frown: The anju kal is such good exercise for the fingers. Oh, I almost forgot the skipping! Does any kid ever skip now!?
Dinner in the moonlight with story tellng is out; Watching the couds changing patterns and imagining them as different animals and things has becme a story of the olden days. singing. group singing, reciting rhymes in the night under the open sky has completely gone. Kids rarely get a chance to see the sky,moon and the stars.
It is so sad the kids are burdened with lots of studies, homework and co-curricular activities that they hardly have anytime to be free to pursue whatever they want to., during the term days. I do not deny that the TV and computer in modreate doses are entertaining as well as educating. Any of this in moderation is good.
I wish there were academies or summer classes to teach our traditional games and let them play as they like with friends . A healthy , brisk future generation is what we want - not couch potatoes and computer addicts.

SaviDeva,

you have raised very good points. But who can we blame for this?? Not the kids definitely.
Kids do all the things that you have mentioned because the parents let them.
In a house hold where TV has assumed the responsibility of a baby sitter/ parent what can be expected. In my house when my kids were very young and we saw that they were gravitating to watch TV than to picking up a toy and playing, Our tv set conveniently got broken and stayed that way during their waking time. Of course we as parents had to sacrifice our favorite shows if they refused to go to sleep until late.
And moon light dinners are definitely not out in my home even now(both my kids are teens now). Our favorite eating spot is out on the deck during summers. My DH has taught the neighborhood kids gulli danda and kabaddi and cricket too.


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I wish there were academies or summer classes to teach our traditional games and let them play as they like with friendsA healthy , brisk future generation is what we want - not couch potatoes and computer addicts.
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Yes it is time for parents to take charge and act since no academies or summer classes can enforce the behaviour beyond the time that the kids attend it.

Hi,

a nice point raised, Ya you are right but I want to tell you some thing, one of my friend has a baby boy (3yrs) he gets up at 9 and studies for an hour (just scribbles alphabets on the slate) and then watches dvds he gets from the library. as this is summer she takes him out to the play area and lets him play till 8 in the evng but it was hard for him to stay all the time in the house in winter. Then even she used to take him to Mc donalds Chucky cheese etc to make the kid play. Now let me tell you what other options does the child have to play in winter or summer other than playing at the swings or slides etc She tells him stories of ramayana and mahabharatha (when I said can he understand she said that he will by the time he grows up). Apart from these things even she is helpless.

Thats why it is tough for us to tell and teach kids. So what I feel is as a parent we have to take them to their grandparents atleast once in a year and let them stay for min period of 2 months . Ofcourse one is puzzled how far it helps............................................. ..........

Dear Cool,
Kudos to your friend for keeping her child active......
now assuming that she resides in U.S:

There are lots of activities for toddler age kids other than watching TV during winter time.

1. trips to kid friendly malls where I always see toddlers happily playing with other kids their age under the watchful eyes of the parents.

2. Having play groups where 2 moms/dads watch the kids while other parents make use of the much needed time-off

3. activities at the local rec center like parent/child swimming, gymnastics, moving to rhythm etc...

4. trips to the local library where guest authors read their books to the kids and also where toddler activities like puppet shows, sing alongs, card making etc. etc. are a common occurence (no need to be able to read) and are helpful in developing a love for reading and books in young kids

5. trips to the local sports store /toy store where now a days a kids corner is a must (although this might result in tantrums and crying fits but they will learn how much they can get away with or not)

6. the old fashioned romp in the freshly fallen snow secure in their warm clothing.

As per the summer local pools are magnets that seem to pull kids of all ages at all times of the day

In a country where childhood obesity is already a major problem, parents should be creative in coming up with activities while the kids are still infants to instill an active lifestyle behaviours.

Taking them to grandparents might be a temporary solution where the parental responsibility of child rearing might be shared by the extended family for short time. But i know of situations where it has compounded the issue by doting grandparents who let the kids do whatever they want

Dear Blondie,

thankyou for the wonderful ideas given to me I will pass on to my friend for sure.....

Dear Blondie,
Congrats! The f.b. was very good with beautiful ideas and your suggestions to cool- is also great. I entirely agree with you that it is time for parents to take charge. . You have already followed it by successfully keeping the kids away from the TV although you had to sacrifice your favourite programmes in the bargain! It is wonderful you still have moonlight dinners, a lovely way to blend eith nature and your family.
The practice of outdoor play, traditional games etc. , I think, was possible because of the Joint family system and other factors like the abscence of modern entertaining equipments and family planning. Our ancestors believed " the more the merrier" and 6 to 9 or even 10 children was quite common those days. Also the syllabus in schools was not as enormous as it is today; kids had less home work and more free time. Ie was like Bharatiyar said -"kaalai ezhundavudan padippu; pinbu kanivu kodukkum nalla paattu; maalai muzhudum vilaiyattu enru pazhakka paduthi kollu pappa".
Hope parents find time to have moonlight dinners and outings in the nature at least once in a month and encourage children to take up body building game like skipping.

Dear cool,
Thanks for your views. Blondie has given very good suggestions . Here in India also in the rainy season it is tough to go outdoors. This is the time for our traditional indoor games. There is also carrom and other board games like "snakes and ladder and the numerous variety of games presently available in the shops. And do spend time playing with your kids, read stories, talk to them about amusing anecdotes that happened to you when you were kids .