Conspiracy Theory!!

[MrsCheeks]

Is it just me that has noticed this?  The people who make the laws saying our children can't play with conkers, climb trees, play football and enjoy their childhood are people who grew up in a society where this was commonplace!!

I have a thory that these people are the ones who didnt have friends, had NO imagination, and were cr4p at games.  So now they are wreaking revenge on society. 

[woofgang]

Nice theory... I think that part of the problem is the litigeousness of modern society. While we have "sue mania" then the killjoys will prevail. Also unfortunately some sensible actions are getting bundled into the pot. If you think about it, it is silly to grow conker trees along roads where the conkers will fall into the road and tempt the kids after them, also kids will throw sticks up into conker trees to knock them down and don't seem to realise that car drivers will not be happy bunnies when the sticks or conkers hit their cars. When I was a kid and dinosaurs roamed the land, I knew that my parents would take direct and punitive action if a cross motorist turned up at our door, so we kept our conker harvesting for parks and commons. I guess it all comes back to reasonable behaviour on all sides

[Dagman]

Do-gooders are at the root of it every time. We've all been kids and learn by mistake. I think if you take the lessons away and you're unprepared for the future you'll come to more harm. Let kids find out the hard way as nature intended and stop wrapping them up in cotton wool. I personally have never ever known of anyone being maimed by a conker fight it's ridiculous. It's about time that parents were asked to sign a consent form for their kids to take part in activities at school where there is risk and cut out this compensation culture.  

[Philtaz]

That's a great theory, probably 100% correct! Even when they did play games they probably were the types who were 'give us me ball I'm going home' when nobody passed to them!

[Wraith]

The trouble is, as woofgang points out, we as a society have been struck with 'Sue Mania'. When I was a child if you fell over and hurt yourself it was just considered part of growing up. If a shopkeeper slapped you on the wrist for stealing sweets or a police officer gave you a clip around the ear for being cheeky you wouldn't dare tell your parents, you considered yourself lucky that you'd got off so lightly. Nowadays there are companies out there just waiting for some accident, or incident, to happen, then they pounce and sue.

 

Once, during a PE lesson the teacher had us all running backwards. I slipped over and broke my wrist, which was then in plaster for about eight weeks. We accepted this as an accident, I wonder what some lawyer would of made of it now.

 

W e are now in an age where doctors, nurses, teachers, shopkeepers, the police etc are afraid to take certain actions in case of reprisals.

[MrsCheeks]

Great points raised, especially about the Litigation Society we now have.

 

So how do we change this?  Is there any way of changing the trend?  Will kids ever be allowed to play conkers at school without having to don protective goggles or even enjoy a game of hopscotch?

 

I guess we have to live in hope.  Thanks all for such great comments so far. xxx

[apricot]

Can I answer with a specific?  A few weeks ago the national papers reported a headteacher who had bought goggles and gloves for kids so they could play conkers.  He was reported as saying he had received a memo from the LEA.  This was incorrect and he was merely seeking publicity.  These stories grow from myth to so called reality in a matter of weeks.  There are no laws against children playing conkers and climbing trees although I would hope that safety and common sense prevailed at all times.

[MrsCheeks]

Hmmm interesting Apricot and I see where you are coming from with Chinese Whispers.

 

However, one thing I would say is that with regards to the conkers there was a reposrt just recently that a local Council had a load of conker trees cut down to stop local kids from going out in groups collecting the conkers.  From what I can gather (and bear in mind this IS the media we are talking about lol) the trees were in parkland and NOT near any roads or buildings.  So kids chucking sticks to knock conkers down and casing damage was not the issue.

 

The council was reported as saying that their reason behind the cutting down of the trees was to stop children getting hurt playing conkers and suing THEM!!!

 

< P>Now that is when society goes barmy - afterall, if my kids chilb a tree and fall out I dont go running to the local authorities threatening to sue them cos they own the tree.  Nope ... I tell my kids not to come running tome if they have broken their legs cos its their hard luck rofl.

 

How come WE all seem to be sane people, and nearly everyone I know are sane too, in knowing what is a genuine cause for concern safety-wise?  And yet we are treated like brainless morons!

[Wraith]

I wonder how many of us, sane or otherwise, when put in the situation that our child has fallen out of a council owned tree would sue the council? Would that number change if we were approached by a legal firm offering to take up our case and guaranteeing us thousands in compensation? I wonder how many people could be swayed by greed?

 

I would personally say that the courts are partially to blame. If they didn't agree with the complaintant so often and award large sums of money in compensation then no one would sue.

[Philtaz]

As a few have said, it's down to the Litigation Society.  I am a school governor of my daughter's school and last year we had sports day as usual.

Several fathers took part in the parents race however, being the competetive beings we are one went hell for leather, over ran the finnish line by some 8-9 metres and sprained his wrist running into a portacabin wall.  He is now suing the school!

If it were me I'd have made him wear a dunces cap for the rest of the day for being such a dolt!

[raindog]

I may be overly cynical but my theory on this is that if children have no contact with any form of injury/illness/mishap, and if by litigation we associate bad things with payouts we'll lose the ability to either a) empathise with people in genuine need or b) realise the danger in doing things like join the army.  Imagine the society 20-30 years down the line if its like this now, we wont care about anything or anyone-all from these small societal changes that increase almost imperceptably.  Sorry to be a doom merchant!