The nation's schools, under fire for unhealthy school lunches, well-stocked vending machines and phys ed cuts, may actually do a better job than parents in keeping children fit and trim. A study found that 5- and 6-year-olds gained more weight over the summer than during the school year, casting doubt on the assumption that kids are more active during summer vacation.
The findings don't reveal what's behind the out-of-school weight gain, but the researchers speculate it's because the summer months lack the structure of the school year with all its activities and daily comings and goings. . . .
Overall, she said the findings point to the need for parents to become actively involved in encouraging their kids to develop healthy habits even as the push continues for schools to focus more on those same goals. . . .
Chockley said parents need to make time for regular family bike rides, walks, hikes or other types of exercise during the summer and beyond to help their kids develop good habits.
I think there really has been a culture shift.
When I was a kid (not that long ago . . . ) my mom was shooing me outside
every chance she got and all the other moms were doing the
same.
Now we seem to be afraid that if the kids are outside
something "dangerous" will happen to them.
Also I was free to roam
miles of neighborhoods and walked at least a mile to school pretty much
every day from the time I was 6. If I wanted to go home with some other
kid not too far off my route home, nobody ever said anything (unless I
stayed too long, then I heard plenty). If I wanted to walk from home to
visit one of the friends I met that way, the parents would have said, "OK,
see you later, have a good time."
The point is, I had a huge
territory I felt comfortable traveling within, by myself or with a friend
or two, when I was 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 etc. Nowadays kids "territory" is vastly
restricted-often just their own yards, unless they have a direct adult
"supervisor" with them.
Web link: http://www.cyclelicio.us/
Now we seem to be afraid that if the kids are outside something "dangerous" will happen to them.
Also I was free to roam miles of neighborhoods and walked at least a mile to school pretty much every day from the time I was 6. If I wanted to go home with some other kid not too far off my route home, nobody ever said anything (unless I stayed too long, then I heard plenty). If I wanted to walk from home to visit one of the friends I met that way, the parents would have said, "OK, see you later, have a good time."
The point is, I had a huge territory I felt comfortable traveling within, by myself or with a friend or two, when I was 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 etc. Nowadays kids "territory" is vastly restricted-often just their own yards, unless they have a direct adult "supervisor" with them.
It's a pretty dramatic difference.