This is just one of those observations I've been making. We often hear how there has been a rise in obesity in children which can offer trigger off diabetes. Yes maybe diet is one of the culprits since instead having a good nutritious breakfast to start the day, parents might give high sugary cereals or even Pop Tarts. But is a poor diet the only factor? I don't think so. I can't help think that lack of exercise is a major factor; in fact, with today's children, I'm observing how kids have quite frankly have forgotten to do two things in today's society: walk and play.
When I was a kid, if I wanted to go to school I had to walk to it, a concept kind of foreign nowadays to today's kids. My elementary school was about 15 blocks away from my home and I had to walk to school no matter what the weather was. I did have a school bus to travel on once I got into Junior High School, but even then I had to walk at least six blocks to the school bus stop. When I entered High School, once again I had to walk a fair distance.
Well all that seems to have changed. Instead of kids walking any far distance, a school bus will quite literally stop in front of their apartment building or house. My block seems to be a major school bus route and everyday like clockwork, buses will go down my block and pick kids up to go to their schools in the early morning hours, then once again in the later afternoon hours buses drop them off right in front off their homes.
Another thing seems to be lacking in children nowadays: playing! Don't' kids ever play anymore? I don't know how it is where any of you live, but on my block I never see any kids playing on the streets like they used to some years ago, and certainly not like when I was growing up. Maybe in today's society the idea of simple playing seems passé; kids would rather be parked in front of a computer, TV or "playing" videos games. What ever happened to going to a local park like I used to as a kid and play on swings, monkey bars, or zoom down on a slide? Or how about playing hopscotch, playing with a hula hoop (do kids even know what one is?), jumping rope or maybe even riding a bicycle.
Who is to blame though? Are kids lacking in any motivation to play? Is it the parents fault for not encouraging kids to play? Whoever is to blame, I think it's high time however, for kids to get off their duffs and get active again and once more do something that should be a part of one's childhood: walk and play!
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