Do children these days have much of a childhood ?

Question

Do children these days have much of a childhood ?

Answer 1

Honestly we are having a nice childhood. It may not be the same as ya'lls but we are still having one its just a lil bit up to date. It is not our fault if we dont have a very good childhood anyways. Most parents now days are to busy working to be playing or spending time with their kids. It is mostly the parents fault because there is always 1 child out of the group that has to take care of all their brothers and sisters so they spend the childhood raising and taking care of their siblings. Take it from someone who was stuck taking care of her 2 brothers and now her cousin at the age of like 9 or 10. Being the youngest in the house but having to act more mature cause i was the only female. All i wanted was attention from my parents or a break to go out and play with my brothers. It wasn't my fault my parents left everyday leaving me to try and find some food to cook to feed my brothers and now 1 of my cousins. I still am in the same spot as i was 4 years ago and i am still doing the same thing. It is not our fault that our parents wont give us the childhood they had cause they are to busy.

Answer 2

I don't think so, i'd say the cut off was about 10 - 15 years ago. When i grew up in the 90's I had responsabilitys outside of the house and inside of the house which i rarly watched tv, or played on the computer, now my brother who is younger than me who is now growing up never leaves the house and sits on the couch all day.  I think Kids these days are slowly losing their childhood because of all the "Advanced" things they have these days "electric toys, nick jr, video games"  What ever happened to the good old 12 on 12 football games.

Answer 3

In today society, I feel that children do not have much of a childhood. Children are so busy trying to grow up fast.They are less interest in going to school. Kids just worry about the material things in life, for example cell phones, clothes and etc. Parents play a major part in they're kids having a childhood.

Answer 4

hi mad,

nice way 4 preparing 4 d debate........

i think children don't have much of a childhood these days!

not more points will be leaked ............

                  ALL THE BEST 4 THE DEBATE!!!!!!

Answer 5

i dont think so

Answer 6

I think there are some parts of the world that children still have a childhood and even in some parts of the states, but often they don't.

Children are being forced into the school system at an earlier age.

Academics and achievement tests are also being enforced at the Kindergarten level.

More Mothers are entering the workforce forcing our children to be cared for by daycares and Preschools which often push academics to help prepare them for school.

Gone are the days where you can feel safe having your child play in the neighborhood streets and other children's homes.

More technology is being used these days- hours on the computers- hours in front of the television, electronic video games and toys.

Parents often feel guilty about working so much they buy their children all these toys instead of making them use their imagination and going out to play outdoors.

No time to go and have fun na dplay witrh their kids at the park.

The list goes on and on.

Answer 7

Children in the developed world know nothing of childhood.

Have you seen a child smile as if the sun shines from his/her heart.  (I don't think so) Have you heard children giggling innocently.  (I don't think so)

Recently I asked a group of pre-teens what advice would you give to other children.

1.  Say no to drugs

2.  No s*x before marriage

3.  Don't' get into fights

I ask you!

When I was growing up, my answer was

1.  Be good

2.  Share your sweets

3.  Study hard

What is wrong with the way we are raising our children.  It is our (the adults) fault , without a doubt.

Answer 8

No. Those poor kids who are taught how to read in pre-school instead of actually getting to learn through play?

Not alowed to climb trees, not allowed go-karts, not allowed to ride bikes on the streets.

Not allowed to do anything fun. Just watch TV.

Answer 9

It's a different style of childhood, the sad thing is that people aren't growing up at 18 or 20 like they used to. Used to be people started homes, got married, payed bills like adults, and granted some still do.

Now more and more are living with their parents until they're 30, then suffering from debt because they have no idea how to budget, get warnings and fines because they don't pay bills. Children may watch more adult shows, play differently, but they also have less responsibility for a longer period of time as adults try subconciously to make up for the differences.

I know when my kids were in local elementary, they were quite truthful when they said "MOM! no one else has to do chores, everyone else has a huge allowance, no one else has to study, their moms do their projects and homework." I didn't believe it until I started bringing it up with all the other parents. It's true! that's the trade-off modern society has made. We drop our ten yo's off at the mall with fifty dollars instead of letting them be bored and learn creativity.

sorry, I'm rambling, it's sad.

Answer 10

i think that all depends on what u feel a childhood should include. Every generation has different advantages and pitfalls. just me but i think this is very much a personal experience question.

Answer 11

I try to give my kids as much of a childhood as possible, but with tv and media showing little pretweens all whored up, it's hard to contain my 6yo in her childhood....

Answer 12

of course we do. although we might have to grow up faster than in your days... we manage to have a childhood. you can realize that its not our fault that we're introduced to innaproppriate things before the right time. however, we can always still believe in santa. most of our lives are being eaten up by parents not knowing what to do with their children, and sending them off to shrinks or just letting them do whatever they want. all we really needed was more together time - as chiche as that might sound. and in desperation for love back, parents often make the mistake of giving their children whatever their heart disires, when what they really only want is attention. so just pay attention more to realize that its more the adults fault for making children today have a smaller childhood. dont shove the blame on us, because trust me; i would have perferred not learning things that i had to go through at the age of 5

Answer 13

Yeah...I thinkest so.

But yes, children have become less childish these days. Which I thinkest is because of The Modern Era.

Children would rather stay at home and play computer games than go out on the playground and play.

Sigh.....The Modern Era.........Darn.

Yours,

Casanova III

Answer 14

The tv broke when my oldest was 5.  

She was in daycare, along with the rest, because Dad was a full-time student.

But we didn't replace that tv.  I found I couldn't get my kids to the park on Saturday because "pound puppies is coming on"!  So when it broke a few weeks later (accidentally, I swear!), we didn't replace it.

Instead my kids grew up with books.  I told my oldest that the car was broken, the tv was broken, but look at this great book.  I left it on the table with that preamble, then left and surreptitiously watched her take the bait, go pick up the book and plop and read.  

All my kids are  readers as we have had a tv-free home for 20 years now.  We do have a tv, but we use it for an occasional movie.

The advantages of not having a tv are that, never having seen a commercial, the kids have no clue what to ask for at Christmas.  "I guess I want Barbies again" was what I would hear from my girls.  No s*x or violence entered my house thru the tv either.  What we lacked in animal or science or history shows we made up for in reading about it.  My kids all read fluently with a very high degree of comprehension as a result of all the childhood reading.

My kids played with each other and with puzzles, etc.  They played occasionally on soccer and basketball teams, and played cabbageball every summer.

My 7 kids all grew up very normal.  It will be interesting to see how they will raise their own kids, whether tv will be allowed in or left out in the cold.

P.S.  What is the problem here!!!  It is NOT that kids are taught (you mean forced, don't you?!!!) to read at age 4.  Don't be ridiculous, spending 20-30 minutes a day to teach a 4 year to read is not going to destroy his childhood!!!  So your prejudices against reading are showing, aren't they!!  There is nothing MORE FUN than a great book and the leisure time to enjoy it!  And if a 4 year old can learn to read, and by the way, 2 year olds on up are being taught to read, what is wrong with that!!!   I was in libraries as a very young child every week for a couple of hours while my mother took a break and read the women's magazines.  We had an absolute ball in that library.  I LOVED to read as a kid.  Still do.  And consequently I have a pretty rich vocabulary and awesome reading comprehension.  Did I have a deprived childhood?  I played outside, raced the other kids, etc., but I loved reading, as well.  

Far better that kids read books than watch the "idiot box" (tv) or play computer games.  Sure, it's fun to go out and play, but what is wrong with plopping under a tree a few times a week to read a good book?  There is something wrong when people get upset when a 4 year old learns to read.  4 is the ideal time to learn to read, folks, for the average 4 year old.  And it can be a good time learning how, and once you know, the world of books opens to you.  All adults who equate early learning to read with an impoverished childhood are confused.  Reading is a blast, an adventure, and young children should be encouraged to partake of this pleasure as early as they can grasp the knowledge of how to read.

Answer 15

I think kids these days just don't have the freedom we did 20 years ago.  They can't just take off on their bikes and come back at dinner time, there are too many predators, etc.

Also, this is a technology age, so every kid I know has a cell phone, ipod, plays computer games and etc, so they just aren't getting out and having some good 'ol fun anymore.

Answer 16

id say they do.. unless they end up pregnant  at 12 years old or sumthing.. but probally most girls at 12 wouldnt keep a baby...

Answer 17

Depends on the parents, I think.  If you make a childhood for them, then they have one.  If not...then they don't.  Pretty simple.  When I was growing up, I had a mom at home all day long.  When got home from school, we had some chores, and then went outside to play...we'd be gone for hours.  I am not sure if it's simply a different time, or if we were just ignorant...but we never worried about child abductions, and since we mostly travled in 2's and 3's or more, we weren't really alone much.  We fished, we rode bikes, went to the local mini-mart and pooled our money to get the most candy we could for our buck.

I look at kids today and just see a group of people that have a lot going on all the time.  no time to simply set and feel what it is like to be alone...to be alone with their thoughts, and be comfortable with them.  I look at the ridiculous nature of education policies now...where kids are supposed to go to pre-school at age 2 or 3.  I am sure it has some value somewhere...but I think the cost is too high.  

Our economy is now such that 2 family incomes are mostly required to make ends meet.  We homeschool our kids, so we have had to make a lot of changes to be able to live on one income.  Our kids have been able to do a lot of what i did when I was a kid...but we don't let them wander the neighborhood like I used to when I was young.  It's just too dangerous now...or at least we perceive it that way.

I read on the responses here that we still have Santa, which is true...but now you find out that Santa has a record, and shouldn't be working with children, and how did the store miss that in their hiring process...

It's kind of sad for me.  I watch many of my kids friends, and they literally don't feel comfortable just being with themselves.  They have to have a steady stream of input...mp3 player, cds, video games, tv, computers...something to keep their attention...but when you look, they really aren't paying that much attention to it.

I think that for many of our youngsters, the idea of being a kid, making mistakes and learning through them just isn't much of an option.  They are moving all the time, and their parents just don't have the time to devote to them.  I don't really believe in the old QUALITY TIME arugment.  I think that my son gets a lot out of sitting on a dock fishing, but he also gets something from being in the living room reading a book while I'm doing the same...there is a connection that takes place when you are together for a couple hours doing nothing that you can't make up for with 20 minutes of "quality"...this isn't a business venture where you can make improvements on the quality of your time and cut flow out of the whole opertaion.  Being a family takes TIME.  You can't use the tools of business to make it more efficient.

Answer 18

yes if we try