Some say social media is to blame for ''the mass hysteria '' and at times I agree. But I also see the positive side. it makes us more aware. it make the lids aware of their own safety and that is a good thing, isn't it ?
Of course all protection will have a positive side, but there needs to be limits. Literally locking them into the prisons that many of today's schools have become and removing so many of kids freedoms has gone too far. What I see going on today is often mass hysteria, everyone winding each other up in a circle of increasing restrictions and intolerance.
Take this example. On foot at the local shopping centre a little over half a mile away late on a weekday afternoon I saw three kids circa 9/10 year old who I knew lived near me and attended the local primary school some 250 metres from their homes. On returning from the centre I took a longer alternative urban bridle path route which is well away from traffic so more pleasant.
At the far end it rejoins the street route by woodlands and as I approached that the same three kids were on the street approach and one said dare fashion, lets go up there. Another said no and then I heard a third say "Next year I'm allowed to go to school alone".
My immediate thought was how ridiculous is that. They cannot walk 250 metres to school in a quiet urban cul de sac by themselves but after school and returned home, they can then with parental permission go nearly a 1000 metres to a shopping centre on a main road with large numbers of cars visiting there. This applies to all the kids, they are often around the shopping centre afternoons and weekends with the parents well aware.
It's clear from that the parents are only taking those children the short distance to school because other parents are doing that and/or because it's the done thing and/or the school expects it. I've even seen parents who live in the houses opposite the school do the two way trip with their kids, despite the road being quiet, 20 mph restricted with harsh speed bumps and a lollipop attendant on the zebra crossing next to the school exit.
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