Shouts From Down Under

When you sue for damages remember, its the children who pay

This is one of those things that are the reason why I write, need to write, for therapy and stress relief. Either that or go nuts with frustration. Please forgive my rant. It's one of those annoyed parent soap box moments, so you are warned.

What is wrong with these pictures?



Consider how long children, HAPPY children, have been playing on this equipment since long before we came here to live 16 years ago.

To my knowlege there has been no accident on this equipment that warrants locking it up, stopping children learning that you watch out and don't go hitting your head.

Why is everyone coccooning children from everything? How will they learn about the environment without these simple play lessons? Such as stubbing your toe on something, or watching where you are going or you trip and fall. The ground is hard. You skin your knees. It hurts but you get over it.

No wonder the freedoms of our childhood are disappearing all over the world, bit by bit.

Remember the big black steam engines in parks? Those old relics that have disappeared as quickly as political correctness took over.

I hesitate to say this on here, on wdc, but you know what, I'll say it, because its my opinion and my blog.

Why is it that we don't want children to hear the word death?

Or anything to do with that? Is it because it may damage them somehow by knowing one of these facts?

One day, we are all going to die. That means never ever be alive again. Not one single person is exempt from this experience, not even a baby. We can die at any time. There is no cut off age under which people don't die.

So, I have to conform to a content rating, and yes, I'm all for it. But the word death? It's not just here on this site, but here in real life my wife was told off for discussing death with our daughter's friend (15 years old) present.

Under 13 I can understand up to a point. You want to talk on subjects like this, potentially disturbing for your childen, as a family, in private perhaps or somewhere non threatening.

Even so, I disagree. It is false teaching to insulate people from life, from stuff that happens. I beleive it is wrong, as parents, to over protect your child. It is YOU who are selfish, worrying about your own tender feelings. Children are tougher and more resilient than you think. They learn much more that given credit for, in way shorter time.

Life will go on, whether you or I are here or not. One car accident, or a bio infection in a community, and your child may be alone. And what have you taught them? To go hide in a cupboard. That's what. All cozy and nice, but not reality.

It doesn't mean kids should harden the heck up, or that we abuse them, or expect them to handle everything. But just uttering the word death? Come on.

Then lets go back to the Rocket park, or Anzac park as it's called.

This equipment has been locked, stairs removed and any playing on it forbidden, because a few teenagers clambered up onto the outside of it, as young bored people do, just having some rebellious fun. Not much else you can take out your rebellious hormones on these days.

Not allowed to do anything.

I'm 46 years old, but I'm with the kids on this.

How dare some self righteous boardroom in a highrise building somewhere, forbid the realities of life for our childen to experience, and learn lessons that will benefit for the rest of their lives.

Remove the padlocks I say. Put back the stairs so people can play in the flying saucer again.

The amazing thing is, it's not safety that they are concerned about. If that were the case, why would you rebuild / renovate the slippery slide and build it out of the same material STEEL as the old one. Steel in the hot summer sun gets blistering hot. The slide is way to fast if you slide down in on your coat or jumper.

And the flying saucer has a hazard that was never addressed. When you went up the steps, the roof was the same height around the spiral, but at the top, without warning is a doorway that is just the right height to wack your adult head on and is extremely painful, because you aren't expecting such a "no brainer" of a safety issue. I know because I forgot. Twice. You'd think it would knock some sense into me.

I may not have brains, but folks, I do have common sense. And common sense tells me that the issue here isn't safety. It's control and being fun police, all under the excuse of "litigation" and public liability insurance.

Next time you sue a council or whatever entity, remember, the person in the mirror is the one who ultimately pays. And your children. Feel good does it? Getting that big payout of everyone's (and their children's) future freedom. Their freedom gone, for your comfortable enjoyement of money that will soon be gone. Gone the same place as any respect you might have had for yourself.

Ok. Rave over. :I

Sparky



Sparky

STATIC

The Balaclava Joke  (E) Radiation Oncology, Incurable Tumour, Life expectancy of hours. April Fools Day... #1926251 by Sparky