WE’RE TOO SCARED TO LET OUR CHILDREN GO OUTSIDE TO PLAY – THE COTTON WOOL KID GENERATION

It seems to be a bit of  a theme with me at the moment – I’ve just done a pilot for a new TV show about “Cotton Wool Kids” and I was interviewed on Sunday for a feature in The Sunday Express about ….. cotton wool kids and today I picked up the Daily Express to read about

WE’RE TOO SCARED TO LET OUR CHILDREN GO OUTSIDE TO PLAY  by Sarah O’Grady

I work with a lot of parents who are rather over anxious, and of course we need to protect our chidren, but it’s all about finding a balance isn’t it, because if we are not careful there is a real danger  that we will pass on our fears on to our children, resulting in a generation of fragile, nervous, over anxious, needy adults who will  be scared to take on and embrace the challenges of Life.

I think we are doing our kids a dis – service if we over protect them – and we rob them of the opportunities to play, learn and grow up  with self confidence, and strong self esteem earnt by exercising their own independence muscles. We need to teach, talk, nudge and encourage them to be independent and resilient.

TV explorer Bear Grylls has joined Persil to propose a programme of outdoor activity. Father-of-three Bear said: “Soggy wellies, grassy knees and muddy hands should be part of growing up. Whether it is using their imagination to play games outside or learning a new skill, I want more children to experience a bit of adventure.”

Find out how…

Persil are giving 70 mud-loving kids (plus one friend each) the chance to win the ultimate day’s adventure with survival expert Bear Grylls. Building campfires, exploring nature trails, learning outdoor survival skills – the lucky winners will discover a range of action-packed activities throughout the day.

For your chance to win, all you need to do is:

http://www.persil.co.uk/kids-activities/bear-grylls/?WT.srch=1

What do you think?

How do you encourage your kids to be independent, resilient and adventurous and off the settee ?