Wednesday 19 September 2012

The Great Outdoors

It is a sad reality that this generation of children does not get as much physical activity as it should. All over the place studies show that childhood obesity is on the rise, juvenile diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions....and no one can argue that the average north american child is not living as healthy a lifestyle as they should.

 

You would think the solution is simple right? Go out side and play, right? I mean that's what we all did when we were kids...right?

 

Well not if you live in the suburbs just north of Toronto! Don't get me wrong, I really love the diversity and all the amenities that are available to us here and I am also really grateful to be living here, but I will be super thankful when we move back to our home in Alliston.

 

By far the biggest frustration I have living here is that it is totally unsafe to just let my kids go outside and ride their bikes. I mean, riding a bike is one of the biggest joys of childhood isn't it? The freedom, the excitement, the sheer joy of coasting for hours on end.

 

But when you can sit on your front porch and watch maniac drivers whipping by while talking on their cell phones...Sure there are plenty of parks in the area, but the problem is you have to DRIVE to get to them!

 

It is no wonder that kids spend so much time playing video games indoors. I used to think that it was a sign of bad parenting. However as I type this I am watching the fifth car in ten minutes to blow through the stop sign at the top of the street. I wish my kids would ride their bikes more, but in the interest of their safety, I am just going to let them stay inside.

 

 

TiPSI Dad

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