Way OT Rant - noisy kids

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember John MacLeod saying something like:

That's unusual these days.

[Graeme]

In message , Jules Richardson writes

An interesting point. This is a dilemma we, as parents of a nine year old boy, face daily. Trouble is, I was nine 49 years ago, and cannot really remember how much freedom I had, back then :-)

I suppose we are lucky, in that we live in a fairly rural area of Scotland, so tend to allow more freedom than perhaps parents in larger towns and cities. Always at the back of my mind though, is the certain knowledge that, should 'something happen', we would be crucified by the press, even though we have the best intentions.

To be honest, I'm always delighted when my son wants to go out to play, because that must be better than sitting in front of an Xbox all day. We normally insist that he returns after two hours, although appreciate that doesn't help if something happens five minutes after he leaves home.

[Peter Chapman]

In message , Grimly Curmudgeon writes

And there should be an open season on kids that play ball games in the street and use people's cars as targets!

[John MacLeod]

What's causing all the kids? I'm reliably informed that it's parents that cause kids :-)

[John MacLeod]

Well, one thing I've never been accused of is being conventional! :-)

[John MacLeod]

Been in a school playground recently? It's human beings they use as targets there. Small children. Adults coming on business to the school. Parents delivering small children to the school.

Strangely Health & Safety never seems to be brought into action (nearly made a Freudian slip and said "brought into play"!) when it comes to footballs.

Half the country is football-mad -- it's hardly surprising the kids are that way. Mercifully only two of mine have shown any interest in such activities and there's a clear rule of no football anywhere remotely near parked vehicles.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Government child benefit policy, mostly.

Which is why the parents don't give a toss about them.: Its just an income source. like breeding pigs or something.