Bumps, bruises and better play

When I was a boy RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) was one of the driving forces being making me and all the UK’s children wear seatbelts back in the late ’70s. As we had black plastic seats they caused me to endure a fair amount of thigh-burn to me on hot summer days. But their heart was in the right place. And now they’re making the right noises again.

From the Times;

Suffering from a twisted ankle or skinned knee should be an everyday part of childhood, according to Tom Mullarkey, the chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

He said that overzealous bureaucrats were undermining legitimate concerns about health and safety by applying guidance too literally and failing to use common sense.

Play is that in which children find their own capabilities and boundaries.  They need to sit on the edge of the wall to find out how good their balance can be.  They have to be free to fail and fall; and we have to be better than all the king’s horses.

Panic a little, but
enjoy.

tag... play, stay safe