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| Yonge/Eglinton (Photo: The Star) |
What is all this fuss about banning street hockey?
Let the kids play!
We live in an age where kids are busy with their Playstations, iPads, Twitter, Angry Birds...
I can't lie, I was obsessed with Angry Birds... then Cover Orange... Then Fruit Ninja... Draw Something... And the list goes on.
So when the kids want to go outside and get some exercise, they will have to pick something that confines them to their driveway or backyard (if they have one), or they'll have to get to a park somewhere. Some people just aren't happy with kids playing hockey on the street. Sure, there are risks involved: Someone can hit your car, or more a more understandable reason is that kids running in the street + cars driving = disaster.
However, I don't find it to be much of an issue. The kids on my street play street hockey all the time, with no complaints from neighbours. They have fun playing and sometimes making up their own rules and assigning teams. What's wrong with that?
Sure the aforementioned games such as Angry Birds teaches you strategy. But so does hockey.
There are too many limits but on kids activities these days. With the cuts in funding for arts programs in schools and the intense focus academics is too restricting for a child or youth that is still learning to manipulate his/her environment. We're adults and yes, we may know what is good for the kids. But do we know all the time? Aren' we putting too many NO's and not enough possibilities?
Any ideas on how to deal with an irrate, irrational and probably frustrated schoolteacher (public school) who simply hates the kids on our one way, very quiet Danforth Coxwell street playing road hockey or skateboarding. The kids are a fun loving, respectful group of kids who play outside together in the good weather. Their play area is mostly up-street from the front of this person's house. She wants the children to leave the street and play in a nearbye park, out of sight of the parents who want to know their children are safe/playing nearbye. Parents have tried speaking to the said person, who has created havoc amongst the usually good natured neighbours, polarizing people who once got along and poisoning people to shout at, intimidate and scare the children from playing outside. Now, every time the children play outside, the police are called and parents are being threatened with fines. Parents try to talk to this woman and her immediate neighbours, but she refuses conversation, instead, runs inside and calls the police and falsely accuses the parent of harrassing her. Any ideas would be welcome!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you're the one who's disrespectful and inconsiderate and that you're all ganging up against the poor woman who wants some peace and quiet time in her own house. Why is it so inconvenient for you to take your kids to a park, but she has to live with the inconvenience of listening to your stupid brats yell at eachother in front of her house ?
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