Why I Make My Kids Play Outside
I’m not worried if they are bored
I’m a 90’s kid. We played outside every day. We played outside all day in the summer. We came in when it was time for dinner, went back out, then came in for the night when the street lights came on.
We had wooden playsets in our backyards and some kids had trampolines. We all had bikes. Beyond that, we were on our own. We made up games, we played tag, we roamed the neighborhood, and we caught bugs.
I had a Gameboy and a CD player but I don't remember ever being glued to a TV or computer. We definitely didn't own any sort of video gaming system until my little brother got an Xbox when I was already a late teen.
Fast forward to 2022, I now have two children who are elementary school-aged. They have bikes, scooters, a hoverboard, a basketball goal, a backyard playset, a small trampoline, and more. We live in a fairly small and safe neighborhood. We live in a town with nice weather 8 months out of the year.
With all that being said, it is to my absolute disgust when I see a small child outside on our street on a beautiful day with a tablet or phone in their hand. The sun is shining and the world is theirs but instead of riding their bikes up to the empty neighborhood playground, they are playing Minecraft and Roblox on their iPads.
