Give kids a voice and chance to play
Re: “‘Are you kidding me?’ Chemainus kids banned from playing on street,” column, July 6.
As a child growing up, the relationships and moments I remember the most were those I enjoyed with my friends within the confines of my neighbourhood. Riding my bike, even close to my home, was an adventure. We would set up forts in each other’s yards, play street hockey, skip, throw a football and plan our next new adventures. Not only did we enjoy the time outside with each other, but it also afforded us independence and a chance to feel free.
I learned how to interact, share ideas and, most important, feel safe. I drew on those experiences and then provided the same opportunity for my child.
He embraced having water fights outside his friends’ homes, riding bikes and playing in puddles.
I am saddened and confused at the decision made to implement a bylaw that even the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C. says is excessive. The Chemainus neighbourhood of Artisan Gardens has now prohibited using the road “for play, including hockey, baseball, basketball, skateboarding, chalk artistry, bicycling or other sports and recreational activities.”
One of the reasons for my disappointment is not just the implementation of the bylaw, but the potential impact it will have on the children. I think with a vote of 15-4, the adults have already had their say. So what about the kids? How do they feel? So many times, as adults, we think we are protecting our children when we could potentially be causing harm and taking away their independence in the process. I agree that the safety of our children is essential, but hiding behind a bylaw to create that safety is wrong.
Numerous studies, including one recently completed at Dalhousie University, have shown: “Social, economic, cultural and built characteristics of children’s neighbourhoods lay down important, sometimes lifelong foundations for their development.” So what foundation is being set by telling them they cannot play outside with their friends in a way that is fun, meaningful, imaginative, and physically and mentally healthy?
It has been demonstrated time and time again that the “majority of children and youth are not sufficiently active.” Statistics Canada in a 2017 Health Measures Survey has gone so far as to call it a “physical activity crisis,” as only one-third of children are meeting even a 60-minute activity regime each day.
ParticipAction, Canada’s leading researcher and proponent of children’s play, emphasizes the importance of activity to the child’s brain in thinking, learning, emotional regulation, memory and stress management. Perhaps these are tools that the children at Artisan Gardens would need, since they are growing up in an area that implements bylaws against a child’s right to play.
Even the writers of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child thought it was important enough to mention that a child has the right to play. These kids cannot even use chalk outside. Not being able to create erasable drawings on a road in a town that prides itself on murals is even more confusing.
Anyone who has watched the news recently has seen the effects that an adult’s decisions have had on children, particularly those affected by conflict. Children are displaced, end up in refugee camps and sometimes are separated from their parents.
They bear the repercussions of our actions. Yet, even in those environments, no one complains if a child wants to play. Which is remarkable considering their safety is continually at risk.
Our children are future leaders, teachers, tradesmen and supports, to name a few. So why take away so quickly what we can provide?
As Canadians, we are privileged to live where we do, and it is our constitution that allows us to move freely and our hearts that allow us to care. I invite the neighbourhood of Artisan Gardens to ask the children what they want and need, and maybe then modify the bylaw.
Give your children the opportunity that so many others lack: a choice. According to psychological research, providing children with the chance to solve problems, make decisions and develop ownership is not only an excellent way for parents to bond with their children, but it also gives them a voice.
Giving kids a say “builds respect, invites co-operation and strengthens a community.” What an excellent way to develop our children and establish resiliency for their future.