I think I found the key to the 10-minute free write; read the news first and it will get you fired up with a good topic!
Several communities in the Washington State area have taken it upon themselves to start eliminating swing sets from the schools due to what they are saying is an ‘insurance’ issue. Seems that children are getting hurt on the swings by walking in front/behind while someone is actually swinging. Yes that’s the way it works and for some adult not to take the 30 seconds to explain it to you is where the crime lays.
Removing the swing doesn’t address the issue at hand. The issue at hand is that children are not being taught about consequences; cause and effect. Isn’t that what learning is about? Being shown right from wrong, the idea of learning to cope when your team loses, to get hit and shake it off? Since when do children haphazardly walk in front or behind a person on a swing without understanding they are going to be knocked on their bum or kicked in the head? An escapee toddler on the run, quite possibly, but after that first time accident or even before when first arriving on the playground, why is it not the first thing out of someone’s mouth; the do’s and don’ts? Are we as a society now too busy to teach the children? Too wrapped up on the phone or tablet or whatnot to actually pass down what was taught to us or what we learned along the way?
It is truly a sad state of affairs when swings are being removed and children will no longer feel the rush of the wind through their hair, the fleeting moment of zero gravity, and reaching for the clouds. What is next? No more playing tag because someone tripped on a blade of grass?
Ready, Set, Done
10 minutes. You and your keyboard (or smartphone. Or tablet. Or pen and paper). No pauses, no edits, no looking back: it’s free-write time!
simplygiselle 
But why do we need the daily prompt for this? We can do this any time. No prompt required. Just saying.
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Yes you bring up a very valid point. The 10 minute prompted open writing seems to have little stimulation for some. I am still very new to this blog thing and look to the ‘prompt’ for inspiration and a little nudge every day to actually write, even as simple as my posts can be. Any direction for writing with better clarity is very welcomed. Thank you.
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I saw this article the other day on facebook, one of my friends was so angry, like you and rightfully so. What kind of humanity is being raised nowadays? I’m glad that my grandchildren are being raised the old-fashioned way, with sensible guidance but small cuts and scrapes along the way are also great teachers. Great post!
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Thank you! I was pretty heated about the article when I read it the other day. I could have vented for more than 10 minutes about it – HA!
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I think they should just require all children to have rubber suits to pervent injury while playing. Just joking!
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or completely bubble wrap them head to toe – ha ha! thank you for the comment 🙂
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Kids are too wrapped in cottonwool these days, and it’s not really the parents fault; it’s more about the litigious society we live in where everyone is afraid to do anything in case they get sued!
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Yes, everyone is ‘sue happy’ these days – case in point – when McD’s was brought to court for making their coffee too hot. Incredible! The courts due need to draw the line and throw out more ‘accidental’ cases though. Seems some people go out of their way to get hurt as if they needed a sign that said, caution contents are hot. ::shaking head::
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That is so ridiculous! Taking away swings? Come on! My playground ad a child was made of STONES and we had tires and swings and everything else to hurt each other…. And we are all JUST fine!
There’s so many things that irritate me about the world we live in today. People are too damn cautious and no one learns the reasoning for cause /effect, just like you mentioned.
Almost makes me NOT want to have children.
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It was the simple things ‘back in the day’ that made us stronger and wiser as we got older. As you mentioned rocks under the swings (made you think twice about jumping off the swing at the height of it), tooling down a hill on your Big Wheel with no helmet and hit a thrown-together ramp only to get road rash, bad idea, won’t do that again.. the list goes on and on. Thank you for your comment!!
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Pampered children grow up in a false reality. In my day a bloody knee was like the Medal of honour!
AV
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no, that’s terrible! why not build safety fences around the swings, if they really should be too dangerous for those few who did not listen. but that’s it, insurances made us already bleed to near death, we have no more money to counter their sly demands. no pay-out for swing accidents> more profit in their pocket. and after there will be no more blades of grass there will not be any candles anymore either.
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