Spring 2003 Edition       

Are Kids Different Today?    by Mrs. Ann Lustgarten, Fifth Grade Teacher at the Radburn School   When I was a little girl, and I’ll grant it was in the dark ages, we just played. After school we would rush home, change into more casual clothes, grab a snack and meet our friends outside. For a variety of reasons, not the least among them, safety considerations, children aren’t just ‘let loose’ anymore. When I was little, we would play until our moms called us inside, and maybe we would beg for someone to stay to eat, and, as soon as dinner was done, we were out again until it began to get dark or we were called in once again.   My backyard was the summer ballpark for kickball with the neighborhood kids and our dads. Fast food wasn’t heard of, unless you count the A & W Drive in. Overweight children were not a problem then, either.   When my daughter was little, children still played with others, but it was with ‘play dates’ arranged ahead of time. Moms were beginning to be less available and more activities were scheduled. Walking to school was still common with parents having a moment to chat and meet one another at the school door or the PTA. Moms and dads had plenty of time to participate in school activities and coach teams. They went to the games and supported their children.   But now isn’t then. Moms are out working. Fast food is a frequent dinner and we’d never let the children out on their own without some direct supervision. The alternative for many families is to register for a variety of after school activities. We in Fair Lawn are very lucky to have many available; religious school, enrichment after school, sports, tutoring, and so forth.   Even in the 15 years since I began teaching, the situation has changed dramatically. We used to have children who expected to see a parent after school, who went home with friends. We had mom, and dads, who helped in school and were known to the school.   In recent years, there are parents whom I’ve never met, who have had to schedule conferences by phone because they’re unable to arrange their schedules to come to school. At a recent basketball game I attended, many children were not represented by a parent – and it was the finals! Children wear their play clothes to school and it has an attitudinal affect. Children have scheduled activities rather than play dates because a supervising parent isn’t always available.   The role of the teacher is expanding to include nurturer, nurse, and counselor. The curriculum is more demanding and time is more precious. Are our children losing out? In some ways they are. But as always, the ‘old’ is replaced by the ‘new.’ We adapt and change. We swing back and forth. We’ll only know the effect when the children of today are the parents of tomorrow and they ask, “Are children really any different today?”     See Mrs. Lustgarten's Previous Columns Taking Advantage of Down Time  (February 2003) Achoo:  What to Do With A Sick Child   (December 2002) Scheduling After-School Activities  (October 2002) Back To School  (August 2002) Summer With the Kids  (June 2002) PTA/PTO Involvement  (April 2002) Telling The Teacher  (February 2002)