Modern childhood 'ends at age of 12'

[thenry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21670962

While i agree with some of the points i think parents play a big part in how long their children stay children and although external influences are greater then they were when i was growing up a lot of parents don't have the skills they used to have either. I know i made mistakes when our kids were growing up and everyone does but i see a lot of very young parents now putting their kids into clothing i would never have allowed and also giving them things way before they are able to be responsible for them. Mobile phones are one of the things that are really not helping but i have sympathy with parents because if your kid is the one without one they do get a lot of stick for it off the kids who do have them.

I think we need to clamp down on targetted advertising as that is certainly quite aggressive towards lower age groups but it's a while since i was a parent so not sure what the kids mags and the like are like now.

Meh.

Kids need good strong role models in their parents. Too many are growing up watching their parents do nothing but claim benefits and watch TV. I have 2 fantastic kids, one at uni the other definitely going to uni.

Both watched me and my wife work hard for the things we wanted and we kept them away from a certain sort of kid by getting them into various clubs. Wether it be swimming clubs, horse riding, arts etc. The other kids in these clubs will also be the right sorts of kids as they will also be motivated to enjoy themselves and do age appropriate activities. Nothing to do with mobile phones, the internet etc.

I do agree in some areas you are more likely to see 13 year olds out unsupervised late at night, wearing inappropriate clothing, but their parents tend to be either smoking weed all day or start drinking at 11am.

[Dash: CF noob]

BOG OFF

Originally Posted by Dash: CF noob

BOG OFF

Its true, Ok just because your parents are unemployed does not mean you're going to be a tearaway. I was brought up as 1 of 6 kids by a single mother who worked before minimum wage for 80p an hour.

Although our Mum would come home exhausted and when we would worry for her she would tell us she does it for us and wants us to thank her by succeeding and looking after her one day.

Thankfully we all have and we've brought her a nice bungalow in a very nice area. Its parents that keep kids as kids, Me and my siblings were young in the early 80''s to the mid 90's when glue sniffing, heroin etc was rife and we lived on the Bromford in Birmingham I think the biggest council estate in Europe.

We could of gone and done all those type of things at 11 or 12 but we didn't. Our mom gave us a sense of pride and we were proud of her and we were all eager for the day we could help her.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by danielf

COOL STORY BRO

Firstly, I thought COOL STORY BRO became a shamefulll thing to post 4 years ago? I know some forums will ban you for doing it.

Secondly, It seems childhood goes far beyond 12 for some.