Do Kids Get To Be Kids These Days???

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article...

I saw this on the television tonight. Where they were teaching babies to talk and read.
My question Why???

Both my boys go to Speech Therapy once a week, but I couldn't dream of making them sitting down 5 times a day for 10 minutes, expecting them to read and write. I'd rather them play with their dump trucks and bikes and learn at their own pace.
We read to them at this age, not them read to us!! Bit sad really.

No wonder kids fall pregnant so early these days. We treat them like adults, when they are still babies.

I have to agree. We're so busy now trying to develop advanced maths skills, early reading, and having babies sign every need to us that we're forgetting about the important parts of childhood: playing, getting dirty, falling over and getting back up, making friends, activity and socialisation.
I also think a lot of people overlook the fact that fast tracking children like this often neglects the fundamental skills. It's like trying to teach them to run before they can walk. In the long run, I believe forcing a child into something that they're not ready for will actually hold them up.

I saw the same report, and I had the same reaction as you. Why do we need to push our children so hard in unnecessary ways and yet neglect the very basics of childhood that are actually the building blocks for their futures? It's true that 50 years ago nobody would have dreamt of teaching a baby to read, and yet overall there were lower rates of underachievement of basic academic skills.

I agree with you, while my kids are babies, I'll read to them. I don't want to see it the other way around!

I don't find it sad at all. . .we are in a generation where literacy is one of the most vital traits a person can learn and our society is rapidly moving; thus, teaching these babies how to talk and read at an early stage will prepare them for their future

As a highschooler, I'd have to say I'm jealous of those kids that are ahead...
In my school, the more advanced kids get to have more fun because the courses are so easy for them
As a result, they're more popular and most kids that do well in school end up with a better life.

Umm, Shocking - what happened to kids being kids? my god, they're not gonna have much of a childhood, something that i will strive to give my kids!!
I cant understand for the life of me why parents would subject their kids to this? Yes it is important to learn some of those things - but not all at once, and it really should be up to the parents to teach them. Learning at their own pace has gone out the window!

Yes I agree with you there is a time for everything and babies and toddlers should be playing !
The thing is children learn through play , play is very important and should never be underestimated.
Playing with sand,painting ,cutting out ect these are all important activities to do before you start thinking of reading and writing.

Young people are no longer young people so much is rammed down their throats i am constantly telling the powers to be leave young people alone let them enjoy there youth let them be young people stop controlling them so yes i agree with you give them their youth back Dave (mentor)

Omg i totally agree! This is so sad, and I was wondering why teens are getting pregnant all the time now a days..

No kids don't really get to be kids anymore, kids now and days learn really quick on their own without others teaching them. there are a lot of kids out there that are spoiled, for exmp. My girlfriends baby is only 10 months next month and if there is a song on the radio weither it's a cd or radio she will start crying until u turn it to a song that she likes. but sorry to go off track with that. your boys will learn as they grow, if someone keeps bugging them to do something that they don't want to do then they are going to think right away that it is boring or something, unless the person that teaches them how to do something like reading or writing in a fun way without them knowing it.

Hi Charli,
I totally agree with you that some parents expect too much too soon from their kids and it is quite sad.
I've seen ads on tv recently (I'm in qld) for enrolling kids from 18 mths and up for lessons in french and spanish.
I thought what a joke, why would an 18mth old Aussie kid need to learn those languages when they are just learning to talk? How confusing would it be for them.
Probably too many competitive parents out there, just imagine, "did you know my 2yr old can read 30 words on his own?"
"Really? well my 2yr old can speak french and is now learning spanish as well!".

*lol, In my limited spare time,I've been mostly hiding in ebay and recent net addiction - facebook.

Wow, you got married & are expecting twins again - congratulations!!!

I don't think regular lessons are important at this age, but kids LOVE to learn and they LOVE to play. While I don't sit down and browbeat knowledge into my two year old's head, I do take advantage of teachable moments.

WHen she points to a letter in her ABC book and asks "WHat;s that, I tell her. Just like she plays with her toys, out at the playground, in the sandbox, the bathtub she enjoys learning about the world around her. She knows her colors, not because we sat and did flashcards, but when she would pet the dog, I would mention the dog is black or comment "Look at the beautiful blue sky" as we played outside. OR comment about the reds and yellows of the leaves in the fall.

She is starting to learn ABC's, not because we sit down at the table and I force them down her throat, but because she has a set of bean bags wtih letters on them that she asks about as we play with them. And by play, I mean play catch, tossing them in a box, pretending they are snowballs and having a snowball fight, or we play store with them tooetc.

Learning does take place through everyday play and often it is more meaningful beacuase you are doing through a venue the child finds interesting.

i agree wholeheartedly. and we wonder why our kids are becoming obese, never exercise, and have no creativity.

i'd much rather my kids be excited about learning than be drilled to death from inappropriately young ages and burnout by highschool.

there's a great book on this -- check out "Einstein Never Used Flashcards" at your library or bookstore.

I think it depends on how they are teaching the kids. They say that the early ages is when kids learn the easist and fastest. From what I see it seems most of the time these classes incorporate games and prizes for the kids and they learn at the same time.

If its being done at home kids will grow up looking at learning as a bonding experience, which would be nice.

Where I draw the line though...when you can tell the child is miserable but yet parents push and fight with the poor kid to do it. If they are laughing and playing and learning GREAT. If they are crying and oviously don't want to do it, then I wish parents would just leave there kids alone. Some parents don't understand that they are setting goals to high and their kids are going to grow up failing at these goals all the time. Its sad.

lol...ok that was my little rant...

I wouldn't say that its sad, but childhood is a time that cannot be given back. My kids love to play outside and play with their toys, but I always try to give them some sort of "educational" play time. We would take a walk through the neighborhood and read signs or count cars or try to make silly sentences out of the letters on license plates. I think parents are worried about their kids not doing well in the future so they push learning to read early.

im definately not one of those mums that has time to sit down frustraitingly teaching my kids to read, lol
anytime i spend with them is just having fun!!!! im sure theyr happier having fun than straining their brains, lol xxxxxxxxxxxx