[Mears]

I raised five kids in the late fifties to the mid seventies and then went back to work full time.

I retired in 1996 and remember the first week of my retirement like it was yesterday. I would wait for 2:30 for all the neighborhood kids to come home from school but it never happened,not one child in sight. I was stunned----they were all in after school care or some type of organized activity and there were never any kids out on the street playing kick ball or that type of game.

How sad. They are in supervised play all the time these days and are missing out on some wonderful life lessons, such as how to get along with others without an adult around,how to make up games,and even how to take care of themselves.

[LWalk18]

I retired in 1996 and remember the first week of my retirement like it was yesterday. I would wait for 2:30 for all the neighborhood kids to come home from school but it never happened,not one child in sight. I was stunned----they were all in after school care or some type of organized activity and there were never any kids out on the street playing kick ball or that type of game.

I was just thinking about your point as I reading this thread. I am definitely under 40, but in comparing my childhood to my parents I think that the number of mothers who worked outside the home factors into why there are no children playing outside after school. Both parents are at work so a neighborhood is virtually devoid of adults from 2:30-5:00, when most kids come home from schools. Kids are either put in daycare or come home alone, remaining inside.