By JONATHON HOWARD
SCHOOL playgrounds across Noosa have come under the spotlight following research from University of the Sunshine Coast that the “cotton wool” approach to children’s play could be doing more harm than good.
While every parent fears for their child’s safety and every school fears safety legislation, USC psychology lecturer Dr Rachel Sharman, said the “cotton wool” approach was leading to “avoidance motivation” in some children.
“It’s a fear of failure – basically kids that are restricted from taking risks in the playground are developing a fear of making decisions in which they feel they could fail,” she said.
“This fear is leading to less resilient kids who are essentially afraid of trying.”
Dr Sharman recently presented her findings during the USC parents’ night at the university.
She said without radical changes to playgrounds and a relaxing of playground legislation, the issues stemming from avoidance motivation would continue to manifest.
“The old saying “try and try again” is simply not applied to the playgrounds of today,” she said.
Dr Sharman also used an example of a New Zealand school making global headlines after it threw out the school safety legislation.
Swanson School in a northwest borough of Auckland has 500 students who are allowed to climb trees, play with heavy bricks and blocks and ride their bikes during lunch breaks.
Swanson School principal Bruce McLachlan said he knew children might get hurt, and that was exactly the point.
“Perhaps, if they were freed from the ‘cotton wool’ in which their 21st century parents had them swaddled, his students may develop some resilience, use their imaginations (and) solve problems on their own,” he said.
Noosa Today asked Cooroy State School prinicpal Des Deighton for his views.
“Philosophically, I like the idea of relaxing the rules around what kids can play and how they play as long as it is safe,” he said.
“I do think in some cases, parents wrap kids in “cotton wool” for want of a better term.
“Under current safety legislation we have to operate under however, our hands are tied to a certain degree.”
Have your say: Do you think kids are wrapped in cotton wool? And would you support a move towards relaxed playground rules? Email Noosa Today: newsdesk@noosatoday.net.au
