Inside or Out?  

Yes I think we do coddle the kids too much now a day. People are so scared of leaving there children to play outside away from their home now. there are people out there that DO want to take our children more so Now than when I was a kid, I think anyway, or maybe we just hear about it more these days.
My sister has the WII system, with certain games for exercise, & she has lot many inches & 75 lbs. so far from doing WII every day for 2 hours. I want the system too for that reason, why not? exercise while playing a game/ heck yeah I want it...Lori

Wii Fit IS a means of exercise. How and why exactly wouldn't it be? Increased heart rate, energy expediature and muscle training and usage. That's exercise. What does it matter that it's done inside? You may value the outdoors greatly, but others don't. What is so wrong with wanting to be and play inside? It has nothing to do with parenting and "molly coddleing". Some of us just happen to value technology and computers, and have no need to be outside. As long as the kid is still developing socially and mentally, what does it matter?

LOL, I'm laughing because of how my son came back in the house this morning. We live rurally, as you well know. He didn't want to put any clothes on this morning. He wanted to go out back, with his dog, in his underwear. I told him, "I don't care if you go out there naked, just go play". He started giggling when I said, "naked". So...in a couple of hours of in and out, he comes back in pretty much looking like PigPen from the Peanuts. Needless to say he had dirt IN his hair and all over his legs and arms. Funny his torso was clean......

He had to get a bath before he ate his lunch. La la la, he played in there for another 30 min. "Momma bring me more legos". "uh....NO, there are enough legos in my bathtub" pppffftttttt

I molly coddle mine to a point. But there are certain things they have to do, no argument. I'm seriously thinking about limiting their computer time some. They are all hooked on this thing called Wizard 101 (think Dungeons and Dragons with graphics) and they would rather do that than go swimming even...

When we were kids, we would get on our bikes and ride from one end of town to the other, or walk the entire town, not thinking twice about where we were or where we were going. And, I seriously doubt that our parents were that worried about it when we were gone from our own yards for most of the day.
When my kids were younger, they were allowed in the backyard, or at a neighbor's house, and some times, they were allowed to go to the park alone...it's just at the end of our road, and I could see them from the front yard.
Today, things are a little scarier, I think. If my kids were small now, I would have them within my site at all times. I think a big part of the problem is that most households have both parents working, and there is no adult supervision, so the tv and the games are the safest thing for them.
Now don't get me wrong, it's not good for kids to be cooped up inside all the time. They need sunshine, and room to run, and jump. They need the outdoors to just let loose and yell at the top of their lungs.
I honestly don't know how kids develop the social skills they need to function in the outside world, these days with all the electronic devices that are available to them.

My boys are 7 and 8. I have lived where I do now for the past 5 years. I know just about everyone on this street. The speed limit down my street is 25 MPH and there is a basket ball court about 40 Yards from my front porch. For the first time last week I allowed my boys to go to the basketball court without me or an adult with them.

Yeah I'm overprotective. But I'm the first person to turn off all things electric and force my children outside to play WITH ME! lol

And Dance Dance Revolution can be classified as exercise. I burn a minimum of 500 calories and sweat my rear end off every time I play. Don't know about the Wii Fit but DDR is brutal.

I agree, we really do need to go outside more and get some fresh air and sunshine. It's healthy. And about the Wii thing... You don't need a video game to motivate you to exercise; it's possible to work out indoors, isn't it?

well since our canadian winters are so long, if the weather is nice, i try and get my kids outside to have some fun, but i think wii is a good way to at least move your body a little. at our daughters school, they have physical activity every day (even on the days she doesnt have gym), so that gets them moving too.

six times here goes again pikey I have done this six times used to be bookds with me, I would hear my mom yell get your nose out of that book, and go play outside. I lived on a farm so I climbed trees, rollerskated and took the book with me. now here I am on the computer and three people have come to ask if I was okay.
I would rather be mylotting than sitting downstairs alone reading a book .

I believe it is a combination of too many things, there more two income families than ever before, there are too many kid abductions, and too much media coverage. So between that and parents not wanting to take their kids to friends you got kids who spend too much time at home.