'Stop wrapping Kiwi kids in cotton wool'

Worried parents are not letting their kids enjoy childhood, says SPARC. Photo / Chris Gorman

Sport and Recreation New Zealand agrees the 'cotton wooling' of children by worried parents has gone too far.

SPARC says we are worrying too much about the safety of our children, and not letting them enjoy their childhood.

SPARC spokeswoman Deb Hurdle says with increasing rates of diabetes and obesity, it is not doing the children any favours. She says more parents now prefer their children to sit and watch TV than get outside and play.

She is concerned parents now stop their children doing things like playing sport and riding their bikes. And she says over 50 per cent of car trips are to take kids to school, when they could really walk.

Ms Hurdle says gone are the days when people would see falling off the jungle-gym at school as a learning experience.

Deb Hurdle says the ironic thing is, statistics show kids are in more danger from people known to them than from strangers.

- NEWSTALK ZB