Alan Titchmarsh: Don’t mollycoddle our children
TV GARDENER Alan Titchmarsh believes mollycoddled children are becoming afraid of the outdoors because they spend too much time on their computers.
The presenter said children should be allowed to climb trees and get dirty instead of being wrapped in cotton wool.
Titchmarsh, 61, told Yours magazine that his childhood in the Fifties had been more carefree than that of children today.
He said: “There’s more negativity now. It was straight after the war and people were getting their breath back. We were grateful to be alive and have a house to live in. And our expectations were lower. I know it sounds boring to harp on, but people were more easily contented back then than we are now.
“Everywhere we look, we’re reminded how much things have changed.” The Daily Express columnist blamed parents for keeping children indoors because of fears about safety.
He said: “Keep an eye on them, but don’t let children end up being afraid of the great outdoors – they shouldn’t feel it’s an alien place. I think potential danger is greater today, but it is not as great as it’s sometimes made out. I wonder whether we’re wrapping up our children in cotton wool.
“It is a dangerous world, but you might as well live in it rather than stay locked up. It’s a shame children aren’t allowed to grow up with a certain amount of freedom.”
Titchmarsh said his mother had let him go wherever he liked – but he had to be back in time for tea.