Rant about Kids, HOAs and Obesity

'Member when you could play outside till the lights came on? You could ride your bike around the block and not get kidnapped? You could have an ice cream and burn off all the calories in a single afternoon at the park? Not so much anymore of course.

This is not a new subject and it's debated on every day across this great fast-food nation. When I taught, I was AMAZED at what some children brought to school to eat each day. One little 2 year old had a steady breakfast of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, every day! Another boy got a doughnut every morning, just so his mother wouldn't have to deal with his monster sized tantrums every morning. Oh and the toddler who got soda in his bottle. (BTW, soda doesn't work in bottles---the nipple inflates really big!)

Now I know my kids don't always eat a perfectly balanced meal, but I try hard to make it better than the meals mentioned above and many more that I witnessed. But I do try even harder to make sure they get time outside everyday. Yesterday, my almost 6 year old complained he didn't get enough time on the computer earlier in the day. Hmmm, that means more outside time for you mister! He was literally at the door, begging to come in. Nope.

But here lies the problem...we live in a retirement community, wait no, a community of townhomes with like 500 children. These children are supposed to stay inside all day, quietly. Or so it seems. We got a lovely letter from the property management company that basically said children at our residence were seen riding a wheeled toy. Yes, the rule was broke, but really? Our constantly supervised child is not doing cool tricks off the handralls at the rec room no one is allowed to use without handing over their first born! He is not wrecking the rodent invested plants. He is not tearing off the stucco that is always falling off with a slight breeze! No he is riding up and down our little sidewalk behind our place. Back and forth, back and forth. Better than playing on the patio, which at times looks as if he is exercising in his prision cell.

We have neighbor-friends that live a few streets over, they have also gotten love letters. That was until one of them helped the complainer on that street with the said rodent problem and the complaints have stopped. Another neighbor-friend lives on the best street ever. There are about a billion (okay maybe just the 475 of the said 500) kids on this street. They all play outside together. The old people sit outside and watch. It's a beautiful thing. We travel over there just to play. Our street is BORING.

Finding a fun street is SO going to be apart of our next move...