Kids need to play outside, they need to feel the sun on their backs, fresh air in their lungs and to enjoy the freedom such play brings.

It was with great sadness I read parents are keeping children cooped up inside due to their own insecurities and safety worries.

When I was a lad, and by that I mean a young teenager, I would disappear over the fields or out on my bike from breakfast until dark.

We would always have to be back for dark, but other than that we were free to roam at will, causing whatever minor mischief we chose.

The only proviso (for those who remember bygone days) was that if we needed to we must make contact with home through the ‘three rings’ system – anyone unacquainted with payphones in early 70s will need this explaining.

Anyway, research now shows that whilst the vast majority of parents want, and believe it benefits, their children to play outside, nearly two-thirds don’t allow it as they have safety concerns.

We all know children aren’t as physically active as they used to be and that society faces increasing levels of obesity and stress in younger and younger age groups as a result.

But, what is it these parents are fearful of?

Yes, there’s more traffic but that’s an education issue – good parents who teach their children properly should be able to manage this, just as ours did.

Are children any more likely to injure themselves today than 40 years ago – of course not.

They might not be as equipped to deal with problems/eventualities that might crop up, but that again is precisely because they are not being given the freedom and independence they should be, it’s a Catch 22 situation.

So what’s the real fear?

Sadly it sits in the head of parents and not in reality – namely that children will become prey to the unwanted attentions of unscrupulous adults.

But this issue is no more prevalent now that it was in the 70s, although it is far more reported than before.

The sad fact is parents today are depriving their own children of all the benefits of outdoor play, widely accepted as the best way to improve physical activity and health, simply because of misplaced, ill-informed perceptions that children are more vulnerable to sexual/physical abuse today than they were in the past.

Parents need to get over their own fears and let their children live better lives.