Wednesday 12 November 2008

Stop, Look and Listen

We parents tell our children lots of things we think they need to know. "Never trust a man who wears a ring on the outside of his gloves", for example.

Sometimes they ignore what we say ("keep the noise down please").

Often they do the opposite of what we say ("it's Saturday tomorrow, try and sleep in late").

And occasionally they know what we're going to say before we say it ("time to go out, have you been to the toilet?")

Some parents have an annoying habit of telling their children that "things were better in the olden days". This is of course untrue, not least when it comes to government road safety campaigns. No offence 1970's Alvin Stardust, but I'm not sure the sight of you wearing a monkey on your head and giving us a serious look was ever going to deter anyone from walking out in front of a car. In fact quite the opposite, might I suggest.

But whatever you tell your kids today, and whatever they hear, tell them to watch this ...

15 comments:

  1. Things weren't exactly better in the olden days (if my youth can be described as the olden days)!!!! However they had a kind of freedom that they don't have today.
    Much more traffic on the road now, so much more dangerous.
    The film was very good and to the point.
    Alvin Stardust? Ha!

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  2. I agree with Maggie, there was more freedom some years ago... unthinkable now that me and my Sister would be out all day with our friends playing in streets, forests, parks and playgrounds without our Mum knowing exactly where we were until we went back home in time for tea in the evening!!
    Nowadays that just doesn't and cannot happen!
    Great little film and great for kids to see!

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  3. Ooh, that's a bit grim. My little one would probably just say "My head's not that big".

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  4. No, no, no. Cartoons were definitely funnier in the old days. ;-)

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  5. That was a very sad little film and I wondered if it was done as a very bad joke? Maybe we have a cultural gap here, because a film like that would never be taken seriously here. It is too over done and too pathetic. Sorry about that.

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  6. Well the step kids have grown up but I watched the film an fully intend to pay attention when I cross the road! That of course doesn't account for the people that I have pissed off lately intentionally aiming their cars at me!

    Great little film - hope the kids retain the info and act on it.

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  7. Alvin Stardust? Was he your Coo-Ca-Choo? As Mary Hopkin said, those were the days.....

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  8. I thought it was quite effective, particularly seeing the other children running off (whilst stopping, looking and listening) to play with HIS football on a sunlit patch of grass. But, yes, we had more freedom and less traffic in the good old days.

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  9. Yes, Jen, and so was kids TV! Btw, my first (and only) broadcasting experience was as a member of the Tufty Club - remember that?

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  10. HOLY CRAP...I think I prefer the Green Cross Man! I'm going to send this to my boys who thought he (TGCM) was the end all and be all! Wait til they see this!~ It scared the monkey mud out of me...don't think I'll be crossing any streets for a few days...
    Sandi

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  11. We all lived with a lot less stress and fear of harm coming to us as kids .. we played on the streets amd in parks w/o nannys or moms watching ..

    Sad that is no longer the way things are.

    :-Daryl

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  12. Maggie has it right but oh! is my youngster going to see that ad....

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  13. We haven't got any pavements around us, terrifies the living daylights out of me. How great is that picture of Alvin Stardust though, I've never looked closely at his hair before, what a revelation!

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  14. Life was better in the olden days. It was not as fast as life is now. There were not as many cars on the roads and we did not have as many expectations as people do today. But children have to be taught safety appropriate to the world in which they are living in.

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  15. That is a hardcore ad for kids. Probably one most adults need more than anyone, though!

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