Putting Away Childish Things

One of my daughters was just telling me about a conversation she had with a friend recently. They were reminiscing and her friend told her how on her first day at high school the boy next to her looked round the place in a confused way. There were no swings, no climbing frame, no see-saws. Instead, of a playground there was just a place with benches and a couple of dustbins and a water fountain.

"What are we going to do at lunch?" he asked.

He got no answer. What could the answer be, after all? Bitch? Become a teenager? Eat? (Pray, love? Is that what that book's about?)

Sorry, where was I? Oh yes. Playgrounds. Why aren't we allowed to have them after the age of 12? Playing is a perfectly harmless, enjoyable thing. Why do we have to stop it? Plus all the other things you have to stop if you want to prove you're grown up - colouring in springs to mind. I used to rather enjoy a bit of soothing colouring, but then it vanished, along with swings and monkey bars. I suppose these things weren't dignified but is being dignified really that important?

The same probably goes for afternoon naps, but I rather miss those too, (I hated them when they were available; they bored me, whereas now I'd really appreciate them, which is perverse, I guess, but not as perverse as depriving you of rest at a time in your life when you'd actually benefit). And, instead of those excruciating away days so many of us are subjected to by our employers, why can't we have swimming carnivals like we did when we were younger? Bunting everywhere, cheering and splashing, sun on the water, that is genuine team building.

Do you miss anything you used to do in childhood that is no longer allowed once you enter the adult world?