There’s this one problem emerging from the youth today that is influenced by the vast changing of technology nowadays. As I have observed, even the young tots are more likely to play with their parent’s smartphone than to play in the neighborhood with the other kids. Sometimes they are more knowledgeable in using computers, smartphones and tablets than their own parents. When you use these gadgets, you only have to sit on one place then that’s it, you do whatever you want on your gadget without leaving your place. A study shows that these gadgets has had a lot of effect on a kids development which includes; language delay, not good for bedtime, terrible child behavior, delayed body and brain development, and some suffer mental illness.
When I was a kid, there are a lot of games we play in the backyard or in the school. It’s more of a physical games, an inheritance from our parents and former generations:
1. One is called “luksong tinik” (jumping above the thorns) where the main goal is to jump across the finger of another player (hand open-palmed sideways to make the thorn) without touching any part of the jumpers body. This requires three players, one is the jumper and the two makes the thorns. The hand is placed one at a time, then after a jump the hand adds up one after every jump. If the jumper makes it after the hands of the two players, they will make use of their feet to make the thorns higher, the more difficult to jump over. Player who’s unable to jump across or touched the fingers will be replaced by the one who is making the thorns and the game will reset, and so on. This game then evolves to “luksong baka” (jumping on a cow), using the body of the player to be crossed over.
2. “Agawan ng Base” (Capture the Base) is a group game but can be played by one for every base. This requires a wide playground for running and chasing. Every player must be on their own base. Once you left your base away, the other player from the other base will have the chance to hunt you (hunt means when the opponent touches any part of your body) and make you a prisoner of war (POW). When you’re a POW you will be brought beside their base. Your team mates will have to rescue you by touching any part of your body , then you’re free. But the challenge is that the slave is near the base where your opponents are, so its hard you need tactics on these rescue thing. If you are all captured, then your base is taken. And oh, if you have the chance and you can tap their base without them touching you, you have taken their base. Whoever takes the base the higher times wins the game.
3. Langit, Lupa (High & Low) is played by two to many person, one must play as the “it” and the rest will be chased when on low ground. When you’re chased you have to run on higher ground so you’re safe, the it will not chase you. Once you’re touched by the it on lower ground, then you’re the next it.
4. Base soccer also is a group game but can be played by two. It’s a mixture of baseball and football. One team are the kickers, and the other team are the catchers with their leader, the pitcher. The pitcher rolls the ball to the opponent and the opponent will kick the ball as hard as he wants so the ball will fly far. He then runs four diagonally formed bases (you know the bases on baseball right). If he cannot complete the homerun then he must stop at the base he is near at because the other player may hit him with the ball and he’s out. If the ball was kicked and fly on air, if the opponent catches the ball, that player who kicked will also be out of the game. Homerun doesn’t make a score, its just the game continues until all opponents are out, then team will switch positions.
5. Luksong Lubid (Skipping Rope) also played by two or many.
6. Chinese Garter – The idea is to cross over the garter. Starting in the lowest level of the body which is the feet, two ends of the garter held by two of the opponents team leveled on their feet, and then the player will cross the garter. After crossing, the level of the garter gets higher and higher until the player was unable to cross over. If all the members of the team was unable to cross then they will switch position. I hate it when my opponents are bigger and taller than me because when the level is shoulder-high, I cannot cross anymore.
There are other games played on my “elementary-school-days” like piko, patintero, tumbang-preso, jolen, jackstone, trumpo, paltok, tirador, sipa, tug-of-war, gagamba, tansan, goma, penpen de sarapen, monkey-monkey, doctor kwakwak, bahay-bahayan, ten-twenty, pick-up-sticks, sarangola (flying kite) and a lot more I couldn’t remember.
Parents must see how their children grow and be aware of what their child is doing; especially those single parents where it needs to hire a nanny to look after their child. Interpersonal communication is important between a child and a parent until such time the child grows up and works for his/her own life. On the other hand, protectiveness, when exaggerated, can debilitate a kid's enthusiastic, mental, and maybe even good spine. A psychologist observed that there’s lack of versatility in a large number of the youngsters today, particularly the individuals who are conceived in well-off families. They are inclined to misery and get to be discouraged at minor issues. You'd see instances of an adolescent who might secure himself in his room for a considerable length of time and not converse with his parents for quite a long time since he was censured by his “barkada."
