I remember being a kid and the freedom that our parents let us have, they weren't paranoid that we would die if we were left alone for a few minutes.

I would go off on my BMX bike with my mates down the beach and swim and explore and as long as I was home for tea, that was alright.

Today I think things are different. Kids don't walk to school. The roads are congested with worried mums. You get detention for climbing a tree. There are no backyards to play cricket in and the word tiggy is more likely to describe a character in a Playstation game than a chance to run around the house with your neighbourhood kids. So that's what this is about; the forgotten youth.

For all those who may need to remember.

www.christiannicolson.co.nz