Story: Household management

Taking children to sport

Taking children to sport

Until the later 20th century children were often a household’s messenger, going to the local shop for milk or bread or delivering items between households. A parent might lend his or her son to help a neighbour. From the 1980s fear of ‘stranger danger’ and traffic limited children’s movement outside their home, and the use of children to go to the dairy and run messages was reduced. In a reversal of the old pattern, a new household task was added – that of driving children to school, on visits to friends, to sports games and classes. Tracey Smith, shown in 2007 (front centre), takes her children to their football games, ferries them and other players around Auckland and is a sideline supporter (she's a dedicated football mum who also coaches two junior teams). Shown with Smith are (from left) team members Reade Boothe, Casey Matthews and Kunal Ratnam.

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New Zealand Herald
Reference: 150607AKLBAMSOCCER2.JPG
Photograph by Bradley Ambrose

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How to cite this page:

Megan Cook, 'Household management - The wider world', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/39704/taking-children-to-sport (accessed 28 April 2024)

Story by Megan Cook, published 5 Sep 2013