Free The Kids
Tim Martin is spot on in his commentary on overprotective parents (and "authorities"). We are getting more and more overprotective of kids.
When I was a kid we'd go out and play, letting whatever happened happen. Yep, every now and then someone might get a cut, bruise or broken bone, but we survived and learned to be more careful next time.
I didn't have to walk far to elementary school as we lived less than half a block from it, but my friends and I would walk about two miles every day to junior high school and back. We had fun going each way. I've known parents nowadays that drive their kids to schools only a few blocks away. That's always seemed rather odd to me.
We keep hearing of more and more cases like this one where parents get hassled by authorities for such things as letting their kids walk home alone from a park or playground. I suspect we'll be seeing even more of that, and it won't be beneficial to either kids or society.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 11:03 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
It's true fewer students walk to school, but traffic volume and driver distraction is much greater than in your youth Fred. The roads are simply less safe. I, as an adult, don't feel safe walking to the corner grocery store. I drive there for my own safety.
Most of the voices shouting about helicopter parenting are selling something (e.g., marketing a book). Most everyone else has been suckered into believing so-called trends...
This is nothing new though. Robert Paul Smith in the 1950s lamented that kids spend all their indoors watching TV, being supervised by parents at all times, being driven around to playdates by parents, etc. He wrote a couple books about it, "Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing." and "How to Do Nothing with Nobody All Alone by Yourself."
It's what old people do... complain about how everything was better when they were young and everyone is doing it wrong today.
How about the parents who don't let thier kids think freely? The ones who indoctrinate their kids into beleiving in angels, devils, gods, talking snakes, miracles and other such superstition. The ones who won't let their kids ask questions about sex, drugs, science, philosophy, other religions, ect.
That sort of parenting is far worse than a parent being "overprotective", in my opinion.
Shhh!!! We live in Murica'. The land of the free. Now step in line.
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