Parenting and family stuff
sari and
Parenting and family stuff
sari and

Imagining such a scene made me laugh:
Why does it bother adults so much when kids do things reserved for adults? The idea of a foul-mouthed, cynical 10 year old leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth is very disconcerting. But why?
We’re decades deep into the helicopter parenting era. Children have never been healthier or safer, but then, American children have been remarkably healthy and safe for decades longer, there was never any real “stranger danger,” and improvements to child health are the product of improving medical technology, not ever-more-anxious parents.
What kids are dying from today are mainly car crashes and suicides, not playing outside unsupervised with friends. Parents are worrying about the wrong causes of injuries and harm. In fact, the very strategies that parents use to try to keep their children safe – driving them around, maximizing supervision, and minimizing freedom – are unintentionally increasing the likelihood of injuries and even death.
The solutions are both simple and hard. We know what children need to thrive. The three key ingredients necessary for thriving play environments are Time, Space, and Freedom.