free range kids

Ever heard of this? Letting kids do things unsupervised. The concept makes me slightly nervous and I'm not even a parent but at the same time I think, bravo! I do think that kids are overprotected and babied so much that they don't grow and mature into being self-reliant and independent individuals. Is it really loving to do everything for them? I've observed this year that the kids who don't have responsibilities at home and are overly protected and mollycoddled, often are behind at school because they don't take responsibility for their own learning. They are so used to having someone do everything for them and with them that it almost seems impossible for them to advance in learning unless I am there with them every step of the way. And that's not going to happen!

Kids need to pack their own bag for school, dress themselves, carry their own bags, make their bed, set the table, feed the dog, fall down, get up, dust themselves off and keep going, get messy, get dirty, and have fun!

I grew up on a 25acre property adjacent to a nature reserve and my brothers and I would take off on our bikes and play for what seemed like hours and hours and would come home when we hear Mum's whistle. I swam in the dam, went puddle riding, climbed trees, made forts, explored and I'm ok. Exposure to dirt, the elements, the wilderness... by myself. I remember I was the one who became scared and worried, not my parents, of walking home from the bus stop after seeing on the news reports of a girl who was kidnapped walking home through the bush, just like we did.

It makes me wonder; if the statistics referred to on this website are true in regards to crime, then could the reason we are so much more afraid is just from hearing about it more these days through newspapers, radio, internet, news, and even the numerous criminal shows on TV? Advances in technology leading to globalisation means we are more connected to events happening all over the world. Much more so than 20-30+ years ago. We are seeing, hearing and reading seemingly innumerable reports of terrible, awful things that are happening to children but I don't think it's because the world has become more dangerous, it's just that it's more easily reported from around the world.