Recently a question was posed to me and some other moms about safety and "free-range" parenting. Where do you let your kids play and what is a healthy level of fear when letting them play outside?
Well, for me this is a struggle. I grew up in a small town, about 800 people, and I don't really remember adults hovering over us a lot (or ever). I always felt safe as my cousins and I played in the backyard, the frontyard, and rode our bikes all around town till the sun set. I mean, I wasn't supposed to the cross the highway, but what my dad didn't know, I couldn't get in trouble for, right? But now I live in a big city-and in a more aware society. We talk more openly about kidnappings, pedophiles, and other scary things. In some ways, ignorance is bliss, but we don't have that choice anymore. For the most part, I think we all want the innocence of childhood that we had for our children, but something happens when you get older. You watch the news, read the paper, log onto social networks, and you are bombarded by the bad in the world. And then all of sudden, every child is your child. Every mother who has held her baby, kissed the boo boos, chased away the monsters, is you. And you hurt for these mothers, fathers, and children; and pray that the world becomes a better place. But while we can't completely erase the bad, there is some good. pri.org reports that world homicide rates are down and psychologytoday.com states that violence against women and children have also decreased. And according to connectsavannah.com, while we believe this may be the most crime ridden time in American history, it's not. In 1960 there were 161 homicides per 100,000 people, from there it continued to increase until its peak in 1991 at 758, but since then, it has decreased steadily. And in 2013 it was at 368. So my generation actually grew up in a more dangerous time than that of my children. So, just how "free range" can we be? That's for you to decide. Someone suggested arming a kid with a whistle, others just keep guard at the window. Either way, what works for your family may not work for another and that's ok. We all want the same for our children, a safe space to explore, play, and create. We may not be able to chase the monsters away completely, but we can sure as hell try and sometimes that's just enough. Peace, Anne ,
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Hello!
I'm Anne! Follow me as I go through life as a new mom and soon-to-be wife. Always looking for a creative outlet, I want to share all my ideas with you here at Life by Design! Archives
February 2018
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