Nov 01 2008
Let them be Kids
It’s easier said than done. I try my best to give my kids the opportunity to have all the child hood experiences I had. But things just aren’t the same.
My parents used to just let us run around the neighborhood with our friends and merely told us when to be home. Yes, things were a lot safer for kids then, but why can’t our children have the same freedoms? They can, it just takes more effort.
We are fortunate to live on a cul de sac, so the kids do get to play outside with little supervision. Either my husband and I, or the neighbors, are usually outside doing yard-work or just chatting with neighbors and the kids are riding their bikes, power wheels, scooters, and any other moving “vehicles” they may have. Sometimes they play tag, or just run around playing super heroes. They get to be kids.
We take them to the park, or indoor play areas at the mall in inclement weather, and let them run around. At the park, the big one anyway, we tend to follow close behind, so as not to let them out of our sight, and this is the “effort” part. We don’t avoid going because we might have to follow them around, we interact and play with them. Or stand back and watch them make friends with other kids, and marvel in how quick they are growing up.
Bottom line. Don’t insist that Kids have to grow up to quick because it’s easier to keep them safe that way. Give them some “perceived” (by them) freedoms and watch them thrive.
