East Carolinian

Free range kids

Abstract:
When I was 10 years old, I didn't own a cell phone. I didn't use anti-bacterial soap, my parents usually weren't sure where I was until dinner time, and I didn't have a babysitter watching over me - that's what my older sister was for. There was no tracking device in my backpack, my clothes or on my bike....

Displaying 1 - 4 of 4

M

posted 4/15/08 @ 8:21 AM EST

This article is so true. I highly agree. If parents keep raising their kids in this seemingly facist way of sheltering them from everything that is bad in this world we will end up with a generation of weak minded adults. I remember as a child my parents kicking my out the house all day telling me not to come back until it was dark. That was the norm then. Now parents lock their children up in the house encouraging them to play video games thus decreasing a childs development. This will also inhibit children from developing a extensive immagination which I believe is what sparks technological development as well as making children inventive later on in life. Please for the love of God stop over parenting your children.

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eseau05

posted 4/15/08 @ 4:06 PM EST

Love this article. Growing up my parents philosophy during the summer was simple "In or Out" I either stayed out or stayed in, you know because "they weren't cooling the entire neighborhood", and it really shows the times because what kid wanted to stay in all day? that was punishment! right? Nintendo was new and really only something to do when it was raining outside. Often, I remember my mother making me take another bath because she thought I was still dirty from playing outside all day (next to a river mind you,no parental supervision) but come to find out I was just simply covered in bruises! I miss those days! and to my friend (you know who you are), I'm really am sorry for giving you stiches in your forehead when we were 8. I never meant to wack you in the head with that shovel while tring to build that fort in the woods!! Good News We Made it!!

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Rachel

posted 4/15/08 @ 10:37 PM EST

I'm all for not over-protecting kids, but with the amount of pedophiles and sexual deviants out there can you really consider the lady that let her kid go out into the city alone a good mom? Parent's are supposed to protect their kids, letting her son go off alone is child neglect.

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Kaitlyn

posted 4/18/08 @ 8:42 PM EST

Originally posted by
Rachel
I'm all for not over-protecting kids, but with the amount of pedophiles and sexual deviants out there can you really consider the lady that let her kid go out into the city alone a good mom? Parent's are supposed to protect their kids, letting her son go off alone is child neglect.

Child neglect is not allowing your child off of his/her tether to explore the world outside of your house or neighborhood - it is failing to provide the necessities like food, water, clothing, and a safe environment. By allowing her child to do something like that, she was helping to teach him the responsibility that comes with freedom - something kids today do not understand. Children today are coddled to no end because of their parents' (often irrational) fears of something happening to them if they step foot off of their property. While random sexual deviants, paedophiles, and kidnappers do tend to make for good news items, they are not the norm - the majority of children that are molested or kidnapped are molested or kidnapped by someone they know well, not a random stranger on the street. So parents should be more afraid of their family members or neighbors than of people they do not know.

Kids today also do not learn manners or responsibility like we used to. When I was little, if I pitched a fit in a store or restaurant, I got one warning - that if I didn't stop, we would go out to the car. I knew if we went to the car that I would get a whooping, so I behaved myself in public. After working in restaurants for years, I've seen the horrid effects this new wave of parenting has wrought - children feel that it's ok to throw food all over the place or color the table (or even the sugar caddy) or climb around like they're on a playground or yell and holler if their mom says they can't have mac and cheese. Parents today seem to be so afraid of disciplining their children and it scares me to think of the adults these rude and obnoxious kids will become. They have no respect for anyone (not even their parents), have no sense of the appropriate behavior for different places, and have zero accountability or responsibility because their parents take care of everything for them.

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