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> The 8 year old might still need some hand-holding, but the 11 and 13 year old I grew up in the 1980s - so I know this might not translate, but... ...when I was 8, my parents allowed me to do all kinds of things "by myself"; ride my bike around the block, go down to the corner Circle K for a candybar, play with friends next door, etc. ...when I was 11, I'd ride my bike much further away, and my friends and I would shoot bb guns at birds (horror!), explore farmer's fields, and more. ...when I was 13, I'd ride my bike with friends, and we'd complete multi-mile circuits around our small city, heading out to "far off places" and exploring (and falling, and getting back up). I dunno...to me, it sounds like parents don't let their kids do these things anymore? Granted, I lived in a small city at the time (bigger today, and where I grew up is much less rural than it was back then), so maybe in a more urban context it might or might not be as safe (if nothing else than dangers from more automobile traffic). I can't really say one way or the other which is better, but those experiences shaped me in a certain way; it's disheartening to think that kids in general don't get to experience that any longer (or as much)? |