Originally Posted By: MartinFocazio
Originally Posted By: Eugene
Originally Posted By: IzzyJG99
[quote=hikermor]
I think my generation was the last to consider "Free Range" parenting simply normal parenting.


Nope, Free Range Kids is the latest fad. My kids can't understand why they can't go out with the other unsupervised 2-6 year olds playing on the transformer behind the house across the street.


BS.
There's a difference between "feral" and "free" and the smartest kids I know are those who were given the opportunity to get cut, dirty, bruised and involved in a wonderful world. They are savvy, they deal with bullies, they make friends wherever we go. The dumbest kids are the ones who are constantly being told what will happen if they are not careful - by constantly being warned of a persistent imagined danger from everything and everyone just breeds fearful citizens who will do whatever they are told will make them "safe".

But of course, I could rattle off all kinds of facts and figures about the reality of violent crime today vs. when I was a kid (much less) or the reality of how our instant media delivers fresh news of global horrors makes us unable to think clearly about what a real risk is vs. an imagined one (hint: don't drive if you want to be safe, terrorists would have to take down a jumbo jet 1x an hour to match the fatality rate of car wrecks in the USA). But we're a nation unswayed by facts that interfere with what we are told or want to believe.

Imagine our national reaction today to George Metsky:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Metesky

An enclosed pad transformer is NOT really dangerous, despite the ample warnings on it that it will apparently kill you at a distance. It's a humming, locked metal box. I would love to climb on it. What makes it go? What is it for?



Its more of letting their 5year old basically babysit their three year old while the adults are in the house updating facebook and their blogs. We've seen that two year old go in the street a few times and ran out to catch him a few times ourselves. The 5 year old daughter has turned in to the bully who bosses everyone else around and has no respect for adults, when told to not braid my daughters hair (because mama just fixed her hair) she tries to sneak her around the side of the house. I recognize the difference between letting kids who are old enough and mature enough roam or go elsewhere with permission and just being lazy parents.
Its the same neighbor whose blanket fell behind the dryer and caught the house on fire and was then freaking out because they had nothing and after the neighborhood organized a collection of stuff didn't want any because they didn't get to pick it out themselves and now is researching the "safest" dryer (since it was somehow the dryers fault).
When free range = no boundaries and no rules its not what the original intent was.
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