Where has childhood gone.

Those who 'care' about children seem to think that the only thing acceptable for children is to be constantly watched by adults, and stay inside their home, lest they come to incredible harm.

I have not seen the world get more dangerous in my 50 + years of life, and it just blows my mind that children have no childhood anymore.  Many go from daycare to home to activities with never a free moment to do whatever they want. Children aren't allowed to be outside without an adult, EVER. Not even within eyesight of the front porch of the house even.

At least this is what happened in Austin Texas.  She got told to keep her children INSIDE. Wow.

At 6 I used to walk to school alone, go to the grocery store, bakery and even bank alone. The bakery and the park near it were almost 1km away. I also took the bus alone to my ballet lessons. I also walked 2km to get to the nearest pool for my swimming lessons.

I lived alone with a single mom, who worked full time, had me to take care of and wasn't in the best of health and didn't drive. If I had extra curricular activities I had to get there by myself, and I had to help her with chores. We did groceries once a week wtih my grandparents. Whatever was missing from that I had to run to the nearest grocery store to pick up. Sometimes I used to deposit my mom's paycheck into her bank account.  Or go get fresh bread at the bakery. She'd always tell me not to gnaw at the bread, but by the time I got home I'd eaten the 2 ends of the bread. 

I suspect part of the reason she sent me on errands was because I was so hyper. and living alone with my mom I always wanted to help. I wasn't much helpful underfoot but I had endless amounts of energy and was extremely resourceful. So running errands was a win-win for my mom. 

Hell I've been known to tell people I was helping my mom by playing outside. Why? Cause while I was outside she could actually get cleaning done inside!

I'm glad I managed to give my daughters some childhood. One of the places I lived after their dad and I split up was on the edge of some wooded area, and there was 3 parks for them to play in within walking distance [less then 1 km away], I had told them they could go into the forest as long  as they could still see the buildings, I figured they couldn't get lost that way. It took them very little time to get to know the forest and not get lost. At least they got to play alone, without adults like childhood should be.

What happens to those who get over coddled?

I was amazed that in the US, some parents are being reported as negligent for letting their children play outside in the yard unsupervised. Long gone are the days where parents let their children go to the grocery store to pick up some milk before dinner. It seems people think if a child is outside alone, he is in grave danger of being hurt or kidnapped. 

Yet statistics does not show the rate of strangers hurting children has gone up. Generally children are hurt by people they know, rarely by strangers.

I wonder about this world. I remember in 1968 taking the city bus all by myself at age 6 to go to my ballet lessons. I was a 2 minute walk from the bus stop and the bus came along every 5 minutes and was 2 minutes walk from my ballet classes.   I also used to go to the grocery store, the bakery, the five and dime store and the convenience store to help my mom. I was hyper and my mom didn't have the of health. What better way to utilize my natural abilities and get exercise all while helping my single mom. I used to even go and deposit my mom's paycheck at the bank starting at age 6.  

My mom considered me to be resourceful and dependable. I brought back receipts and exact change.  I don't remember ever being harassed as a child while running errands for my mom. I was also allowed to ride my bicycle around the neighbourhood once I mastered the art of riding it.

I also remember walking to my swimming lessons by myself from age 6 to 10.  That was a long walk and sometimes I scared my mom by talking longer then I should walking home. I'd run into a dog or cat and follow it for a while, until I realized I needed to go home. Or I'd get lost in games inside my head and take forever walking.

I let my kids be kids and got chastised for it a lot.  When I split up with my ex-husband I moved to a low rent housing complex that was on the edge of one of the few big wooded areas left in Montreal, Le Bois de Liesse.  I liked the fact our apartment building was on the edge of the woods, so there was at least a place for my children to play outside the street. I told my kids that they could go in the forest so long as they saw the buildings so they would not get lost. Of course with time and hanging out with other kids they got to learn the woods really well.  The worst incident that happened to them that I know of, is my youngest falling through the ice of a small pond when it was close to freezing. But she was close enough to home and with her sister, that nothing bad came of it.

I pity those who aren't allowed to leave their homes unless accompanied by a parent.  By the time they turn 18, they won't know how to get around and imagine having these coddled children as work colleagues?  How resourceful do you think they will be?

Today's American children are some of the most spoiled children EVER!

It's something I've been thinking for a long time and lord knows I was chastised by my ex, his current wife and plenty of other people for being a 'bad mom' because I expected my children to help themselves.  If my child was old enough to put on his shoes and tie them I expected them to! Imagine!

I can still remember the kid in my eldest' preschool class, who's mom had asked me to take him to the class with my daughter one day, who expect me to take off his shoes! He was 4. I can understand some 4 year olds not being able to make a bow on a shoe lace, but just taking them off? A baby can take off his shoes if they are so determined!!!! I remember looking at the child and saying "Well I can wait all afternoon, you're the one missing the fun activities". In the end he took off his shoes by himself.

I was reading an article today about this phenomenon of spoiled children and it's spot on. 

I'm also grateful that I ignored all the stupid comments I received and continued to teach my daughters how to be self-sufficient, resourceful, and capable of taking care of themselves.  Because expecting others to do everything for you is going to create an entire generation of wankers!