The Free Range Child

Thanks for clarifying. Agreed.

It's probably the snob in me that's a little dismayed that the activities tend, so often, to be organized sports, for athletics is one of those things a child <i>can</i> experience without organization.

As the recent NYT article suggests, parents are more often dragged into the club sport experience more than they're forcing their kids into it; kids, naturally, are drawn to sports - because it's a close relative to play. But it's the sporto-types I mentioned before who sell the whole family on the concept of total immersion. They learn whatever lessons can be learned in sports. But they're hardly all the lessons of life, and such immersion in sports doesn't lend itself to creating a well-rounded, participating citizen.

 

When there is so many dead beat fathers and parents who abandon their kids its hard to be critical of parents who give their kids too much attention.

jr lets say we have 2 kids of equal hockey ability - for the next 2 years you have your kid go play unsupervised pond "shinny" hockey and I have my kid play in elite travel leagues along with providing him with year round individual skating leasons at local rink.

After 2 years who has best chance to be better hockey player?

 

I get your point, but you could also argue (and I would) that there are plenty of life lessons to be learned from sports--how to lose, how to win, how to get along with teammates you can't stand, responsibility, commitment, etc.

Also, the 'Kids Do Too Much' crisis also seems to encompass parents who race their kids to drum lessons, math tutors, and oil painting studios, so all the vices are pretty much covered.

 

That's a hypothetical.

The ideal (I guess) situation would be both.

Very few kids are going to improve without some kind of instruction.

 

But isn't that contradictory to the "free range child" ?

 

There is no contradiction. None.

Read the article again.

 

I find it interesting that my brothers and sisters all have very different parenting styles, different life styles, different income levels. Some play sports, some don't. Some have the stereotypical stay at home soccer mom. Some have moms that work. Some are church going families. Some are not religious at all.

And yet, almost without exception, my 14 nieces and nephews (so far) are wonderful, happy, secure kids who know they're loved. I don't have kids of my own but my siblings offspring are my main reason for making sure I get home at least once a year.

 

See, I'm not down with the whole 'they know they're loved' bit.
I think it's better in the long for parents to keep those kids guessing.

 

In my area, a 10,000 square foot junior cheerleading training facility just opened. TOP CHEER or something.

Haven't seen any corresponding Amazing Acrylics.