Source: Reason Magazine Things that were a regular part of growing up when most of us were kids are considered bad parenting or even criminal negligence today. We cut down whole trees when I was a kid, not huge ones, but ones that we used for making huts in the woods. I would have never considered that anyone would be upset over a child chopping a branch with an axe, unless it was someone else's branch, on a tree in their yard. Every boy carried a knife. Now, kids aren't even allowed to carry a knife. In fact, adults can't even carry knives in some places. Something similar occurred in our school district a few years ago. A parent group raised money and bought a new playground for the elementary school, and they bought a load of some kind of rubber chips to soften the ground. It all had to be removed for fear of someone being allergic to rubber. It's not that anyone at the school was allergic to rubber, but maybe the school might, one day, enroll a student who was allergic to rubber. How long has it been since you've seen a seesaw or a merry-go-round?
We did similar Ken in the Wolf Cubs and later in the BVoy Scouts. Essential part of our training Bit analogous to Chicago Prohibition - suppress but not stop ?
The world's attitude has become pathetic. Next they will cut out wood shop at schools- they may hurt themselves,or turn on another. However, today's kiddos are up against, many issues we older ones never had to deal with. No gun man to blow us away or teachers, no drug addicts for parents, community leaders, school officials an such were seldom called down for sexual assault, embezzling from the school or town- the list goes on. Where are the role models? However, here we still have merry go arounds and seesaws...in renamed parks, because lord knows how degenerative, and mislead a child can become seesawing park named after Robert E Lee.
We also have lots of Parks here and I think that there are more dangers now than when we were little, it's a different world but there is a happy medium....I think that article is one extreme and here is another extreme....I read a similar story every day. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/0...d-twins-found-naked-outside-near-highway.html Also, when my kids were young there is no way I would have gone to the cleaners and left them home alone with a friend...too much could happen, not worth it.
I stopped reading when it stated "too many kids are raised like veal" Seriously a-hole writer of the article, find another analogy! My childhood I can only imagine was anything but typical and I have no idea what a typical one would be like. My oldest brother, 11 years older than me stated he knew we didn't have a childhood where he said he did. In Germany he said they ran around like little maniacs and no one worried about them. My mother even stated she would go up into the mountains to stay with her Aunt and she and her friends did whatever they wanted and it was very carefree. Then she said everything of coarse changed. I can remember so many times we were not allowed to leave the yard for weeks. Friends were essentially non existent. There was always some kind of reason. My mother yelled a lot and had headaches all the time which meant we had to be quiet. In the end I know it affected me with having very poor esteem and self confidence I think it's a reason my other brother went in the Navy and stayed for 20 years because at least he had a job. If these parents are being more cautious I wouldn't know. I remember a comedian did some kind of skit about this once. Toys they had as kids like "lawn darts" Things you would never have today.