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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I struggle with this because I have an only child. She does tons of independent play and always has, out of necessity. I never feel like she gets enough time playing with other kids and am always looking for ways to do more of this. She's shy and has trouble initiating friendships/playing with others. So I default to organized activities often because it's a way to ensure she is doing things with other kids.

There are kids (a little older than her) who do free play in our neighborhood, but it's not super common. You mostly just see younger kids with parents and I assume older kids are in after school activities somewhere.

I like the idea of joining an organization like a church for community, but we are not religious. I know there are churches that are not super religious. I guess I'm kind of like my daughter too -- a little reserved and nervous about asking to join a group.

All of this has been so compounded by Covid. We used to socialize so much more, with so many more kinds of people, and our DD always came along and had lots of chances to meet other kids of varying backgrounds and ages and they were always encouraged to play on their own together. Our social group has shrunk, though, and our gatherings are much more planned and structured these days. I do not have that feeling I used to have like our circle was expansive and growing. It's isolating for all of us.

I do agree with a lot of the principles of the movie though. I am just struggling with how to apply them within my actual life and community. [/quote]

I agree with this. It's hard to implement on an individual level. I didn't sign up my six year old for any camps last summer in part because most of his few friends from the end of kindergarten (when they finally went back in person) had parents who were at least temporarily at home. I thought it was his one chance to just hang out with friends in a less structured way, before my workplace rolled back its covid schedule flexibility in September. But that didn't happen! Because they were all in camps or visiting family most of the time! We saw one friend at the pool several times, but it just wasn't the free for all I remembered or imagined from my childhood. How do you have tons of free play with friends when the friends are all booked?

Also, we live in a city too, and at this age it really does require parental organization. There's no running across a string of unfenced yards, getting to friends or parks requires crossing busy streets. I do think they will have a lot more freedom in middle and high school than I did in a car dependent area, though; there is actually public space an older kid can safely walk or bike to. [/quote]

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