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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I

As a side-note, on balance i probably come down a little bit more on the free-range side of things, but am I the only parent that is really irritated by the "movement" surrounding same? I'd LOVE to see a successful movement that brings back neighborhoods, kids at home (nannies, moms / dads with flex hours, etc) or at least in play based daycare instead of in school fulltime at three, more recess, and more of the "olden days" feel that made it safe for us to walk home from school at 7, that made it so that we could go out in the street and play hockey. But look, I live in a different time now. If I let MY kids go out, they're the only kids out there. The other kids are scheduled up during the few hours they aren't in school. Homework intrudes on evenings and weekends are filled with organization, from everything from parents feeling they MUST fill every moment, to going out to dinner all the time (I admit we're guilty of that) or to soccer, baseball, etc, or even just ultra-organized birthday parties. We can lament the lack of freedom, but it's super silly, to me, to suggest that parents who are "afraid" to let their kids do what we did as children are the problem. The problem is huge and pervasive and it's really not just a matter of me thinking my 9 year old is not ready to ride metro by herself, I think.  [/quote]

Actually, the sentiment you express is expresed pretty clearly by Lenore (I may have her name wrong - the original woman in the free range movement.)  That she can let her kid go out and play, but who is he going to play with?     So the reason she calls it a movement, is that the problem is so pervasive, that it needs  movement to fix.  But I agree that some of the followers on her website are more of the type that think anyone whose kids aren't outdoors, creating laynards out of grassblades is a overprotective helicopter parent.  What bothers me by the movement is it seems to be they type of things where people take sides.  You are free range or you aren't.  The orginal book was great - in that it encouraged small changes, and acknowledged that it was hard to make those changes when you live in a society where all the other kids are over scheduled.[/quote]

Thanks for your thoughtful response! I have to admit to knowing most of what I know about the movement from the parents who practice it, so to speak. You've made me interested in reading the book. [/quote]

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