#freerangekids do you know exactly where your children are? or do you allow them some leeway to make that type of decision on their own?
You can read some responses there, if you are my friend on facebook. Here's my response, modified for more description and discussion here on my blog.Okay, maybe I'll clarify a little. My kids are all under 8. They have a boundary of about a block. On two sides of that block are busier roads. If they can't hear me bellow for them, they are in the wrong place. As long as they are in that boundary, I don't keep track of where they are. That includes W {when with the others} (2.5) but not R (1).
K (8) goes to the library just under a block away by herself, with permission and a time limit. Sometimes she takes another sibling, including W.
I will send the three oldest (8, 7, 4) to a public bathroom together, to use the toilet(s) and then to find me in the store. I send any one of the those three to another part of the store to get an item or find their dad.
I remember the summer that two of cousins and I were supervising all the younger cousins at the lake. All three of us had quite a bit of life guarding / swimming training and we to be supervising the water play. Well, we were "free range" kids. We had a boundary and some guidelines but there were no parents in sight. We were in "bellowing" distance; well, except for that bit of time when the three of us on tubes got out so far that the wind and current was pulling us further and further from the edge and the other kids. We had to be rescued by a passing group of boating men who wouldn't go to our beach because they didn't know where the rocks were. Then we had to walk the distance back to our beach and cabin! Oh boy! Did we get it!?!?!?! lol.
I guess I'm talking about age appropriate decisions. I mean I wouldn't just ask my 8 year old to make a decision about whether to operate or not operate in an medical situation. But at 8 I think she's old enough to be obedient when out of my sight and if not then to know the consequences. I think she's old enough to decide if she's cold and should come in the house on a cool day or where a coat while out.
I think our children need to be allowed to play and learn out of our sight; to make mistakes and know that they can come to us when those mistakes are made so that we can help them learn to do better next time. Free range is about educating our children so they can decide for themselves. I think the earlier the better in a lot of cases.
Striving to learn and live God's purposes,
3 comments:
ROTFL! We were so NOT within bellowing distance!! Hahaha, too funny that we were the ones in charge and the younger ones were the responsible ones. Ah, the memories...too funny. We need to get together soon :)
I agree that kids deserve to be able to mistakes, because if they can't then when and how do they learn.
I appreciate the concept of free range kids and I think the older children get the farther the 'boundaries' can stretch. My bigger concern is what happens when a 'normal' situation gets out of control and they don't have the capacity, the patience or the problem solving skills to deal with it? Our children can be very intelligent, but there are just some situations I don't think they are equipped to handle.
Good post.
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