http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/opinion/the-case-for-free-range-parenting.html?referrer=

This article was posted by my husband on Facebook. I am parenting a 3 year and 15 month old, so for now, me leaving the kids alone for any length of time isn’t appropriate. But not too far in the near future, it will be. And, yup, my husband and I will be making the kids go outside and play. It’s healthy.  

My hubby and I are GenXers parenting (what’s this generation called again?) iGen? Post millennials? kids. So, yeah we’re older parents. We still remember when we were outside pretty much all the time, sun or snow. We remember a life outside the living room. Where our time wasn’t spent being carted to this activity or the next. Oh sure, we had extra curriculars. I rode my bike about a mile and a half nearly every day to go to the swimming pool when I was a kid. All by myself. My brother used to ride his bike everyday to little league practice that was easily a mile or more away. We walked to school and we made friends outside with the other kids in the neighborhood. 

Yet, now, I live in fear that CPS could come knocking on my door, if I chose to let my kids live similarly to how we were raised. My parents weren’t outside watching me or my brother when we played. Maybe they were watching from the window, but I don’t think so. 

Statistically, the world is a safer place than it was when I was a kid. Stranger abductions for all of last year were 115. Child death by car accidents from 2009 kids 12 and under more than 9,000! The true risk is driving!! What is going on here?

I’m going to have to pause for a moment: my phone battery is dying and get my thoughts cohesive. I’ll edit this soon!