Saturday, December 05, 2009

My kids don't really roam outside... tired of scheduled play!


(Play I staged in field near home...can you see my middle
one of the far left doesn't like the feel of plants and rocky ground?)

Well I've gone and done it!
I'm tired of seeing my boys come home from school
and head

straight to the computer!

They need more outside time!
More time to play
More time to roam
More time for freedom!

I'll have to admit...
my 11 year old does not have the permission to play on
other blocks in our neighborhood.

We live across the street from his school...and you'd think the parking lot would serve as
ONE BIG skateboarding opportunity.

I do see a few kids there.

But not mine.

What's wrong with me?...
I hate being gripped with fear!
I grew up in the 80s...
My boundaries was the main two lane street in our neighborhood... that's as far east as I could go...
As far north was the riverbed...
as far south was the strawberry fields (now a subdivision named Strawberry fields...)
and as far west was two eucalyptus groves over...

my boys are able to go...
in the backyard alone.

Here I am...sitting in a camp chair facebooking while they play in the field...just sad!


OK we live on 1/6 of an acre...
so free roaming isn't happening around here.

They aren't allowed to go in the front alone.
Not really even my 14 year old...
Although he just started walking home from school...less than a 1/2 a mile away!
(He might be the one stolen while 1000 other kids walk home....)

I'm not alone....check out this article here.

Statically they could die falling out of the bed more than they would by being abducted.
But I don't freak out and make them sleep on the floor.

Some changes are going to have to start!
But the change has to start with me!

I'm thinking they've got to get out more and be able to roam...but how can they do that when I don't let them go anywhere alone?
Dare I say...I don't think it's healthy to let a 11 year old and a 14 year old not go 600 feet to the school across the street? Oh...I'm not alone...my neighbor's kids don't do it either.

The creativity in kids is dying...and it's dying because of a lack of play.
When I engage kids to make art projects, paint or draw...they want to know the standard...
they don't have thoughts and inklings of their own...

God has not made us to live in fear...and we need to be sensible...
But the new sensible...I believe isn't God ordained...

and somehow I'm going to help change it...
at least around my block.

Blessings!

3 comments:

Bethany said...

Well said. I struggle with this too. I think all of us parents do. I don't want to be bound by fear but I want to be reasonable in this dangerous world.

Beth in NC said...

Oh girl, I struggle here too. When I was a child my parents never knew where I was during the day. I was either at the pond or up in a barn somewhere. My poor daughter is NEVER out of my sight. It is sad.

Anonymous said...

you have a interesting blog
God Bless You