Quote:
Originally Posted by Bent Wookie
Out of interest, how many of you have kids that responded in this thread. If so, what are their ages, etc.
I have issues with the LRT stations and kids that need to stop at one, get transferred, etc. Nothing good ever happens at an LRT station.
I am more than confident my kids could handle the city bus, but not as keen on them handling the people that hangout at LRT stations.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
My kids are between 9 and 11.
I hear what you're saying about LRT stations. No doubt there are unsavoury people who hang out there. And the trains themselves at night feel less safe than they did 20 years ago. But I don't know what exactly you'd be afraid of sketchy people at stations doing to kids during the day, when there are all kinds of people around.
Getting accustomed to being in the presence of dirtbags and weirdos is an urban life skill. We can't protect kids from it their whole lives. Better they learn to be comfortable and streetwise when they're 12 or 13 than shelter them so they're totally freaked out the first time they see someone muttering to themselves in a hoody when they're 20.
I used to work with someone who moved to Calgary from small town Newfoundland when she was around 30. She was absolutely horrified by homeless people, and almost had a panic attack whenever someone sketchy came within 20 feet of her. She would never take public transportation, or walk around anywhere downtown except a few major streets during the day. When she saw a dude drinking a tallboy in the park down the street from her house in the far burbs, she called the cops.
I don't want my kids to be raised with that kind of fear, to restrict where and when they go out so they never come into contact with anyone but other middle-class suburbanites.
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I was going to start a post on the topic of children and the freedom their given after some family visits this summer. We had relatives with their own kids staying with us so we had a housefull of kids at times.
It was crazy to see how little some kids are allowed to do on their own. By not letting your child venture out on his own you are preventing them from learning many life skills. One big one is risk assessment. Your child is either going to become a young adult and then an adult that is in fear eveything as the person described above or they are not going to be able to recognize risk and not be able to avoid bad scenarioa and be overtrusting.
Real life problem solving is another skill you develop by experience.
Its crazy the extremes things have gone to. I was a free range kid. I grew up in a north american city bigger than Calgary. By 12 I was taking transit or riding my bike all over town. I also had a paper route and my own money at that age, which could be a whole different thread about kids today. I learned a lot in those adventures and gained skills about assessing risk, dealing with people, and solving problems that have served me well as an adult. Things are different today so my childrens' childhood is different than mine but we try to give our kids freedom and have them make decisions and take risks on their own. I watched an interview on local news with a mother and her 12 yearold son and he was afraid to take the transit bus to school. I feel sorry for this child because he has likely never left his house without a parent or guardian so of course he bow has a fear of taking a bus on his own, even if its just to and from school during daylight hours.
As for the parent posting worried about their children and the people they may encounter at LRT stations, your children are more likely exposed to much worse people online than theyll ever be at an LRT station.