Quote:
Originally Posted by Puxlut
Non-existence of parental supervision.
My parents would just kick me out for the day. If I was hungry for lunch, come home. If not, make sure you're home for supper... or at least listen for my dad's whistle which you could hear from 10 blocks away. My friends and I would go into the forest behind my house and we'd build the most kick ass forts and rafts to go float around in the swamp (surprising none of us drowned). I just measured out that we'd ride our bikes through trails 3km's away from home where there was caves, cliffs and chasms that at 10 years old was magical. No idea how we didn't get lost or seriously hurt! But now all kids have an alarm that goes off if they go 10 feet from a parent. Has the world changed that much? I'd like to trust my daughter, but she's almost been run over twice in the past 6 months because she can't figure out that cars drive on roads. And now all the kids get to play in are concrete jungles  |
This isn't a shot at you, and if it comes off that way I apologize, but if you want your kid(s) to have the freedom you had the answer is easy.
Give it to them.
I am not sure how old you daughter is, but I have always encouraged my kids to take off and explore their world. When they were 5 & 7, we let them go off to the park 2 blocks away in the evening/night. They would roll with a big "gang" of friends. We have continued that approach. Allowing them to go to the woods on the edge of town, or down to the lake alone with friends. Now we are back in Calgary my approach hasn't changed. Get out explore, find parks, climb stuff, hang with friends. Kids still like and enjoy this stuff.
Honestly the world (IMO) isn't any less safe than "back in my day".
I think the one thing I miss is the anticipation of buying music. Now if my kids hear a song they like they can download it right away. I miss having to go to the record store and finding the tape/record (eventually CD) and buying it. Then you had to rush home to play it. Would there be liner notes, words? Ah, sure good times. Coupled with that is just hanging out in record stores. I would love browsing through bands and sometimes having to jump in the deep end and buy an album without really hearing it.