You’ve seen it before: Little Billy is the kid who gets dropped off by his overprotective mother in a 5-star military-grade minivan (steel plating is optional). He is signed up for everything from piano lessons and tutoring to soccer practice. It is a mystery why kids even have sports practice nowadays, because inevitably both teams will win. Little Billy is pampered, coddled and kept so safe that he’ll need training wheels until he’s 40… This is called Wussification.
It’s an issue addressing modern parenting. Sure, some parents will still let their kids be kids. But for millions of children, they are at a disservice. This quote hits the nail on the head:
“Kids aren’t learning how to get hurt, lose, fend for themselves, find their balance and discover minor dangers on their own – all important parts of growing up.”
This article puts a voice to all those concerns. For crying out loud, let kids (boys and girls alike) get outside and hurt themselves on occasion. Humans have been doing it for millions upon million of years, and we’re still here! Kids take away valuable lessons from trial and error.
For instance, it only takes one time to learn that recklessly racing other people down a steep hill on roller blades could be a bad idea if not done cautiously. I’m grateful to have learned this lesson when I did. What if I had tried to get that thrill in a car by playing chicken with a train at an older age?
There’s nothing to be feared by venturing outside. This isn’t advocating you drop your 8-year-old off at the park to be picked up by dusk… Know where they are, and whether or not sharp knives are involved. That should cover all the bases.
