Retro Parenting

Many of us had quite different childhoods than the ones we’re giving our children—and that’s not entirely a good thing. Yes, the world has changed but not as much as we might think. Sure, my kids will never have a paper route like I did as a 12-year-old because newspapers have enlarged routes to cover areas no kid could tackle without a vehicle.

As the summer begins to wind down (shh! Don’t tell the kids that school is only a mere four weeks away!), ask fellow parents about their fondest or happiest childhood memory. Listen as they say things like…

• “We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood for hours unsupervised by adults.”

• “We played pickup games of baseball or soccer in the vacant lot down the street without adult supervision.”

• “We built a fort in our backyard with wood scrounged from the woods by ourselves.”

• “We had a lemonade stand just for fun on the corner, making the signs and handling everything by ourselves.”

• “We walked to the neighborhood park and played for hours alone.”

Do you see a common theme? We as parents did things by ourselves, without direct parental supervision, that most of us would not let our children do today. I get that it’s hard to be the Rambo parent, the one who bucks the current trends of hovering over our children, of supervising their every move. But someone’s got to do it or we’re going to have a bunch of kids who can’t take a step without adult assistance or at least watchful eyes.

But start with baby steps, if you’re really anxious about this. Start by kicking your kids outside while you stay inside away from the windows and doors. Tell them where they can go (such as around the block, etc.). Then don’t check on them for at least half an hour. Stretch that to forty-five minutes, then an hour. By that time, you should be enjoying the peaceful house and not worrying about the children.

Until next time,

Sarah