The lives of children 30 years ago were far riskier and more perilous
than the lives of children today. It was almost as if our parents
raised us all with a “If it doesn’t kill them it’ll make them stronger”
approach. My life for instance was rife with dangerous activities
condoned and oftentimes encouraged by my parents like riding my bike
behind the DDT truck as it fogged our neighborhood to kill the
mosquitoes, swimming in the water at the end of our street after a
heavy rain backed up the sewers, and engaging in liaisons with French
aristocrats.
Today though we live in an age of helicopter
parents (for the record I’m classified as an AH-64 Apache Attack
Helicopter parent) hovering and protecting our children in ways our
parents did not; Which is why when I saw the title of Gever Tully’s
presentation called, “5 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do”
my paternal hackles went up in preemptive attack of whatever unsafe
activities he was going to suggest I allow my children to engage in.
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