noddyholder on Wed 22-Apr-09 14:23:19
"No wouldn't put him in ski school either!over protective maybe but everyone has their limits and at 9 i think there is little need to be out and about on their own. "
Am just back from reading the recent report on child wellbeing in different countries. You know, the one where the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries score top marks for every aspect of wellbeing.
And I can't think of a single Scandinavian parent of my acquaintance who wouldn't think your attitude cruelly restrictive. Ime they take it for granted that by the time you start school, you also need to gradually start increasing your independence. For a 7yo that would mean walking unaccompanied to school, for a group of 11yos going alone to the beach would be a normal part of a summer's day.
Of course, this is partly because they are just bloody lucky living in areas with relatively little crime. (though having said that, I don't think statistics show that more children are actually abducted by strangers in the UK).
But partly also, I think it is because Scandinavian parents tend to trust their children more and tend to see their need for freedom as a genuine human need that has to be met.
Presumably, the risk from your house catching fire or cutting your hands off with a sharp knife are about the same in either culture. Indeed, some aspects of Scandinavian life must be infinitely more dangerous- the risk of succumbing to hypothermia in winter for instance, or the fact that most children live near some form of lake or other water.
Yet these parents seem far happier about letting their children play out in the snow or stay alone at home. And (given current research) the children seem happier too. They have more to do. And yet, fewer die in accidents. Strange.