Children shouldn't be overly protected
Editor: I always enjoy Jim McGregor’s commentaries. He is refreshing and often brings a warm smile. His March 8 offering, however, highlights a concern we should seriously consider.
Just how far do we wish to go to protect ourselves? Any parent who sees the danger in everything,and tries to protect their child, will pass on a sense of mistrust, both in their environment and more importantly in themselves.
All children must learn how to fall down,how to laugh at oneself,etc. How else can they find out what incredible talents they’ve been blessed with?
They might become the next Olympic athlete, or next comedy sensation. Richard Attenborough, the famous naturalist, stated in 2008 that modern children are cut off from the experience of nature, and from play in the natural world. This is ironic, considering that society is frantically searching for new antibiotics (which are usually found in the soil) and asking our children to protect the environment, something with which they have no direct experience.
Maybe we should let our children play in the dirt and encourage outdoor games, and stop worrying about unusual fearful consequences. As McGregor says, “Let the kids be kids.”
Norma Johnson,
Langley
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