tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post8669965131787176735..comments2023-10-12T08:07:19.925-06:00Comments on Inside Outside Upside-Down: childhood memories of exploring outsideKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02154269015136721208noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-2171590682685256152009-11-06T20:29:25.852-07:002009-11-06T20:29:25.852-07:00I know I always had to let my mother know where I ...I know I always had to let my mother know where I was, but I totally didn't mind it. I honestly think I will treat my kids about how I was treated. Reminded of the rules frequently (like no talking to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street, etc.) given a curfew, telling my mom where I was going and who I would be with, but allowed to make my own fun and explore where I wanted really.Ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16558367249173178814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-53843039295626336162009-11-05T20:13:05.280-07:002009-11-05T20:13:05.280-07:00I don't ever remembering telling my parents wh...I don't ever remembering telling my parents where I was going. I would ride my bike to the park with my brother, go to the neighbors to play, play in the empty lot behind our houses. We knew we needed to be home when it was dinner time and my parents had a big cow bell they would ring outside to let us know when it was time to come home.<br /><br />I don't know what the answer is for my own kids. When my kids ask to go on a hike I make sure there is at least two of them and I prefer it if they take the dog with them. It's so nice that I have the park across the street, but they still have to have someone with them when they go or friends at the park who they will be with. They absolutely have to tell me where they are going or they risk being grounded from friends or bikes. I wish it were different, but other than having my own house out in nature, I don't know how to really let them roam free.Jennifer Pelo Rawlingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06644320074023725294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-15987015790348078552009-11-05T08:29:54.314-07:002009-11-05T08:29:54.314-07:00I do worry about my kids getting hurt, too. Or lo...I do worry about my kids getting hurt, too. Or lost. In particular, we have coyotes, cougars, rattlesnakes, and scorpions up in our hills and it kind of freaks me out. I know the odds are low, but still.<br /><br />It doesn't help knowing there are registered sex offenders around our neighborhood (thanks to those handy registries where you can look up your neighborhood and see where they live).<br /><br />I think I worry more about them being molested than actually abducted.<br /><br />And it's true, the kids don't go out on their own - anywhere. We have decided as a result of discussions of this book, that the older kids really need to go out and explore around our house more. The hill is also covered in very prickly weeds which doesn't seem like much fun to me. But anyway - another issue (for another discussion) is how they really don't have the free time I remember having as a child. (TOO MUCH HOMEWORK!!!)<br />They hardly have time to play at all, much less go off exploring.<br /><br />And it is a sad sad fact that they watch too much TV and the boys play too many video games. I cringe to admit it, esp since I didn't even ever want to OWN a TV, but it is true.<br /><br />Anyway - there's always a lot to work on and improve as parents, right?Kristenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02154269015136721208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-81882772361379104902009-11-05T02:40:03.902-07:002009-11-05T02:40:03.902-07:00funny, i don't remember the dirt slide either....funny, i don't remember the dirt slide either. or the leaf "houses". <br /><br />but i do remember playing up in the woods behind jessica & amy's house.. the huge rotten logs, and we'd dig out the rotting wood and pretend it was food. cheese, in particular. i don't have any idea why on earth we called it cheese. <br /><br />i remember lots of imagination games involving being animals, not people. mice. i remember pretending to be mice. one instance in particular was up in the woods by the golf course with a bunch of friends. <br /><br />yeah, we definitely had more freedom then. or maybe mom just didn't know where we were? haha, i don't know. i haven't been so worried of bren getting abducted as i have just of him hurting himself (cause that's just his tendency) and no one being around to help.<br /><br />your desert mountain isn't as interesting perhaps as a forest or a stream, but wouldn't the kids have fun exploring up there anyway? do you really not let them out of the yard? <br /><br />i absolutely think that much of the fear surrounding life these days is completely unnecessary and is a direct result from the "news" blowing things out of proportion. in fact, i think even OUR childhoods were overprotected. i don't know how or why or when, but somehow i was taught to be afraid of everything and everyone and i'm still working on getting over it..<br /><br />~magsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-70017992622283497442009-11-04T20:52:22.993-07:002009-11-04T20:52:22.993-07:00In a lot of ways the world is probably safer than ...In a lot of ways the world is probably safer than it was, yet I know it scares me to death to think of letting the kids wander the woods alone. Our generation has become scared of everything and we're raising children that will either be scared of everything or completely rebel, unless we manage to overcome some of this fear. That's my opinion anyway.<br /><br />We need a stream full of crawdads, frogs, and turtles for the kids to romp through. There are some drawbacks to living in the desert. I used to love playing around the water. I caught all kinds of animals growing up: crawdads, tadpoles and frogs, toads, turtles of all sorts, rabbits, fish, birds, snakes, lizards, etc. I felt a real connection to nature. <br /><br />I remember when my dad started trying to sell me on the idea of moving to New Jersey. One of my biggest concerns was whether there were trees - I loved to climb trees. He said there were tons, so I was very excited. We had planned to buy a home nestled in a forest there but it never worked out. We eventually ended up living on a city block, 4 blocks from the beach - never got my forest but I did get a beach. Anyway that has always been my dream to have a house in the middle of a forest. I'm still planning on achieving that goal one day. That would be pretty scary in much of the west because of fire danger but less of a concern in the East.<br /><br />Anyway, after writing all this I'm getting excited about getting my kids more in touch with nature, no matter what type is available.<br /><br />Zaczachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03869760086018813885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-16117968325189931422009-11-04T15:12:30.413-07:002009-11-04T15:12:30.413-07:00I have read time and time again that the number of...I have read time and time again that the number of child abductions has NOT increased since the 70s - rather the media is publicizing them much more than in the past. It's hard to be a parent and turn the "abduction" fear off and give your children the freedom to roam. I am wondering how free I will let my kids be when they are a bit older (currently they are just shy of 2 and 4). I too remember having so much freedom when I was growing up.Christina G.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1396378986102986743.post-67655292493647484872009-11-04T13:03:02.040-07:002009-11-04T13:03:02.040-07:00Hey Kristen, that was great reading about the fun ...Hey Kristen, that was great reading about the fun times you had as a kid. You know, I don't even remember the dirt ground into your pants. Must not have been that bad. haha. I do remember the houses made out of leaves. That's something Ellen and I did as kids too!<br /><br />I think it's a sad but necessary fact of life that kids don't have the freedom now that they used to have. It's just a different world. I'm sure you would never dream of letting your kids roam the hills by your house alone and you have good reason not to, but back when you were a kid I didn't have that fear for you when you were out exploring. It's just different. You just need to work harder at giving them opportunities.Mom Bnoreply@blogger.com