Free Range Kids

Here is a blog I have discovered recently and I have developed a tremendous amount of respect for.

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

I’m amazed that kids have less freedom to do things than when I was a kid.

I keep thinking that this “helicopter parenting” where children have an adult hovering over them all the time is itself a form of disability. Parents who think, “I know that he’ll probably be okay, but why take the risk?” are making the false assumption that parotecting kids from all harm isn’t harming them.

It all ties in to the Constructivist theory of development. We learn from mistakes and the natural consequences thereof. We learn from doing things by ourselves or by collaborating with our peers. Most importantly, we learn when our support structures are removed. Failure to remove the scaffolding places an artificial ceiling on the Zone of Proximal Development.

Just a thought: A kid with a disability who is allowed to play wiffle-ball in the empty lot down the street is a lot less disabled than the typical kid who isn’t allowed to because of ZOFG strangers!!!!

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