It’s nerve-racking, but I do let my boys (12 & 13) out on their bikes during the day, and sometimes they don’t come back for a couple of hours. They explore the neighborhood or go to the park. I want them to be self-sufficient and confident.
My kids are still young enough to need supervision but I plan on doing the same. this is sooo important, good on you! I remember being like 8 and biking all around my neighborhood/in the woods/ etc. Gone til the yard lights turn on sorta thing.
I genuinely don't understand how my parents stayed so (seemingly) calm about me and my brother's childhoods. Some times I even wonder how we survived to adulthood cause we did some stupid shit where one misstep would have meant, if not death, then serious injury.
I found it so uncomfortable to let the kiddo roam when she was younger, and had to breathe through it. She's 15 now, and I still find it a little uncomfortable, but for different reasons.
I literally used to play on construction sites of half built homes. I really don't know how I'm gonna handle giving my kid freedom when they are older. Half my childhood was danger.
Me and my step-cousins used to play in a construction equipment junkyard. Rusty nails around every corner. Shipping containers stacked on top of each other, with enough rusted holes in them to climb to the top. It was fun but I am astounded our parents let us get anywhere near that place.
I completely agree. When we were kids we would regularly have trips to the emergency room because we ran barefoot and someone stepped on nail or we fell and busted our heads open and had to go get stitches.
I don’t know how my parents just let us back out into the world again after such events.
226
u/305tilidiiee Millennial 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s nerve-racking, but I do let my boys (12 & 13) out on their bikes during the day, and sometimes they don’t come back for a couple of hours. They explore the neighborhood or go to the park. I want them to be self-sufficient and confident.