It is amazing to those of us who grew up in different eras how coddled and over-protected children of today are. They are treated as though one wrong move, one act of discipline, or a disapproving glance will scar them for life. But, at the same time we all recall the metal playgrounds and gravel we enjoyed as children. You learned to check the heat before you burnt your tush. We are doing our children a serious disservice by treating them as though they are far more fragile than they are.
In fact, you would think we needed to invest in marble polishing-(click here), when it comes to the way we treat our children. Are they precious? Absolutely! Infinitely more precious and valuable than the marble in our kitchens. That’s the stuff that needs polishing, not our kids. We don’t need to keep shining them and putting them on pedestals. The more we elevate them the greater they will shatter when reality hits them. And it will, it always does.
Lies
Didn’t you ride a bike without a helmet? Or skateboard without knee pads? You bet! And, you fell down, you crashed and burned and what happened? You learned to be more careful, you learned that practice was necessary to avoid the pain of road rash. But, when we treat our children like marble, when we prevent them from sustaining any potential cracks, we teach them that they are invincible and that life doesn’t hurt. Essentially, we lie to them. Remember.
China Dolls
Think back to those china dolls your grandmother gave you because she thought they would be a great thing for you to collect. Of what value were they to you as a child? Not much. Why? Because you couldn’t play with them. They had to be handled ever so carefully because one wrong move and a finger would become a fragment. So, you stuck them on a shelf with their little stands and pretty much never gave them a second thought. This is what we are doing to our children, making them useless because any misstep will destroy their value. Learn more.
Conquering
We are not implying that helmets and safety gear are ill-advised. Don’t mistake the message here. Rather we want to open your eyes to the resiliency of youth. Consider all the things you endured as a young person. Certainly you weren’t exposed to as much heinous graphic violence and illicit sexual imagery, but maybe that was partially because you wouldn’t have sought it out in the first place. Why? Because you were busy playing outside, getting hurt, and conquering your own fears and giants.
Adventure
When we wrap our kids up in protections upon protections we eliminate the ambition to seek adventure. Why? Because real adventure means risks, but when we take those risks away we also eliminate the value of the adventure. Why go outside and try jumping that ramp on my bike when I have to first get all decked out in protective gear and place padding around the ramp?
Chips
It is time we really allowed our kids to get back outside and enjoy the mishaps and injuries that are inevitable with true childhood. When we prevent them from these experiences we drive them to “safe” technology where they have access to the most damaging experiences available. It is time for a perspective change, parents, let the marble chip a little. Click this for more thoughts on this subject.