At least for some kids, yes, being flung from the stress of a super-structured, super-supervised existence is having a calming, life-expanding effect. I discuss this amazing phenom in this Big Think article, including six short essays by kids themselves, and also in this interview with Bored Panda, the pop culture site, where I note that kids are suddenly experiencing an explosion of free time:
And while some of it is spent in distance learning, most of it is free-form, which means…it’s videogame time! Three hours later, it’s still videogame time! But at some point, even that gets old for most kids, and they start figuring out new things to do.”
According to Lenore, kids are now finding new hobbies and activities to enjoy, from riding bikes to making pancakes. “One mom told us her daughter was so bored (‘or a pod person has taken over her body’) that she started folding her own laundry. Then she folded her mom’s! And so many kids have started sewing, it’s like Little House on the Prairie out there.”
The president of Let Grow explained that this is happening because adults are handing over the reins to their kids. “Our whole belief is this: When adults step back, kids step up,” Lenore shared the core belief of the organization.
That is indeed our core belief! If you have stories to share about your kids becoming more independent thanks to the extremely odd circumstances we’re in, please drop a note to Info@LetGrow.org. Love to hear what’s happening. — L
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash