Listened to your interview, and loved it. I’ve said it 80 million times already, but still–you make way more sense than too many people have the capacity to understand. I consider myself blessed that, somehow, I manage to, and I’m all the better for it.
Unfortunately, I probably won’t get to watch your program because I doubt it would be shown on German TV or the US Armed Forces Network. Germans consider free range to be normal, though they may watch the program to shake their heads in wonder at the American helicopter parents.
If your program is a hit, it might be a good idea to show free range kids all over the world. While spotlighting an American family with helicopter parents, it might be interesting to show a German (or Japanese, French, or Italian) family with kids in the same age range as the American family and use them as a comparison. For example, the American 10-year-old may not even be allowed to ride his bike to the park a block away, while a child in Berlin the same age walks a block to the U-Bahn (subway) stop by himself and then takes the U-Bahn to go to school. It would be good for US parents to see that their counterparts around the world love their kids just as much but don’t spend their lives worrying that their children will be abducted or molested while out by themselves.
I’m sure that in order to keep production costs down, you can’t travel all over the world to show free range kids.
It’s interesting when I visit my friends and family in San Diego and Los Angeles. When I tell them that my son rides his bike to school, a friend’s house, or the store by himself, the usual reaction is, “He can do that because it’s so different and much safer where you live.” It’s true that the city of 30,000 where I live is much different than San Diego or Los Angeles. But kids in large German cities, like Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich, also ride their bikes or use public transportation by themselves to go places and arrive unscathed.
Keep up your good work.
Tuppence on
Great idea Sue! You’re probably right, it’d be too expensive, but it’s a fab idea.
Lenore, I’m from NY and already sent an email out to all my “homies” with kids. Also, in the facebook crowd my sis runs with (she lives in NYC), your TV- show casting is ‘creating a buzz’, as they say. It won’t be long now till you’ve got all your families lined up, I’m sure! Best of luck!
Keep on going. Letting kids go and play is one of the most important things a parent can do foster independence. The more you are able to spread the word through interviews, articles, etc. the better it is for the children!
EricS on
Looking forward to your Show. Do you have a date and time of the premiere?
In regards to this question:
“What hope is there in a society that is so closed off to new ways of approaching the development of our children?”
The concept of free range upbringing is OLD. Very old. This method, has been pushed away in the last few years, so what was so normal in recent years, has become shunned. And all the new fear induced “methods”, have sprung up and become the norm.
The question should be…What hope is there in a society that is so closed off to methods that was used by our parents, our grand parents, our great grand parents, etc…?
marilyn on
I am in my 70s. Our kids never had limits. We no w live in a very small town where most kids are
range free and don’t have to wear helmets to ride a bike.
Meanwhile, our unpleasant family saga continues: http://sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com/133779.html. If DH wasn’t so opposed to being on TV, and if we didn’t have kind of the wrong attitude re: predators, etc., I’d be tempted to apply for the show just in order to send the principal a DVD of SP taking the bus home from school in perfect safety …
7 Comments
Listened to your interview, and loved it. I’ve said it 80 million times already, but still–you make way more sense than too many people have the capacity to understand. I consider myself blessed that, somehow, I manage to, and I’m all the better for it.
LRH
Unfortunately, I probably won’t get to watch your program because I doubt it would be shown on German TV or the US Armed Forces Network. Germans consider free range to be normal, though they may watch the program to shake their heads in wonder at the American helicopter parents.
If your program is a hit, it might be a good idea to show free range kids all over the world. While spotlighting an American family with helicopter parents, it might be interesting to show a German (or Japanese, French, or Italian) family with kids in the same age range as the American family and use them as a comparison. For example, the American 10-year-old may not even be allowed to ride his bike to the park a block away, while a child in Berlin the same age walks a block to the U-Bahn (subway) stop by himself and then takes the U-Bahn to go to school. It would be good for US parents to see that their counterparts around the world love their kids just as much but don’t spend their lives worrying that their children will be abducted or molested while out by themselves.
I’m sure that in order to keep production costs down, you can’t travel all over the world to show free range kids.
It’s interesting when I visit my friends and family in San Diego and Los Angeles. When I tell them that my son rides his bike to school, a friend’s house, or the store by himself, the usual reaction is, “He can do that because it’s so different and much safer where you live.” It’s true that the city of 30,000 where I live is much different than San Diego or Los Angeles. But kids in large German cities, like Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich, also ride their bikes or use public transportation by themselves to go places and arrive unscathed.
Keep up your good work.
Great idea Sue! You’re probably right, it’d be too expensive, but it’s a fab idea.
Lenore, I’m from NY and already sent an email out to all my “homies” with kids. Also, in the facebook crowd my sis runs with (she lives in NYC), your TV- show casting is ‘creating a buzz’, as they say. It won’t be long now till you’ve got all your families lined up, I’m sure! Best of luck!
Keep on going. Letting kids go and play is one of the most important things a parent can do foster independence. The more you are able to spread the word through interviews, articles, etc. the better it is for the children!
Looking forward to your Show. Do you have a date and time of the premiere?
In regards to this question:
“What hope is there in a society that is so closed off to new ways of approaching the development of our children?”
The concept of free range upbringing is OLD. Very old. This method, has been pushed away in the last few years, so what was so normal in recent years, has become shunned. And all the new fear induced “methods”, have sprung up and become the norm.
The question should be…What hope is there in a society that is so closed off to methods that was used by our parents, our grand parents, our great grand parents, etc…?
I am in my 70s. Our kids never had limits. We no w live in a very small town where most kids are
range free and don’t have to wear helmets to ride a bike.
Great interview! 😀
Meanwhile, our unpleasant family saga continues: http://sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com/133779.html. If DH wasn’t so opposed to being on TV, and if we didn’t have kind of the wrong attitude re: predators, etc., I’d be tempted to apply for the show just in order to send the principal a DVD of SP taking the bus home from school in perfect safety …