americas worse mom

[smelly07]

Totally agree, ^^^^^^^^^^^^

There is more chance of a child getting hit by a car then there is being abducted, even if they are taught about road safety, there are so many idiots about........i have taken my child to school always crossing at the traffic lights and the amount of drivers that still drive through a red light amazes me.......a child gets taught to cross when they see the green man, well.....my daughter knows to cross when she has seen the green man and that cars have stopped in both directions.
In my area there are so many little roads where you need to look in 3 directions where cars may being coming out of or turning in to and there are also loads of cars parked up in places blocking your view of on coming cars, as there is lack of proper parking spaces available... its crazy. my main concern is definitely the roads. x

 

[Sarahkka]

One of my favourite ironies is the huge number of parents who drive their kids to school citing safety and stranger danger as the main reason for doing so, but who then create a serious increase in traffic in the school zone itself, consequently increasing the odds for a child to suffer from the actual danger - traffic.
We have a great initiative here in Alberta called the "walking schoolbus". It is a community program that pairs up approved volunteers and local school kids to walk to school together everyday. It can include seniors, SAH parents, whoever applies and is approved, and it finds groups of kids who live near each other to travel together. While there is an adult here, it still fosters mentoring from the older kids, good decision-making and risk-assessment skills (facilitated by the adult) from the kids, and practises the traffic safety everyday. Not to mention the physical fitness, community-building, etc. that goes on.

 

[Eternal]

we just do time out if she really needs it. generally counting to 5 works haha, she usually lets me get to 3 then panics and does what shes told.

mine just laughs at the counting think and counts with me!

time out works well with OH but he will not stay when i put him there although thats what im trying my hardest with right now.

 

[Eternal]

I have not seen the show, but completely agree with her philosophy. "Helicopter parenting" is damaging to our kids developmentally. We raise firghtened people who are afraid to take any risks and who have no experience in solving problems for themselves. They lack basic life skills!
I think this goes even further than allowing your kids more freedom. There is an amazing book called "Last Child in the Woods" in which the author, Richard Louv, talks about the fact that we not only forbid our children any unsupervised time, but we no longer allow them to access green spaces freely. The days of disappearing into the park or the woodlot at the end of the street with a gang of neighbourhood kids have disappeared. And Louv's theory is that we have created a "nature deficit disorder" by not allowing kids to go out and get dirty and build a fort together and solve problems together without an adult hovering over them. I fully agree with him.
And find it incredible that I would be judged less harshly as a mother if I let my kid sit on his ass in front of a screen all day rather than let him go for a bike ride and explore a local park on his own or with some of his friends.
I think this is a HUGE problem - this ridiculous misperception of stranger danger.

And I agree about traffic! The biggest threat to my sons is not some incredibly unlikely chance of abduction; it's traffic. I am hell on traffic safety with my little guys and drill it into them. That is my biggest safety fear for them. We live in a major city with very aggressive, bad drivers. So I can't let them really free range for awhile yet. They are just too small and impulsive.

I agree, i wouldnt have before i watched the programme, my SIL used to let her kids go out and play out in the open space out her back (we lived in a small village of just over 100 houses, and i would see the kids out by themselves and think, what is she thinking, but i totally get it now, wish we still lived there as there wasn't a traffic danger like there is here. i felt that i needed i be in control 100% of the time, but its makes no sense and its clear that its actually harmful and that giving the children responsibility and freedom (to an extent) is a much better way to raise happy, healthy and confident kids.

 

[Eternal]

One of my favourite ironies is the huge number of parents who drive their kids to school citing safety and stranger danger as the main reason for doing so, but who then create a serious increase in traffic in the school zone itself, consequently increasing the odds for a child to suffer from the actual danger - traffic.
We have a great initiative here in Alberta called the "walking schoolbus". It is a community program that pairs up approved volunteers and local school kids to walk to school together everyday. It can include seniors, SAH parents, whoever applies and is approved, and it finds groups of kids who live near each other to travel together. While there is an adult here, it still fosters mentoring from the older kids, good decision-making and risk-assessment skills (facilitated by the adult) from the kids, and practises the traffic safety everyday. Not to mention the physical fitness, community-building, etc. that goes on.

there is a school at the bottom of my street and the amount of parents that start sitting waiting there from about 130pm is crazy, they sit and wait for hours so that they can park right next to the school gates, and the crazy thing is they all live very locally, and you would swear that their kids would melt if it were raining, i don't think most of the children have ever experienced a rain drop and parents will block the road rather than let their child walk 2 minutes in the rain. whats wrong with wellys and jumping in puddles?

 

[Dragonfly]

Maybe just me I would worry the driver would not see my child crossing the road without an adult and hit him by accident. I couldnt let my 3 year old wonder about, sorry. I have a duty of care to keep him safe. I agree with natural consequences just not when there isnt an awareness of them and danger of death. Last week someone tried snatching a kid here and the police have sent out warnings. My other half was set on twice and ended up in hospital from people who are jealous of him I dont think i could have my son walking around like that.

 

[Nibblenic]

Maybe just me I would worry the driver would not see my child crossing the road without an adult and hit him by accident. I couldnt let my 3 year old wonder about, sorry. I have a duty of care to keep him safe. I agree with natural consequences just not when there isnt an awareness of them and danger of death. Last week someone tried snatching a kid here and the police have sent out warnings. My other half was set on twice and ended up in hospital from people who are jealous of him I dont think i could have my son walking around like that.

I think obviously in all situations you need to consider circumstance and environment. We live very rurally, however the road in front of my home in dangerous, I dont even let her near it without holding my hand. However on the village main street there are 3 pelican crossings within say 500yrds, so traffic is mainly slow, cautionary, prepared to brake and manoeuvre. Now im not saying I let her run about and in and out of the road, but i am happy to walk along there without holding her hand and cross at the crossings doing the same.
Back to where I live we are surrounded by fields at all sides after our neighbours property after that. She is locked into the garden buy fances and gates. So I let her out there, partly unsupervised.
Its all about judging the danger biased on facts, not just the worse possible outcome

 

[marley2580]

we just do time out if she really needs it. generally counting to 5 works haha, she usually lets me get to 3 then panics and does what shes told.

mine just laughs at the counting think and counts with me!

time out works well with OH but he will not stay when i put him there although thats what im trying my hardest with right now.

Blythe is a wee menace at times but is told regularly, and I back it up with action, if she doesn't stop when I tell her then she will walk the rest of the way holding my hand. I believe this teaches her that with freedom comes responsibility.