Blog: CNA Board Director Katherine on Free-Range Kids

My goal was to get my 11-year old outside to enjoy the sunny day. However, I had another secret motive. Having read with great amusement some of Skenazy’s blog posts from outraged parents who believe she should be locked up and the key thrown away for letting her 9-year old child go on the subway of New York City alone, I wanted to see if some of these people might live in Victoria. My plan was to go to a local park, announce I was leaving, and then hide in the bushes to watch as righteous parents come to the rescue of my child before the ‘bad guy’ steels him away.

 

Instead of enacting my plan, my family decided to go to the Highland Games and Celtic Festival together. This fun 2-day outdoor event takes place in big open fields with plenty of space to roam, has lots of Scottish inspired vendors displaying their goods, and best of all people from around the world compete  in haggis hurling, tug of war, and other not-often-seen activities. 

 

Funny thing happened. The kids didn’t want to leave our side. They stuck so near that I kept tripping over them.

 

I’ve reflected upon this all long weekend. I’ve always been an outdoor person as has my husband, we met climbing in Yosemite and we are happiest in the outdoors. We bring this inspired love and passion to our children and home. Thankfully they do show signs of loving the outdoors, but like all other kids and youth in today’s society, the draw of computer games and social networking usually wins out. Plus there’s a lack of other kids playing outside that they can meet up with.

 

So, what to do? Our family just instituted “No Electronic Saturdays”. That means no computers, cell phones, iPhones – for any of us! I’ll bet we’ll be playing outside more this summer!

 

- Katherine Walker