I was watching Beyond Stranger Things yesterday (full of spoiler alerts so don’t watch it until after you watch season 2). The Duffer brothers (writers) were talking about how the show is set in the 80’s. They were saying how much easier it is to do a show set in the 80’s because there wasn’t technology like we have now. The only thing, technology wise, they had to worry about was the walkie talkies and whether or not they worked.
One of the brothers said it reminded him of his childhood because, back then, kids had a lot more freedom. He said they felt like they were always on an adventure because their parents didn’t know where they were and they could do what they want. It was considered normal for parents not to know where their kids were.
I was thinking about my recent post about safe trick r treating and our trick r treating on Halloween. We went with a large group of kids ages 9 months to 12 years old and like 6 adults. On the way home, I was telling Chris about what the Duffer brother said and how even in my childhood, during trick r treating, we were allowed to go by ourselves by about age 10.
In society today, it just simply isn’t safe.
We have to worry about abductions, rapists, pedophiles, sex trafficking, and I have even heard things about people cutting off kids’ body parts to sell (fucking disgusting!). We have to worry about candy laced in things, allergies, and everything else to keep our kids safe.
I really would like to know when society started getting so bad. I think a lot of it is we hear more about it now with our instant access to things and instant news when things happen.
My question is though, are we creating a world where our kids won’t know what true freedom feels like, with us constantly breathing down their necks to ensure they are safe?
I know I believe safety triumphs, but are we conditioning our kids to live in fear?
How can we find a balance of giving them freedom while also keeping them safe?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
-Jenn
Reclaiming My Sanity 