I just read this article by Michael Chabon about the "lost wilderness" of childhood and it strung a chord with me. And while I agree that there's value in roaming the neighborhood without the constant monitoring of adults, that there's value in discovering your "place" and all it's secrets, hidden corners, alleyways, interesting gardens, houses under construction, noticing the way it all changes through the seasons -- I'd be worried to let my kids do it here.
On the other hand, we've been taking family walks together once a week and I'm delighted and amazed with all the exploration and discovery that goes on. It's a 26 minute walk that I usually take each evening by myself to get away from all the chaos, but with the family it can take up to 2 hours. The boys poke around, feel the bark curls on the Paper Birch trees, scoop up handfuls of cottonwood fluff to throw in the breeze, sample the blueberries just ripening on the neighbor's bushes, gaze at the lake and Mt. Rainier in the distance, and discuss Daddy's commute over the floating bridge and to the city of Bellevue beyond -- all which is part of the view on our walk. It's good stuff and when I see the boys in action, on foot and taking it all in, it reminds me how important this roaming around is -- even if Chris and I are along for the ride.
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I often wonder if it is so much more dangerous or if we just worry more because we are more aware of potential dangers than our parents ever were. Chris will tell you that our mom didn't like us to wander far, but we were allowed to go about the immediate neighborhood after a certain age. Of course we lived on a cul de sac and that had some natural limitations. We were gradually allowed to go farther as we got older. Maybe the kiddos are just too young to be on their own yet, so you're still feeling that. I have to say the boys really enjoyed to walk to Grateful Bread even with us grown ups along and seemed to see something familiar and something new each time.
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