Kala's Journal~Newest Project :)

[ohiofarmgirl]

one of DH's buddies GAVE us almost an entire winters worth of firewood.

WHAT????! great score!!!

and yay on the maters - i just sent you a totally belated pm.. hee hee sorry!

and um... i totally understand about your hubby's reaction to kidding season. you guys need a 4H kid to help you.

;-)

 

[savingdogs]

A winters worth of free firewood?

 

[Kala]

The whole time we were out there cutting up the wood I kept wondering how inappropriate it would be for me to kiss that man! Although DH is so grateful he might just be ok with it.

 

[Kala]

I picked up a book called "Free Range Kids-How To Raise Safe, Self-Relient Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry)" by Lenore Skenazy

I have to admit it was the title that first got me, anything that compares a kid to a chicken (or any other barnyard animal) is right up my alley. ...and I was at a Borders so the book was like a buck.

So far it's been pretty interesting. Right now it's doing a little comparing of parenting in the U.S. vs. other countries and the relative freedoms that children in some other countries have vs. U.S. children. For example, it talked about the common place of Denmark parents leaving small children in strollers etc outside of stores or restaurants while they went inside. Or just allowing children to walk to local playgrounds and play without any parents around for the day.

And I know that my own father has even talked about going down to the local pond and staying with a couple of buddies for the weekend without any parents around, before he was even in high school. But yet I wasen't allowed to even stay by myself at home for a few hours until I was well into my teen years....and I swear I was a good kid I just think the differences in a relatively short period of time is really interesting.

So it brought me to this question, does anyone here have any experience with other countries (or parents from other countries, etc) that follow along these lines? I.e doing things that are deemed being a normal parent there that would probably get you arrested here.

I just find anthropological/cultural studies really interesting, especially things that are considered normal for one country or culture that would be considered insane in another.

 

[abifae]

Well, my family kinda bordered on neglect... *stop laughing Auntie!!!*... but I was allowed to spend the night alone by age three and watched my older brother and younger sister overnight by age 5.

 

[Britesea]

I remember a story about an anthropologist doing a study of some primitive tribe or other somewhere... She was interviewing a young mother, and got all hot and bothered because the woman's toddler was playing right next to the fire. "He'll burn himself!" says the anthropologist. "Only once" replied the mother.


Things are so crazy mixed up these days. When I was young, we had a lot more freedom to just run and play without supervision; and kids were a lot more innocent then compared to now.

Another anecdote: My MIL was contacted by her 12year-old daughter's teacher, who was complaining because she was teaching the girls in her class how to use makeup, and DD was not participating!

 

[2dream]

I don't have any experience with other countries but hope you get lots of replies here because I find it very interesting. I had a cousin who lived in Germany for years. Both her children were born there and the one thing I remember her telling me was - no matter the weather, your child was placed outside for at least 1 hour daily from day one. She said there were trams (strollers) sitting on every stoop (porch) where infants lived, and older children in the yards playing. A nurse or someone from the health department actually walked around (or possibly drove around) making sure your child was outside. This was 30 + years ago. I wonder if it is still that way now?

I remember thinking 2 things: 1. that here I would be arrested for child neglect if I left an infant on my porch on a cold snowy day for an hour. 2. Don't they worry that someone will steal their babies?

 

[Kala]

Thanks for the replies guys!

2dream-I was just reading about that! It said they use a "dyune??" (not sure the spelling is right on that) which is basically just a really fluffy blanket (or lots of blankets I guess) put directly on top of the chlid, usually covering face and all. And some people were commenting on the articles I was reading saying that they felt like it was child abuse to NOT let your child outside to sleep. They needed the fresh air! So interesting!

 

[gettinaclue]

I don't have any experience with other countries but hope you get lots of replies here because I find it very interesting. I had a cousin who lived in Germany for years. Both her children were born there and the one thing I remember her telling me was - no matter the weather, your child was placed outside for at least 1 hour daily from day one. She said there were trams (strollers) sitting on every stoop (porch) where infants lived, and older children in the yards playing. A nurse or someone from the health department actually walked around (or possibly drove around) making sure your child was outside. This was 30 + years ago. I wonder if it is still that way now?

I remember thinking 2 things: 1. that here I would be arrested for child neglect if I left an infant on my porch on a cold snowy day for an hour. 2. Don't they worry that someone will steal their babies?

I think they did that as a treatment/preventative of rickets. I could be wrong though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickets

 

[lorihadams]

I always bundled up my little ones when they were babies and took them out in the stroller for walks in the middle of the day. They loved it. I lived on a dirt road so the ride was bumpy but my kids love to be outside and I have no problems kicking them outdoors.

I think parents in other countries have a more comfortable level of freedom for their kids. It used to be that way here too...when I was little we rode our bikes everywhere and that was okay as long as we told our parents where we thought we were going and as long as we were back in the house by dark. Kids back then played. Now "playing" is the xbox or the wii or ds or whatever video game system they have.

It is hard to let kids have more freedom in this country now because of he sickos in our society...its one of the reasons why I like where we live...we are in the middle of our family land and have cousins and aunts and uncles for neighbors so our kids can walk from one house to the other to play with each other. We have ponds to fish in and lots of room for them to run and camp out and just be kids. I couldn't imagine living in a big city...I'd be afraid to let my kids out of my sight.