Am I Too Strict?
Since being here, I have noticed that anytime I am in public, I feel like I am smothering my children. We went to Te Papa, the national museum and I had the girls in the stroller. As soon as we walked in I noticed that almost none of the kids who were there (many of them younger than Josie) were holding anyone's hand. They roamed around and stayed near by their caregivers.
I took the girls up to the Discovery Center area for kids and let them run loose. My confidence started building slowly as I watched them politely interact with others and not bolt for the nearest exit. So I decided to let them walk as we found another Discovery Center on the same floor. Of course they ran off like wild children and I ended up scolding them out of fear. I felt like anyone within ear shot was looking at me like I was a monster. One passerby actually mocked me as I was telling Sophie "I don't want to lose you" they said "I don't want to lose you either". I was furious!
We had a similar experience at the playground (see the picture of the "Slide of Death"). Sophie wanted to climb up two stories to go down this slide and I said no. But as I looked around, kids Josie's age were climbing up unassisted to go down this slide. It freaks me out and makes me question my parenting at the same time. Am I overprotective? Should I let them try these things and get hurt?
This reminds of a recent 'Talk of the Nation' segment I heard before we left: basically Americans tend to be considered over-protective, but people from other countries become just as protective when they're visiting the US.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89502019
I am definately overprotective!! I feel your pain about the kids running off.
Nicholas saw your post and declared "I am going to go down that slide" to which I offered no you aren't!!!! OVERPROTECTIVE over across the ocean!
Why do we fall, Master Bruce? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up.
- Alfred Pennyworth
Let her slide!
jake, we've only just met, but if it were me, i'd let my kids (if i had any) slide. i'd of course give them a little talk about being careful and to hold on so they don't fall. besides, kids at that age are made of rubber so they really can't hurt themselves.
if you see me goin for the slide though, please stop me...the healing time has increased exponentially over the years.
Trust your gut - always...it's been on target so far! Don't let others make you feel uncomfortable when you know your own children better than they do!
Love the overprotective Vestal grandparents!