So, did everyone hear that NPR story about how Once Upon a Time children frolicked in empty lots, played pick-up ballgames, made spaceships out of cardboard boxes, and generally thrived, all without the benefit of constant adult supervision & meddling? And how kids today are so over-scheduled and watched over that they're never set loose to play by themselves, so they don't develop crucial skills like self-regulation and problem-solving, or the ability to sit still and focus in school or elsewhere, and thus the world is going to hell, as usual?
I can never take this kind of news very seriously, as I'm constantly coming across scenes like this one, which occurred yesterday on our porch shortly before 6 pm:
Isn't it lovely to see a group of children so diligently working on the development of their high order self-regulation and executive function skills? And isn't it nice that we get to feel all virtuous about failing to take our old mattress boxes to the dump so that they lie on the porch in a heap for a week, throwing our children and all of their friends out of the house, and studiously ignoring any shrieks, wails, and ominous thuds that might result?
-- Mikala
P.S. Another newt died today. We're not sure if it was Ember or Magma. Sigh.
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3 comments:
you are cool. is simon composing another ballad to commemorate magma... or possibly ember?
Fun!!!
it was ember, mom!
--josie
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