I grew up in the late 80s and 90s. A typical day involved leaving the house, running outside, meeting up with friends, and playing all day. My parents had no idea where I was, what I was doing, or when I would be back. I played on wooden playgrounds, jumped from swings, and hung upside-down from monkey bars, without an adult near me, making sure I didn't get injured. I did fall out of trees, get cuts and bruises, and even got lost, but I learned from all of those incidences. It's what my parents' called 'building character'.

In today's society, parents would be appalled by the thought of people letting their kids outside for the day and not seeing them again until dinner. Parents would rather have their kids on a leash, wrapped up in bubble wrap (to prevent those character building bruises and scratches). God forbid they get the slightest injury, which in the parents' eye is a sign of a quick death! But in reality, it is just a cut, which will heal. Bruises heal too. But what doesn't heal is the subconscious injury to such overly-protected child. That child will grow up thinking his/her parents will always be there to protect him/her. And as much as the parent would like to believe that, it's not true. Sooner of later, that child will have to face the 'big, bad world', and that can't be stopped.

Sure, a parent could try to protect their child, but are their efforts really worth it? Are plastic playgrounds any safer than wooden ones? They can still fall off. Is a comfy padding around the playground going help? The padding is not always going to prevent injury. Is suing the company in charge of the playground going to work? It'll cost a lot, of both money and time which could much better be spent with the child. But the parent shouldn't spoil the child with gifts that would otherwise be used in court. Spoiling only leads to a brat, and the rest of the world isn't going to spoil them.

What should be done, is that people, not just parents, should influence kids to be social, but at the same time cautious of strangers. They should know what to do in case of an emergency at a young age. They should experience the world that was given to them, but at the same time, realize that there are many dangers out there, but they shouldn't be pulled away.

And, yes, I did touch a hot stove as a kid, even though my mother told me not to, to find out if it really was hot. It was, and I haven't touch a hot stove since then. And I lived to tell the tale.

Learn more about this author, Jessica Oelke.
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