The Overprotected Kid Reaction

After reading this article about a very different type of playground. I was very interested in their reactions. While parents from WWII would find this playground insane due to being so different from the norm, I was fascinated by it and wanted to continue. I was reminded of my days at the playground where traditionally the parents hover over their children to make sure they are protected from all safety as opposed to letting their children explore freely as was done in the past. Personally I feel as though the children should be given some time to explore on their own and do not like when parents are "helicopter parents" and hover constantly over their children.

As a child, I remember climbing trees with my neighborhood friends (showcasing the first character of risky play), as we pretended to be whatever floated our boat that day. It was thrilling because we made up the rules and went as high as we wanted to go. By not being constantly monitored by parents, we felt as though we could assume the responsibility and the eldest became the leaders. It made us feel we were capable of doing what we wanted to and didn't always need our parents.

Looking back now, we didn't have all the cool toys that some kids have today. We relied on our imaginations and I feel like if I have children, I would want to do that. There is a balance between using technology and not using it that I feel most people don't know how to manage.

The comparison the author of this article uses of comparing millennials to his own son is refreshing. He attributes that some of the issues millennials face can be to blame because of "helicopter parenting" and a lack of free will from a young age. Showing his son adapt to his surroundings and enjoy playing and getting wet was a refreshing way to show that perhaps there is hope for the newer generations and leaves the reader feeling hopeful.