Comments on: Surviving Freedom

By: Maura

Maura — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 18:31:14 +0000

A “free-range childhood” fuels a sense of confidence and independence that can lead to superior accomplishment later in life — for the ones that survive to adulthood.

By: Beth McNamara

Beth McNamara — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:17:02 +0000

I instantly knew the person writing this had to be a Boomer or Gen X… there’s very little chance a Millenial or Gen Z was allowed to do this. Thank you for sharing your memories with us in such a wonderfully vivid way.
There are definitely different challenges/dangers for kids today in addition to the ones you faced. Some technology could be helpful… allowing your kids to roam with a GPS tracker in case of emergency (my husband has done this when he goes on off-road motorcycle trips).
Like everything in life – you need to find a balance. Whether it’s raising your children or in the workplace as a leader. Finding how to empower your team and get the info you need to ensure you can provide some guidance or have the ability to escalate a risk to mitigate it without hindering them is hard!

By: TG

TG — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:44:08 +0000

Thank you for this article! My husband talks of his childhood much the same as you describe in this article. I, on the other hand, had a tight rein on what I could do and where I could go. In our 42 years of marriage, I have often commented on how he is always confident he can accomplish things and I am the one pointing out why it can’t be done.

I have worked on it over the years and finally feel (at the age of 61) that I can at least try before giving up. I wish I could look at my childhood with the nostalgia you shared and am so grateful I can experience it through the eyes and personality of my husband!

By: Dr. Dennis O'Grady

Dr. Dennis O'Grady — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:06:00 +0000

A beautiful life story told in lasting images.
Loved this insight: Child-rearing research suggests that a “free-range childhood” fuels a sense of confidence and independence that can lead to superior accomplishment later in life.
Thank you, Kerry!

By: Theresa La Plante (Terry LaPlante)

Theresa La Plante (Terry LaPlante) — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 03:03:16 +0000

I loved your story about your unsupervised youth and how it relates to todays helicopter parents. Thanks for sharing.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 21:28:27 +0000

Great article Kerry! My brother and I had many similar adventures growing up in the wide open spaces of Montana. Several times our adventures required trips to the ER to set and cast up broken bones, but I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. My wife and I have been parents now for over 25 years and last fall we helped our youngest daughter move out for the first time, ironically to Bellingham. Those first few weeks were certainly a struggle for us as parents but it’s been encouraging to see her make it on her own and hear about all her adventures.

By: runningbull

runningbull — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 16:06:34 +0000

This sounds a bit like my childhood experiences in the 1980s up until 1989 when I was old enough to have a summer job which filled my hours and defined my location in case of emergency 🙂

Somehow the late Baby Boomers and early Gen-Xers internalized their own such experiences and BECAME the helicopter parents, became the ones changing the laws about unsupervised minors, and stole from Gen-Y and Gen-Z the opportunities that we had in the pre-cellphone world.

Which seems very counterintuitive since it should be “safer” for kids today because of their ability to reach out for help if needed.

By: Starleen

Starleen — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 15:22:11 +0000

What a great article, I spent so much time as a child running through fields, discovering nature as well. When I became a parent I took my children out into the fields, parks, and later moved to a third world country so they could experience life from a different perspective. All successful men today.

By: Aadi James

Aadi James — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:36:40 +0000

Alright, I’ll be the one to say it. Did you walk uphill both ways to school too? This reads as a nostalgic fantasy, not as a real life memory.
For those of us who didn’t grow up in “Stand by Me”, there were plenty of ways to develop self-sufficiency even without going into the wilderness whilst dealing with riots and racism. We formed clubs at school. We sold lemonade to protesters. We learned how to use maps and compasses to find things in the park. All while a parent or a friend’s parent was nearby, but not directing, what we were doing. I learned a lot from those days – not only independence but how to resolve conflicts, how to respect others, and how to absorb different world views from all of my friends who different backgrounds and nationalities from me.

By: Heather Franks

Heather Franks — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 13:53:15 +0000

THANK YOU!