Premamama

Did you know that most public school playgrounds now have signs that say “No Running”. I kid you not. I have also seen “No Playing Tag”. Honestly. Do you remember recess? All that insane energy after sitting at a desk for hours. You race out the door screaming and don’t stop until the bell rings. What do poor children do on the playground now? Sit and talk? I can’t stand this fear-based parenting we have created. Like on TV where the mother follows her toddler around the livingroom wiping everything down with an anti-bacterial wipe every time he touches it. What have we created – kids who aren’t allowed to run at school and then who are diagnosed with Hyperactivity Disorder (this is not to take away from those who genuinely have it), and anti-bacterial everything and kids who have allergies and auto-immune issues because their immune systems are so underused. All these things have value in small amounts. But let’s remember the joy of not worrying every second, of being ok with a skinned knee, even a stitch (I say casually, though I will be in a fit the first time my child needs one), a bad cold caught from a friend, a bug eaten. Let’s let our children run and get muddy and eat that peck of dirt!