Freedom and Protection

It seemed like the hardest thing to do was to give birth, little did we know that was just the beginning. Raising a child is hard work and giving your child the freedom you believe it deserves and keeping it out of harms way is one of the greatest challenges.

A parent or guardian has many choices. How long do you accompany your child with new friends before they are allowed to visit without you? What kind of things should you know about their parents? How safe is the environment they are playing in?

Each person will handle these situations differently dependent upon culture, tradition, and current trends. Most importantly, I believe raising children is a gut feeling. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. We also have to have the wisdom to distinguish between our own fears and control issues, and a new experience our child can profit from. Like I said, it’s not easy. Despite these challenges, raising children is a rewarding experience and a pleasure. Laughing, joking, and having fun with the kids, makes it really wonderful. I would also say, that raising children is a work in progress. We never cease learning and growing from each new stage the children pass through. Our decisions are based on our current understanding so there is no need to beat ourselves up regarding any action taken. Living and learning is what we will do to allow our children enough freedom to have a safe and exciting childhood.