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21 sats \ 3 replies \ @freetx 7 Apr \ parent \ on: What do you like about your kids? meta
When my kids were very young, I was talking to an older father and saying: "how do you know when your kid is old enough to do thing X Y or Z" and he said "when they're old enough to successfully argue the case for it"
I took that advice and its served me well. When your 6 yo ask you to ride his bike to a friends house (in which he needs to cross a busy street) you can tell him "No its not safe". However, as he grows he may come back at 8 and say "Dad, I can ride my bike to Jimmys because I will cross at Elm street where there is crosswalk and light, and I promise to look both ways before I cross..."
Now your kid is old enough to do it and you should let him. Because he has demonstrated that (a) he understands your concerns, and (b) he has formulated a plan to accomplish what he wants to do while taking your concerns into account. This is ultimately what you want in a young person so it should be rewarded.
Makes sense. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. I always do my best to be trusting, even when my parental extinct is to protect. My son recently started riding dirt bikes. It has been a lot of work for me on trust him not to hurt himself. And he has been doing great.
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That's a really good point. I think it is interesting that there are things that we fear so much but yet we will all drive a car which is inherently quite dangerous. All we can do is be as mindful as possible. We can't control much.
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