How Much Protection Is Too Much?

I know that my son is only 17 months old, but this is something I think about on almost a daily bases. As he is growing up and becoming his own person, how am I going to handle letting him out into the world?

I'm going to tell you now I am never going to be a "helicopter mom". While I hate the phrase in and of itself, I also hate the people that are representative of this group. The idea of trying to be in control of every second of my child's day just seems like a terrible way to spend my time, not to mention that my kid will likely hate me for it at some point of his life. I can just see it now, "But Doctor, you have to understand, my mom said I had to go to baseball practice and piano lessons every single day or I would grow up to be a good-for-nothing person!"

I want my child to grow strong wings and fly free when the time is right, but where is the line between too protective and just plan negligent?

Growing up we had basic rules and guidelines. We were city kids. Play on our block, or the block of a friends, and your butt better be on someone's stoop when the street lights come on. Simple. We had a great time, we were very strong kids & we are very strong adults. But, that doesn't mean that we didn't have our share of issues. I do know someone who was abducted and raped while walking home from the corner store one day. Though, of the 18 years of my childhood, it's the only truly terrible story I have.

These things happen? Or her parents didn't watch over her enough?

My husband and I have discussed how we plan to parent as the years go on, and I have found one site that encompasses a lot of how we both feel. >Free Range Kids.

I'm not going to say that I don't cringe a little at some of the articles thinking, "How can parents just let their kids be like that!" But the reality is, this is how I grew up and I feel I really am a better person for it.

Then >This Story really struck a cord with me. The whole "Stranger Danger" issue in our society really seems to have become an epidemic. How can an 8 year old be lost and really be afraid to ask someone, anyone, for help? And how can we as adults just walk on by an obviously lost little girl and not even think to stop to help?

Where as parents do we draw the line of being too over protective or too involved? I have no answers, I have a 17 month old that I hope and pray every day becomes an amazing and strong human being. I just hope I was a part of the process, not part of the hurdles he had to overcome to get there.

Please Touch

The holiday weekend was fun, full of friends & good times. Sunday rolled around and we wanted to do something with Grayson that was just for him. I had been dying to go to the Please Touch Museum for a while and this seemed like the perfect chance.

It ended up being a great day, no lines, no issues parking & Grayson just ran around without a care. It's hard to believe that at 16 months he is a little person wanting to explore and learn everything he can. I definitely want to take him back, I'm thinking around 18-19 months we will. He was just slightly too short for a few of the exhibits, so a few things were lost on him. And of course he was exhausted after running around for 2 hours there - so we didn't get to see everything. Which is nice because there will be brand new experiences next time!

The most fun thing going on right now with Grayson is his talking & how many words he has and repeats everyday.

Up
Daddy
Truck
No
Dog
More
Mom
Duck
Shoe
Sock
Cheese
Bug
Choo-Choo
Beep Beep
Eye (when he points to an eye in a book)
Ut-Oh
Lalala (is what he does when he is singing along)
Pop Pop

Are the ones I can say he uses every single day. An amazing little person is growing right before my eyes. I just want to show him everything there is to see, he is a very fun little sponge.