On Danger and Childhood (Also, About Zip Lines)

There are zip lines (called zip wires here) everywhere in the UK. I mean, really everywhere. The little village next to ours has a zip line in the playground. The farm park up the hill has a zip line. Restaurants have zip lines in their outdoor play areas. They are just really common. And my kids love them. They are so fun! We've probably encountered ten times as many zip lines in our few months here as I had in my entire life in America.

Playground equipment here is often less protected than in America, too.  I know lots of recent research has shown the importance of risk-taking for kids, and how overprotectiveness can do more mental harm than physical good. There are all kinds of studies calling for kids to have more freedom, to develop play spaces that allow kids to take risks. (I don't have time to find the studies and link to them, but I've read a bunch in the past few years. I think there's a general consensus among child development people that kids need more freedom than they have.) And in theory, that sounds great. The problem, of course, is that when the rubber hits the road, parents don't want their kids to get hurt. It's great to talk about childhood freedom in the abstract. It's another thing to let your own kid put themselves at risk. I do think it's important, though. All the zip lines here, with nary a worry about lawsuits over broken arms, remind me that we parents really do need to be vigilant about not being too vigilant :)

(Not that these zip lines are actually even that dangerous. The worst case scenario by far might be a broken limb in a very extreme incident. But in America we've become SO worried about lawsuits that even small risks are seen as too great.)

In any case, all of this is to say that my kids have been zipping with delight and abandon on all the zip lines here. And they've been enjoying the freedom of rural living that also allows them to walk to their friend's house or the playground alone. Justin especially goes off more and more on his own. He told me, in his own words, that he's become "more adventurous" since moving here. It makes me smile!

(Also, I think most of the increase in freedom and adventure is a country vs. city thing rather than a UK vs. US thing. But I do think the litigiousness of American society has contributed to the decrease in childhood freedom and opportunity for risk-taking because no one wants to build a zip line in case they get sued. Not sure why it's less litigious here, but it does seem to be...I'm sure there are other cultural elements at play, too. Whatever the reasons, playgrounds here present more opportunities for risk taking--and having fun!!)