So...I think I'm a free range mama...but... - Page 2

[BroodyWoodsgal]

Well...call it what you will...free range, non-hovered-over...my DD loves it and is more and more comfortable with her in-house freedom every day!

I think that pretty soon here, she is going to be able to play more out of my sight...she's pushing for that a bit now and I'll pretend to give her that freedom and secretly keep my eyes on her...just to see how it goes, but so far I'm feeling really okay with it, as she plays the same way as she does when she knows I can see her. I can hear her always though, so that's where my comfort is right now! But she's only 13 mos, so I feel like that is really reasonable for how small she is. She's just so precious, she has so much fun, talking to herself, hugging all her animal friends and talking to them about things...the dogs tag a long with her and sleep beside her while she plays...getting up and moving with her when she decides to go somewhere else, then plopping down there....they are like a traveling band of inquisitive scallywags!

THere are a few things I want to do in areas where she is currently not allowed to roam without some supervision, to get them ready for her exploration...another bookcase I want to bracket to the wall (her dada was quite a climber as a lil' one!) and a "craft corner" I want to have cleaned up...so...

Sooon we will be in our much much more rural home and she will begin her life as a true child of the woods...so long as she doesn't get rough with the chickens, I think she will have a lot of freedom there...it makes me happy to see how confident and completely happy she is playing and exploring on her own. SHe has grown her skill set immensely as a result of this....knows how to open and close things...makes soooo many cool messes, which is really nice and loves to stack things and ESPECIALLY loves putting things inside of pouches/bags, to carry them to other places...usually to wherever I am, so she can show me and "explain" what everything is, in her delicious little gibberish language! Oh I could EAT her!

So....yay for free children!!

[sisteeesmama]

Originally Posted by SandraS

The school he goes to or how your home is set up have nothing to do with being "Free Range". How much you allow him freedoms outside in our safe world does. You stated he can go to friends' homes and ride bikes without your hovering - that makes him Free Range.

The real definition of FR isn't whether you let your child play in the living room ungated. It's whether you understand that your children can grow up the same way YOU did (or in the case of you young'uns, the way your parents did!)...

Says who?

[SandraS]

Check out www.freerangekids.com. Her book is awesome, too! I highly recommend you buy it!

[mistymama]

Originally Posted by SandraS

The school he goes to or how your home is set up have nothing to do with being "Free Range". How much you allow him freedoms outside in our safe world does. You stated he can go to friends' homes and ride bikes without your hovering - that makes him Free Range.

The real definition of FR isn't whether you let your child play in the living room ungated. It's whether you understand that your children can grow up the same way YOU did (or in the case of you young'uns, the way your parents did!)...

Very interesting. I'll admit, I have not done much reading on this subject at all - in fact, I just do what feels right for us and I guess that is free range then. Interesting.

I certainly didn't grow up free range, I was hovered over and stifled. I want ds to have the freedom and confidence to explore and experience some of the things I missed out on.

[mistymama]

Originally Posted by sisteeesmama

Says who?

What is your idea of free range? I'm really interested to see what people have to say and think about this.

I give my son lots of freedom outdoors, but until this thread I wouldn't have considered him a free range kid. I don't know - but he has to get up early and be at school or camp several hours a day and that just seems, well, not so free to me.

I'm not a hovering parent by nature - but I'm not sure that makes me a free range parent either.

[lucifugous]

I just stumbled across this thread and would like to hear more on this, particularly updates from the mamas whose now almost 2 year olds have been encouraged to explore! D will be one and a half next month. I identify somewhat with this concept of free range or the younger toddler. She can generally explore everything from our bedroom to the bathroom, living room, and kitchen- as long as I am in a place that I can sorta hear what she's getting into. The other two bedrooms (my mom's and brother's) are only ok if she is accompanied. I sometimes put a gate in the hall (so she can still explore the living room area) if I have to do something loud in the kitchen for a while. And at naptime and bedtime, the bedroom door is closed. Lately I have been exhausted enough sometimes that she nurses me to sleep and then plays in the bedroom at naptime. Of course I would be in big trouble if she could open the door, and I think that is the point of this free-range thing- that they are able to make the choice.. by the time they can or need to be able to. Does that make sense? Kind of like when she was younger, I always put her up on things so that she would learn to get down before she was able to climb up! Our front porch (the main door we use) opens right to a parking lot so I doubt I will be able to leave that open even this summer.. When we hang out in the nice grassy/landscaped area behind our building, I get within 3 feet of her whenever she approaches the lake! (man made and definitely not ok to go in at all) But I give her as much space as I comfortably can, expecting that the more space I give her the more she can learn the boundaries on her own.