Parenting tips: Free-range Parenting

 

While so-called “helicopter parents” may end up restricting a child’s early independence, free-ranging families do the opposite. Taken literally, “free range” refers to livestock kept under natural conditions. While the free-range parenting definition varies between families, it essentially involves giving your kids responsibilities at a young age. These responsibilities vary based on the specific child’s capabilities. They might include, for example, walking to the park alone, riding bikes to school, or taking public transportation without supervision. It's important to note that free-range parenting isn’t detachment, since mom and dad are still very much involved. They’ll teach essential life skills, guide their children through challenges, and inform them about safety precautions. But when it comes to practicing these lessons in real life, free-range parents step back and let their children take the reigns. The desired result is an increased sense of independence, confidence, problem-solving skills, creativity, and more. Often this has been labelled as neglectful parenting and, in the US has led to legal issues as well, leading to some states passing legislatures supporting this parenting. The states recognize that parents can permit “a child, whose basic needs are met and who is of sufficient age and maturity to avoid harm or unreasonable risk of harm, to engage in independent activities.”