Our development is probably very average. Trees, sidewalks, lawns, a playground and people of all ages. A fairly peaceful place. After awhile one of the things you notice is the apparent absence of children. You know they are there - when the school buses arrive there are lines of SUVs dropping off or picking up the kids. The older kids may walk to and from the buses, but the only places you are likely to see them at other times are in the malls.
There are a few exceptions. There are the twins who are outside playing ball or riding their bikes in all kinds of weather. They aren't the most coordinated kids you've seen, but they seem to be enjoying themselves. On weekends you might see a parent walking along with a little one who is learning to ride a bike and sometimes a parent riding along with a kid - but you rarely see kids riding on their own or in packs
When I was young there were places to explore outside. A bike was freedom and if you couldn't ride by the second grade you were something of an outcast. Kids walked or biked to school. Lots of bumps and bruises but that was a part of growing up.
And now parents are frightened and overprotective. (via Salon). People are very bad at doing risk analyses and there are other longer term risks. A lot of kids aren't getting enough exercise. I certainly wasn't athletic but constant walking and biking probably were important foundations for my reasonably good health now. Obesity and related diseases have exploded in the US since 1980. There are many causes, but it is interesting to consider the role of human powered transportation as exercise. And bikes aren't as dangerous as many think (the activity can be made safer, but that is true of many things).
Having freedom to play around with nature and take the time to learn how to observe were fundamental to my being attracted to science. You get some of the tools in school, but I think most of the real skill sets are learned on your own. Ask a scientist about the most important influences on the formation of their curiosity ..
Freedom is, on the whole, a good thing. It is too bad so many kids aren't allowed it.
Something struck me about your first sentence - I didn't grow up in a development. I grew up in a town.
We played with the kids across the alley.
I think a lot of suburban building just isn't designed for kids to be outside in. One of my pet peeves is those wide, gently curving streets - they're designed for cars, not people. Their very tranquility encourages drivers to zone out at the beginning and end of their commute, and they drive faster than visibility really allows.
Of course, there are both chickens and eggs here.
Posted by: Erik Ostrom | May 04, 2009 at 12:54