The increasing disconnection of kids from the natural world is a huge concern not only for the development of the children themselves, but also in terms of their views and values of nature and what that means for future society. Will they care as adults about the life outside their windows? Will their only understanding of the wildness of things be through tv, movies and youtube clips?
To help people make those connections, the Missouri Department of Conservation started Discover Nature programs. Discover Nature for Schools includes science units on ecology for elementary, middle and highs school with grants for hands-on outdoor exploration and learning so the kids will get out of the classroom. The middle school unit is out now and the others two are in development. Discover Nature for Families provides hands-on outdoor learning for parents with their children. (Many young parents didn’t get outside a lot as kids either and may not know how to fish or what a bluebird looks like or how to camp.)This way they learn together. Discover Nature for Women teaches them how to use a shotgun, build a campfire, do archery and more. One woman happily wrote to us after the sessions that she showed her son’s scout troop how to fish and took her kids fishing too. It takes the parent’s to get their kids outside. But we’re trying to help them along the way. Lorna Domke Outreach & Education Chief MDC

As a former roamer, I struggle with the hope that my child will know similar freedom in spite of my concern for safety. Could I have been hit by a car, miles from home on my bike? Sure. Will I let my son take that chance? It’s hard.
For an in-depth look at the issue, I recommend Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods.

I think it’s sad seeing people acknowledge that their fears are unreasonable but that they give into them anyway. I cherished riding my bike to school with my sister when I was in first grade (she was in fourth); we had the run of the neighborhood and came home at dark. Yes, a kid could get hit by a car - but that’s why you teach them to be careful. Yes, a kid could get abducted - that’s why they are to always stay together. People who kidnap kids don’t bodily pick up children and carry them kicking & screaming out of the park, they try to talk to the kids and coerce them. If your kid knows the game and knows how to protect themselves (i.e. start screaming, say they’re going to call the police), they’ll be as safe as you can make them. These same parents drive their kids everywhere but there’s a very good chance of getting into a car accident - in fact, much greater than your kid getting snatched! I think parents are just as worried about being accused of being the bad parent if something happened to their kid, as they are something happening to their kid! When are they going to learn responsibility if everything is always done for them, thoroughly supervised, planned to the last detail, etc? We’re raising a generation of helpless gits because of parents’ unreasonable fears. My kids have freedom to roam (within reason), have common sense, and I expect them to use it. Every now and then they come home with scrapes and bruises, filthy, carrying frogs, or what-have-you, but it’s all part of being a kid - or at least, it should be!

There is a very fine line,as I posted on a related topic,a 15 yr old girl should not have to worry about being shot in the chest while walking home from a friends house!Can any of you recall this kind of violence growing up? I can’t.These are not made -up fears they exsist because more than anything else so many kids grow up with TOO much freedom and no moral compass (two working/singal parent homes).Its a differant world.

I guess we are really fortunate to have three acres that our kids can explore at will.I am an avid gardener, so my daughters(ages 9 and 4)are generally outside helping or playing somewhere nearby.I have read “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, and highly recommend it.He discusses some of the safety issues as well as the need to promote outdoor play and exploration to develop independence.We also used to watch on cable the program “Backyard Habitat” by the National Wildlife Federation and intend to become a certified wildlife habitat as soon as we add a few more native plants.We have already had the opportunity to rescue baby squirrels(took them to a rehabilitation specialist, who in return brought them back when they were old enough and released them on our property),observe many different kinds of birds,including a nest of barn swallows in our barn, and varieties if caterpillars and butterflies.There are also turtles,toads, and frogs to be observed and played with.It is very gratifying to see my daughters’ enthusiasm about all things natural,and they are learning to respect wildlife at the same time.My teenage son used to be the same way, but now he just goes fishing with friends.

As for the safety aspects, a nationally known security expert named Gavin DeBecker wrote a book called “Protecting the Gift:Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)” which should be very informative.I have read his other book,” The Gift of Fear”, which touched on the topic of child safety and plan to read this one soon.I learned a long time ago (when my son was an infant) from the Montel show that it is better to coach your child and role-play so they have some idea how to respond IF they are ever in that situation,although we make every effort prevent it.Child abductors are not the only predators we need to worry about.We do live at the corner of a fairly busy road, so usually if our daughters are playing outside without an adult right there, they have their favorite companion,an 85 pounds German shepherd, with them. We can see most of our property from the many windows in our house, so we are not always right on top of them, but we are within yelling distance.

I grew up playing outside with four other boys. I find it sad kids can’t play outside. Maybe they show play in groups and stay together. I was never alone and nobody ever bothered us. We played in woods, fields and rode bicycles everywhere.

The simple and most effective solution is to execute child molestors and child abductors. They must be executed publically and in an expediant amount of time to ensure an effective mental impact on other would-be predators. Everyone convicted and sentenced to death should get one appeal at the state supreme court level on an expedited schecule. The death sentence should be carried out within 3 months of the initial sentencing. Three months is enough time for a court appeal. Simple, effective solution. Do today’s parents demand a real solution? Can the many weak hearted parents stomach the only real and effective solution? Until then, keep your kids inside and keep complaining because we will continue to have children molested and killed. Thank yourselves for the situation we are in, unless you have the will and stomach to demand the only real solution available. And do not fool yourselves, the death penalty works to deter crime very effectively if it utilized properly. The death penalty does not work when convicts get to live 20 more years before their execution. It leaves a cause and effect gap a generation wide that other would-be predators do not fear. Expediant executions of child molestors and child abductors is essential. It is also time to demand Congress protect our kids by reversing foolish decisions by an elitist and out of touch Supreme Court. Every time the Supreme Court weakens the death penalty, we reap more murder and mayhem in our communities for their moral and mental weakness.

Ah, the good ole days. I am 46, we would “run” the neighborhood from sun up to sun down. We didn’t have cable tv, video games, ipods etc. We would ride our bikes until our legs almost fell off, go crawdad fishing at the creek, swim at the local pool, play ball etc. etc.
That being said, I allow my two children 14 and 12 some freedom. I will let them ride their bikes to their friends house, walk to the pool at the community center etc. They have cell phones so they must call me when they arrive. They must do so with their sibling or with another friend, they are not allowed to do this by theirselves.
They have been drilled to nauseum on what to do in situations involving strangers. The turn and run and scream(scream if necessary)if a stranger stops their car as they are walking down the sidewalk, parking lot etc. We have gone over scenerios in which a stranger will try to lure them into their vehicle or try to get close to them to grab them and put them in their car. I have told them their is nothing to feel embarrassed about or feel you are being rude if you turn and run as fast as you can home or to a safe place.
I want them to have a well balanced childhood without fearing everyone that walks on two feet. It is not easy balancing safety with living a “normal” life.

My son turned nine years old this summer. He got a skateboard for his birthday from his grandparents. I was taking some pictures of him last weekend while he was practicing on it. I commented to myself how he looked so much like my brother on his skateboard twenty-something years ago. Only difference, I made my son wear a helmet and I know my parents never made my brother wear a helmet when he took his skateboard or bike out on the street. My brother never once cracked his head open and never once was hit by a car causing severe head trauma. But, I know how the teenagers drive in my neighborhood and I’m not about to let my son go out there without some protection. He didn’t seem to mind having to wear the helmet. I think it is b/c he is so used to always putting it on when he takes his bike out.

No, the world today is not like it was thirty years ago. Many people have very little regard for laws and morals. I know my sisters and I walked home from friends’ houses after dark when I was a kid. But, back then, my family knew all the neighbors on our street and EVERYONE put their porch light on at dusk and kept it on all night. My street, today, is pitch black at night except for the few elderly folks that still keep their porch light on (and mine, of course).

MC - No, a fifteen year old should not have to worry about being shot while walking home from a friend’s house. BUT…should that said fifteen year old be walking home from a friend’s house at 11:30pm!!! If the fifteen year old had called her father for a ride home or for him to meet her at the friend’s house to walk home with her b/c it was only a couple blocks away then said father may not be having to put out a reward for the idiot that shot his daughter. I am not saying it is the father’s fault nor the fifteen year old’s fault. But, if some precautionary measures were taken then this “may” not have happened. Just my two cents.

Midwestmoma,
This could have happend in the middle of the afternoon her home was aproximety 2 blocks away she’s 15 she had a friend w/her they wanted her purse. I have lived in Florissant for 20 yrs this does not happen every day although it seems more frequent than it ever has maybe because I have teens it I tend to pay attention.

now you can place blame on my parents if you like but at 15 I was hanging out at the park w/my friends and curfew was midnight on the weekends I walked home everynight I,m 40 now and my teens 15 and 16 have a curfew of 10:30 mostly because their friend have the same,do I let them walk around at night ,….depends on were they are they are responsible kids I would never place blame on them for being victims of a crime.