Free Range Children

My children have been playing outside in the garden. And I  have been sitting in a chair been near them.

I feel it is good that I am there ,because it is near the creek that they have been walking in and out of.

But I find there is such a fine line actually letting the children having some space alone, and playing with there friends without the parents always are watching them.

When I was a child -my parents never drove me to anyleisure activities, I had to cycle. They hardly never stayed and watched, and they let me and my friends play alone without interfering all the time. And I think I have grown up to be quite a normal person.

And yet i seem to be interfering all the time with my children, they are not allowed to cycle anywhere without me, I drive them everywhere, and I hardly never leave them alone.

And what will I end up with- children who are so dependent on me.And maybe they will grow and be terribly independent.

Or maybe they will grow up, and just be normal adults.

The thing is though -I look around me and mostly all the parents do the same thing, overprotect there children.A

And I wonder why ?Is it because the world is a worse place to live in ? Or is just because the children are our trophies ,in a busy world, and they give us the right to be here and feel we are needed.