Community Corner

Hey Mom and Dad: What's the Best Approach for Raising Kids?

Hands on or hands off?

Welcome to "Hey, Mom and Dad"—a weekly feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on parenting. Every week, we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked parents the week before on Patch Facebook pages from around the area.

This week we looked at a hugely popular parenting blog that appeared on a Patch site outside of San Francisco. You can find it here. The blog has gone viral and has touched a nerve with a lot parents. 

In a nutshell, the blog centers on two different parenting techniques — one in which the parents hold their children closely and protects them from harm. The other allows the children to make mistakes and sometimes get hurt in the process. 

Find out what's happening in Oswegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here's what a few of our readers said about this week's question of: 

What's best for kids — a hands off approach that lets them fall down every once in a while or one in which parents try to protect their children from sometimes painful outside influences? 

Karen V. Part of the thrill of going to the playground is the risk of getting stuck and having to figure out how to get down. Let them do it! Have you ever seen the proud face of a kid who figured it out on their own? via Oswego Patch Facebook

Find out what's happening in Oswegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Robin F. Allowing them to figure out how to climb the ladder on their own could be considered the most valuable learning experience involved in going down the slide. Young children need these kinds of challenges to develop critical problem-solving skills, self confidence, ability to take risks, enhance spatial, coordination, and motor planning skills, and more. And these skills don't just apply to the slide. They will use what they learn at the park when they face other challenges in life. Here is one of my favorite quotes about child development: "Children have a real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time we try to teach them something too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves." via Yorkville Patch Facebook

Bridget G. Great article....too many kids today are being rescued and not raised by their parents. I don't understand most of time what parents are so afraid of when the can't set limits, enforce boundaries, allow for mistakes or errors in judgement. How does someone come to believe that this helps a person to develop? via Plainfield Patch Facebook

Pamela B. When my children were younger "under two years" I would put the kids at the top of the ladder or stairs so they could go down the slide. Then I wanted my children to try and walk up on there own while I was standing there just in case they fell. (The park by me has the old stair case where they are short steep steps). Then my children started climbing the playground items that I did not feel they were age appropriate for, but stood by while they figured it out. via Bolingbrook Patch Facebook

Wayne J. On their own. Let them take risks. Kids don't take risks unless you allow them to. Be there to help them if they fall and they are hurt, but they need to be motivated intrinsically. via Joliet Patch Facebook

Judy L. Teach first, then be there for support as they try it on their own. via Shorewood Patch Facebook

Natalie S. Why do we need a policy for the playground? How is it that people don't think things have gone too far with regulating EVERYTHING? via Montgomery Patch Facebook

What's your take? Add your 2 cents in the comments below. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here