OT: Free Range Children - With a little woodworking

[Lobby Dosser]

[Paul T.]

too pampered. Many live in a world in which their every move is monitored to the point that they don't know what risk and fear is. Problem solving and the risks should be something that a child starts learning about and how to deal with at the earlist possible age. Parents should not be placed in the position that they feel like they have been backed into a corner and whatever they do will cause the loss of their children or put them in a court room answering charges they put their children in danger. Authories should keep hands off until there is a real proven danger to a child.

Paul T.

[Lobby Dosser]

I was a Free Range Child. Of course, that was more than 60 years ago. I'm sure my parents regretted my explorations from time to time, but when I reached majority I could completely function on my own - actually I could do that from about age 10 or 11, but there were limits beyond which they would not go.

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:05:08 GMT, "Paul T." wrote the following:

Right, and if they don't know what risk and fear are, they're even more liable to get into deep trouble as a result of it.

Absolutely!

I'm wondering whether Child Protective Services do more harm than good in today's Nanny State.

[Robatoy]

When taking my dog for a walk one morning, I witnessed a young girl (guessing she was 10-ish) with her mother walking immediately behind her holding an umbrella over the child's head. No wind, minor drizzle, but heavenhelpus if the kid had as much as one drop of rain fall on her face. A true WTF moment. The fact that we, as parents, keeping an eye on loose beads, mercury- filled toys etc, is a necessary evil as long as unscrupulous merchants keep targeting the clue-less. But rain drops? How many times DO you let your buddy step off his side of the teetertotter without bracing yourself for that unmistakable 'ass-to- the-ground' impact? What is so wrong with hurling your guts out after too many revolutions on the whirl-go-round? Keeping an eye out for the kiddies is one thing, not allowing the kiddies to see for themselves is another. (How else could one learn to duck when the teacher threw a wood-backed eraser at your head for shooting spitballs at your buddy across the room?)

[Swingman]

spanking new "5-12 year old only" playground which I watched being built with a 12" substrate of space age foam beneath the astro turf.

Damn playground is softer than my pillow top mattress and is like walking on a trampoline.

And listening to my 25 year old's friends when they visit you get the impression that if they had to kill and clean a chicken in order to survive, they'd starve to death.

Just think what the next generation will be like ...

[Lee Michaels]

"Robatoy" wrote >

When taking my dog for a walk one morning, I witnessed a young girl (guessing she was 10-ish) with her mother walking immediately behind her holding an umbrella over the child's head. No wind, minor drizzle, but heavenhelpus if the kid had as much as one drop of rain fall on her face. A true WTF moment. ======================

But, but, don't you know the incredible damage that can be caused by a single raindrop?? LOL

The rain thing is interesting. I live in a rainy climate and I still see all kinds of folks, mostly women, who flee in terror if a couple drops of rain fall out of the sky. I naturally asume that they think they will melt if any rain falls on them.

I don't understand it, but I see it all the time.

[J. Clarke]

The sad thing is that these kids are going to grow up to be decision makers and have no sense of perspective. When getting a hangnail results in a trip to the emergency room is it any wonder that society is turning into a nanny-state?

[Lee Michaels]

"Swingman" wrote

City slickers and chickens, eh? OK, here is a true story.

I knew some folks who decided they wanted to live in the country. These guys had zero practical skills or knowledge. But since I was raised on a farm, they felt they could consult me on any kind of country living matter. They had a chicken coop and fenced yard for the checkens. They wanted to know what was involved in raising chickens for fresh eggs. I told them to buy some chickens, get some feed and water and feed them each day. And to collect the eggs daily.

I was out of town for awhile and when I came back, they immediately told me that they got the chickens, fed and watered them each day, but no eggs. I asked them what the hen - rooster ratio was. I was met with blank stares and a profound ignorance of basic animal reproduction knowledge.

I went out and looked at their little flock. It contsisted of 11 roosters and a poor hen running around frantically with about a third of her feathers! That poor bird was being mounted multiple times each day by each rooster. All that mating activity resulted in the loss of most of her feathers. Obviously no time to lay eggs!

I went back in to explain this to them. They did not know there were boy chickens and girl chickens. I had to explain in great detail the difference between roosters and hens. I felt like I was talking to small children.

Sooooooooo, a week later, they finally came to terms with the fact that theyhad to get rid of the roosters somehow. Just how do you get rid of roosters on the farm Lee? Welllll...., You kill them and eat them!!

They were horrified. Luckily an old friend dropped by who was also raised on a farm. And as an italian, he had a great recipe for chicken spaghetti. There was going to be a big event there that weekend and we could butcher the chickens and make up enough food for everybody.

There were 30 people there. Only one person was brave enough to come out and watch. We had to butcher 11 big roosters and nobody wanted to help. After this was all done, everybody magically reappeared and ate the food with great gusto. They all complimented us on our frontier skills. But no one helped and they all hid when a little work had to be done. I guess they were a little too high class or citified to engage in such brutal acts such as harvesting food to eat. But they had no problem eating it!

Buncha damn wimps!!

[J. Clarke]

Find out what it costs to have your hair professionally styled and you'll begin to understand.

[Robatoy]

Take a look at what's happening in the UK.

[Swingman]

Indeed, I do believe we have recently spent some time visiting that very topic.

[WW]

They both have degrees a EE and a ME. Raised them to respect people and do well. WW

>

[chaniarts]

[Lobby Dosser]

The Eloi in H.G. Wells' "Time Machine".

[Lobby Dosser]

>>>

Good one. Thanks. Unfortunately we can see one grandson going in this direction ...

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:17:55 -0700, "Lobby Dosser" wrote the following:

...each without any manners whatsoever, 50lbs+ overweight, and most unable to run if they had to.

I gave up TV a little over 3 years ago. I picked up the TV guide which comes in Thursday's paper and read through the listings. Hayseuss Farkin' Crisco, has it gone down that much even since I watched it? The menu is now almost completely filled with inane shitcoms about fat people, ugly people, stupid people, and "reality" shows. Oh, and a series, no less, about a prison break. It must be like those TV soaps where the lady is pregnant for about six years of shows, each "actor" getting about 4 lines per episode.

The Eloi would self-destruct in this gawdawful environment.

I'm waiting for NCIS and House, M.D. to come out on DVD. No

18-minutes-per-hour of commercials, just good programming. Two hours of programming per week out of (500 channels x 168 hours) 84,000 broadcast. Things are not looking very good, are they?

[Robatoy]

We got that system down to a science at our house. NO reality shows. That's not a 'law', just that none of us gives a shit. We wait for movies to hit the 5 dollar bin at Whatever store. We trade with friends and neighbours. The odd download from free and legal sources. We actively support live theatre from Detroit to Toronto and school-house smalltime productions in between. The button that gets the most work is the mute button if and when we watch anything 'live' on TV. 'Live' TV is mostly TLC, History, Discovery, NG and PBS. We like Bones, and Criminal Minds. We buy those.

[CW]

It's all available on the internet.. Free.

[Lobby Dosser]

I don't know. Used to watch the news, but then that became entertainment.

Nope. I'm waiting for season 5 of Criminal Minds.