“Parenting is full of negotiations and contradictions. For me, no tension is greater than that between wanting to develop a spirit of wild adventure and self-reliance in my kids and the deep yearning to keep them safe.”
The article has sparked a lot of good debate about the limits we should put on ourselves and our children – I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Josh Stearns 
The trick for me was protecting my children without them being aware of it at the time.
Great article and well made points. While I understand why many people are concerned with allowing their children to venture off too far on their own, I agree it has gotten way out of hand. As a child growing up outside of NYC I was allowed to roam pretty much freely. While my parents probably didn’t use their best judgement much of the time due to their own issues and lack of good parenting skills, at the same time it gave me the freedom to find myself, to grow and become more independent and overcome my fears. And that was before cell phones and the ability to stay in touch while separated. Today, if given the proper guidance and direction, and despite all the horror that goes on, parents should probably feel more secure than they do. I’ve continued throughout my life to push my limits and I feel it’s made me a better, stronger person for it. My wife and I have always tried to give our kids the same amount of freedom. Sure it’s scary at times but in the end somehow they too have survived.