I was lucky with my kids - we live in a somewhat rural area, so I didn't have the worries that people might have in a more urban space (with traffic and strangers, etc). We have a huge backyard and live on a lake, so the kids learned to swim early and spent a lot of time in the summer out in the water.

That said, there are still some big differences from my own childhood. Then, I lived in the suburbs, in neighborhoods where not only were there plenty of other kids to play with, outdoors, but most of the moms were home during the day, and someone always was able to keep an eye (and ear) on things, at least through the kitchen windows! We spent so much time outdoors no matter what the weather. Nowadays, the moms aren't home, so the kids pretty much HAVE to stay inside. This is not a nasty comment on working moms at all, but just stating the facts.

Carolyn

So true, Carolyn!

Welcome Robin Easton.

Welcome, Robin!

Delighted to hear your thoughts on spending time outside and living without a TV. You have a lot of experience with this sort of activity.

Anne