So, take this post with a HUGE grain of salt because I don't yet have kids and I haven't even spent a ton of time with kids lately. But as I will be having a kid this spring it is something I've started thinking about.

My husband and I were just talking about light brites. The ones we grew up with was awesome. It was big and heavy and bright. It got hot, but you just learned to not touch the sides/back when it had been plugged in a while. The new light brites suck. They're battery operated with a tiny bulb and are not bright at all. You can't possibly hurt yourself on it, I guess, but it also doesn't seem like much fun.

When I was 6 I had a chemistry set. If I'd swallowed any of those chemicals that probably would've been dangerous. But my parents made sure I knew that and kept it out of reach when I wasn't using it. I don't think they really make legit chemistry sets for kids anymore.

I heard on the news this week that a school banned the use of BALLS at recess because they were worried kids would get hurt. *headdesk*

I mean... I don't know. But I feel like in our effort to safety proof everything to the highest possible level so that they are essentially moron proof and it is IMPOSSIBLE to hurt yourself--- we're not teaching kids to use common sense. If we don't ever let them hurt themselves, are we doing a disservice to them? Don't they need to learn critical thinking and how to NOT hurt themselves in the face of opportunity?

Actual parents... give me your thoughts. Maybe I'll totally change my mind once I actually have a kid. But from this side of the fence I just worry that we're going too far with the safety-proofing, and that we're creating a generation of kids who will walk off an unguarded cliff if there isn't a fence to stop them because they never learned to think out: cliffs are dangerous.