Most parks come with two sets of slides, swings, jungle gyms, and monkey bars. One set is a miniature version of the other, and both sets are filled with flexible rubber mulch — no asphalt can be seen. Guard rails protect elevated surfaces, yet kids still manage to get hurt. Running, screaming toddlers and older rowdy kids are no match for playground safety precautions — they revel in a sense of freedom.
I love going to these parks. In big cities. There’s always lots of space and lots of people. Is it strange to say I enjoy watching people? Observing them…taking note of their mannerisms. Listening to how they converse.
Their words.
I especially love listening to what parents say to their children. Because parents are their kids’ best teachers.
But sometimes, parents are too fearful.
Sometimes, they are too scared to let their children explore the unknown. For them, unknown equates to unsafe.
I went to a park with my uncle’s family this summer. My baby cousin was running around, taking note of the environment around her. She’s a one-and-a-half-year-old fledgling scientist — particle analysis on mulch, scrutinizing tiny atmospheric flecks of dandelion fluff, and theorizing that ducks don’t like people are just a few examples of her ability for scientific data processing. These…
