I agree on a general standpoint, though I myself would not have liked to play outside any more than I was forced to as a child.
Being in this desert, it was hot, miserable, and nearly taught me to hate the outdoors after seeing it as an ugly and painful place, and burning my hands on the metal playground equipment. But in the more hospitable environments of the world, I fully agree that kids should get outside and be in the midst of some risk. I worry less for the kids than the parents who do have some legitimate worrying about kids.
But I know a friend who's Mother is still paranoid about her safety.
My friend is 14 years old, physically fit, almost unusually tough, and very cautious and careful, yet her Mother is always irrationally afraid of the worst happening.
So I say some parents are being overprotective, but my question is, how young should kids be allowed in the world? Obviously one-year-olds are probably going to injure themselves without learning.
Also, when it comes to the germy thing, I make a point of not caring if I've dropped food on the floor in my home or even outside on grass, because I want to keep my immune system from "forgetting" how to deal with germs, and for this, I rarely get sick.
