Author and columnist Lenore Skenazy promotes this idea, too, in a much-needed new field guide for parents called "Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry." In it, she debunks the myths that feed parents' fears and cause us to inhibit our children's chances to grow and learn.
"I'm all for safety," Ms. Skenazy says, "but the fact is this is the safest time in human history to be a child. It's not more dangerous to raise children these days than when we were growing up, it's infinitely safer." Her book proves this contention in chapter after (hilarious) chapter.
We moms and dads need to lighten up and realize that accidents will happen, germs will be consumed, and strangers aren't usually dangerous. The world is a joyful place to explore, and our children yearn to do it as much as we did.