[onewhippedpuppy]

Great article, definitely gives me pause as a parent. I put a lot of importance on being independent and making decisions on your own, and I believe the article makes valid points. Though conversely, I don't think my kids could live that lifestyle if they tried. We live in the middle of a city, and school is 5 miles as is the closest friend. We try to let them be independent in that context, for instance my 10 year old loves going fishing alone in the neighborhood pond and my 3 year old spends hours playing in the backyard alone with the dog. We let them fall down, we let them make mistakes, we let them get hurt (within reason). But it's definitely different than how I grew up.