Feral Children (in a good way!)

[Munch]

Little Munch is......... well.......... shall we say....... filthy!

She has been helping at the lottie, then at home sowing seeds and then she INSISTED on playing with the chickens.

She loves the outdoors rain or shine. Truly reminds me of me when I was little.

I get no greater pleasure than seeing children enjoying the great outdoors rather than stuck in watching a repetitive drivel on the TV.

Feral is fun!

[Mikey]

My beloved Daughter is almost 6, and while she loves being outdoors on such a beautiful day as this, she is definitely a girlie girl. Mud really is not very impressive and compost needs a trowel.

She has a fear of bugs and all my protests to come and look at this frog, that ladybird, bee fly, slow worm and whatever other animals I can find in the garden she likes to see them from a comfortable distance.

Would I leave her free to do all the things I did as a child, probably not. I don't think we live in a world today that will ever return to the childhood of our youth. So within the constraint of a safe environment she is free to do as she pleases, but to leave her step outside of this where I no longer know where she is, I'm not ready to go there.

[Patchninja]

Well, mine are grown up and the grandsons are 3 and a half and almost 2. They live on a farm in the middle of nowhere in Cornwall and spend their time with the animals and outdoors. They're coming here on Sunday and the best trick is to be ready before them in the morning so they can be taken to the beach as soon as possible! Or at least, out for a walk or to play - very ferral. If a child doesn't need a bath in the evening, there's something wrong hahaha.

[Hilary B]

I missed out on quite a lot, because we lived in the main suburbs (not particularly leafy) of London, and there was one real hazard and one perceived hazard that made my parents somewhat over-protective
Real hazard TRAFFIC. The road was a rat-run.
Perceived hazard well I suppose what they meant were paedophiles (although it was much later before I heard of the word), it's not a new hazard, just a better publicised one!
I did get to play in a few gardens (ours, nextdoors, and a friend who lived opposite) and once I was a bit older, there were bicycles, when no commuter-traffic was likely, but freedom to wander about.. no.

[Two_Sheds]

We were kids in the 70s and teenagers in the 80s. My bruv and I used to go off all day on the Ham or the Fen, or the Common ... bits of wasteland really. We used to spy on the gypsies (travellers) and get chased by their dogs, go squelching down the river in our wellies (my wellie got sucked off by the mud one day). We always came home for dinner.
One silly game we had was to stick our fingers up at passing cars. One day the car stopped and reversed at speed, and we legged it, panicking and screaming!

My brother used to go off down the river night-fishing and camping with his pal aged 13, 14. He used to ride motorbikes sans helmet etc, and regularly came home covered in blood & mud

I used to take myself off on my bike for 10, 15 mile rides, about the same age. I couldn't map read and had no money or phone, but I was OK

When I was 15,16 we used to go down town (5 mile walk) on a Saturday (again with no money) and just hang around, people-watching. We were never destructive or obnoxious, not like kids today (gawd, I sound like my mum)

I've tidied up the school's wildlife area and run a gardening club, but they aren't allowed to pick up any creatures (health & safety, germs) or handle sharp tools (only plastic ones, which are useless) and we're not allowed to grow poisonous plants (that includes potatoes). A lot of the children don't know what a newt is or that bumble bees don't make honey, or that worms don't bite.
It's all gone a bit silly hasn't it?

[jackyspratty]

I too was a child in the 70's and a teenin the 80's and gre up in SE London. From 4th yr in primary, (now Yr5) I roamed about on my bike, despite living next to the busy A2. Usually a large group of us. My son is now 8 and we live next to a wood in Leeds. Hes just started opening the door and letting himself out, and I discover him roaming in the woods! Not happy! Its a shame really as its one of the reasons we moved here from just up the road. When wil I let him out on his own, well, thats partly up to him and when I judge he is responsible enough. But at the moment sneaking off without saying isnt an indiaction of this! Its about my perception of him being able to judge risk.
Traffic wise we live on a road that can be busy, and the school run crosses two man roads. Inthe 70's the volume of traffic was less, also being a bike rider now makes me feel that many drivers show little regard for safety of kids crossing the roads, even on crossings.
I like to go placed that have a wild feel, with the provision that I must either be able to see the boys or hear them. But yes the more dirt and adventures the better, its still about providing opportunities.

[Two_Sheds]

many drivers show little regard for safety of kids crossing the roads, even on crossings.

I can allay your fears a little in that regard: as an adult cyclist I have suffered collisions (inc head injuries), being sworn at, driven at and spat at

However, if I'm cycling with a child, drivers couldn't be nicer: they wait, patiently, for us to go ahead, to cross the road, whatever

[Sylvan]

It's the quiet country roads that are the most dangerous in that respect because the people that aren't used to them (that's a clumsy way of putting it, but I'm trying to be polite ) see an empty road and think they can drive at 80 with impunity - not realising there could be anything from a child to a herd of cows round the next bend.
My daughter regularly used to come home complaining of near misses when she was 11 (two 11 year olds on ponies and one on a bike - so they should have been visible)