peer review response
Lami 2
Shaymaa lami
William Matter
English 1301
February 14,2018
Childhood protect between past and present
The article, “The Overprotected Kid” is written by Hanna Rosin. The article was published in Atlantic and it uses the techniques of descriptive language so as to create imagery. The author of the article has also included factual information as a way of persuading the reader. Basically, the article shows how children are being overprotected during the present generation. This has made children to miss childhood experiences and development. In the past, children used to be more creative and imaginative because they were not being supervised as compared to today. In order to show the evidence on this issue, the author has used her own childhood experiences. Thesis statement: Parents should minimize their level of supervising their children as a way of allowing them to face risks and enabling them to make decisions independently.
The author starts the article by describing “The Land” which is a playground used by children in North Wales. This ground is nearly an acre and is muddy in spots and at the end it slopes down steeply to an area where there is a big and faded plastic boat. The center of this playground has a big pile of tires and they are used to roll down the hill and also into the creek. The playground is also full of wooden pallets, a stack of mattresses, a donated walker, and a frayed rope swing. Some of the boys who are in the playground are doing mad flips on the stack of mattresses. Younger kids are playing with structures that are made up of wooden pallets on the other side of the field. In order to show that the playground is not fit for being used by children to play, the author indicates that “other than some walls lit up with graffiti, there are no bright colors or anything else that belongs to the usual playground landscape.” (Rosin 2)
Hanna Rosin points out various books, studies, and experts who identify the negative consequences that kids will face by losing the child-driven and exploratory play that was in the past. The “Children’s Risky Play From an Evolutionary Perspective” by Ellen Sandseter and “No fear” are some of the studies that the author has outlined in the article. Ellen Sandseter indicates that children have a sensory need to taste danger and excitement. Ellen Sandseter also identifies various risky plays such as exploring heights, handling dangerous tools, being near dangerous elements, rough and tumble play, speed, and exploring on one’s own (Rosin 10). Ellen Sandseter also outlines that growing up is a process that involves managing fears and also learning how to arrive at sound decisions. Children engage themselves in a form of exposure therapy by engaging themselves in risky play. Ellen Sandseter indicates that “our fear of children being harmed, most likely in minor ways may result in more fearful children and increased levels of psychopathology.”
In my own opinion, I believe that these conclusions are correct. Children are able to create their own entire worlds whenever their parents avoid attention to what they are dong in parks. In addition, by avoiding supervising children strictly, they tend to learn more in a responsible way and hence they avoid phobia to some things during their childhood and also in adulthood. I also believe that when a parent is too harsh and is always supervising their kids strictly, then they will tend to try out some things that may end up being very dangerous whenever they get an opportunity. This is likely to happen because children are always curious to know why their parents are always preventing them from doing various things. Furthermore, kids will always approach their parents whenever they face a challenge or confusion, especially for the first time. This means that when they are given an opportunity to interact with their friends through playing, they tend to learn many things and become more responsible.