The author is learning to give his children (not pictured) more independence.
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When my wife and I moved from Calgary to Nelson, British Columbia, in 2017, we had a vision for the kind of childhood we wanted our kids to have.We wanted them to ride their bikes around town, walk to school on their own, and spend their afternoons outdoors instead of indoors. But most of all, we wanted them to have a level of freedom and independence that feels increasingly uncommon in our modern world.At the time, these ideas seemed like no-brainers. However, I didn't anticipate how challenging they would be to put into practice.Now that my daughter is almost 12 and my son is nearly 10, they're doing many of the things we hoped they would do. They're spending more time outdoors with friends, navigating our neighborhood on their own, and building lives that don't revolve entirely around my wife and me planning their every move.But in doing so, I've realized that giving kids more independence is much harder for parents than it is for the kids themselves.My kids were ready before I wasMy kids rarely hesitate to venture farther from home than I think they should. They'll make plans with friends, walk or bike across town, or head to the skatepark for the afternoon with a confidence that often exceeds my own comfort level.Meanwhile, I'm mentally running through worst-case scenarios. What if they fall off their bike? What if they get lost? What if something happens and I'm not there?
