Free-range parenting is one of the sub-types of parenting styles in which parents give their children the freedom to gain new experiences by trying new things without help or supervision so that they can develop certain traits like self-confidence.
Some people mix this style with neglectful parenting because they have similarities.
We will discuss the following:
What is free-range parenting?
The term itself was first mentioned in the article “Why I Let My 9-year-old Ride the Subway Alone.” by Lenore Skenazy, who explained how she let her child ride the bus and subway alone and how her son felt proud of this accomplishment, but before that, she supplied him with the necessary knowledge of how to read a subway map, and she also gave him the required money for his trip.
After that, she gave her child the freedom and independence to explore new things, and since then, the free-range parenting term has come to light.
The main difference between free-range parenting and neglectful parenting style
Although neglectful parenting and free-range parenting seem similar in giving children freedom and independence when trying new things, they are different in their safety measures.
Free-range parents are responsible and care about their kids, unlike neglectful parents who do not care about their kids at all.
They also make sure to tutor and supervise their kids when they do new things, and when they feel their kids are ready, they give them the chance to do tasks alone.
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Examples of free-range parenting
We can see several examples of this parenting style, such as:
- Assigning simple chores to children.
Parents Teach their children chores like mopping the floor, cleaning the house with a vacuum cleaner, or washing the dishes, and then letting children do these chores all by themselves.
- Teaching children responsibility.
Some parents teach their old kid to babysit his younger sister when parents are busy or not at home.
- Giving the freedom of choice for simple things
Free-range parents will give their children total freedom while choosing new clothes, when to sleep, etc.
- Spending time with friends:
Free-range parents will let their kids go out with their friends outside the house to play together or ride a bicycle in the neighborhood.
Pros of free-range parenting
The merits of following a free-range parenting style can be great if parents care about their kids’ safety before letting them do tasks alone.
Some pros of free-range parenting, such as:
- Children will be more independent at a very young age than their peers.
- Kids will have courage and self-confidence as they can deal with new situations and strangers daily, like asking someone for directions.
- The relationship between kids and their parents will be much better because kids will feel that their parents trust them and believe in their abilities to make things right.
- Kids will be more active because they will like to try and explore new things around them because that will develop their thinking and problem-solving skills.
- When children are active, they will have better health and be in better physical shape, unlike other children who do not engage in activities because of their overprotective parents who do not let them do anything by themselves.
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Cons of free-range parenting
Although the free-range parenting style has many benefits, it may have some unwanted consequences, like:
- Free-range Parents might exaggerate when trusting in their kids’ abilities, and that may lead to some risks like being hit by cars or bullying.
- Free-range parents might be criticized by their social circle because many parents prefer limiting their kids’ freedom until they become older and trustworthy.
- In some nations, leaving kids alone at home or giving them tasks without supervision might be considered illegal.
Do I need to be a free-range parent?
Parents of these days need to think carefully about the difference between these days and the past days of their childhood, like the 80s and 90s.
In the old days, people were friendlier. In recent days, with all the fake news and social media, people are not interested in knowing each other anymore.
Crime and racism are becoming more common than before, so it is not advisable to let children out in the open unsupervised for a long time. On the contrary, parents should not micromanage children for every detail, as that will affect them badly, so keeping the right balance should be your choice in parenting.
Other parenting styles
There are other parenting styles that parents should know about before deciding to follow the free-range parenting style.
A clinical and developmental psychologist, Diana Baumrind, researched four main parenting styles, which are:
Children expect high responsiveness, like getting things they want and need.
They also expect high demands from their parents, like behaving well and avoiding unhealthy habits.
Parents have demands and like to order kids to do what they only want.
These parents are not responsive because they do not care about their kids’ needs or wishes.
This style is characterized by high responsiveness as parents try to fulfill all of their kids’ needs, but when their kids do not behave, they tend to be forgiving without disciplining them.
Neglectful parenting style:
This style is known for no responsiveness and no demands from the parents.
Some other sub-types of parenting styles include:
Tiger parenting style:
Parents in this style will supervise and decide everything in their kids’ lives, just like authoritarian parents.
Parents will try to solve all the challenges that may face their kids without giving them any chance to face them.
Like a helicopter hovering over the kids’ heads, parents in this approach will pay great attention to their children’s lives without letting them choose for themselves.
