The potential role of pediatricians:
- Engage in conversations with parents about their children’s opportunities for independent activities that contribute to building self-confidence.
- Provide an overview of research findings as described in this report.
- Explain concepts such as locus of control and basic psychological needs and inquire about their children’s independent activities, as well as the constraints and fears that limit these freedoms.
- Collaborate with parents to find ways to overcome constraints and alleviate fears, taking into consideration the child’s age, neighborhood, and family living conditions.
- Work together in residential areas to create situations where children can play freely with other children, with an adult present solely for safety, without managing the play.
- Discuss with parents how to teach children to be safe in their independent activities, including how to cross streets, safety rules for bicycling, the benefits of moving with siblings or friends rather than alone (safety in numbers), and how to seek help when needed, as an alternative to depriving them of such activities.
- Utilize their position and knowledge in discussions with educators, social workers, city planners, legislators, and community leaders regarding policies and programs that either limit or expand children’s opportunities for independent activities.
In the United States, the non-profit organization Let Grow has been effectively working for several years, achieving some success in introducing free play and other independent adventures into public schools, altering state laws to provide parents with more freedom to make informed judgments about their children’s safety, and providing a catalog for parents and teachers with methods and reasons to allow children greater independence.
(Sources: Gray P, Lancy DF, Bjorklund DF. Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Well-being: Summary of the Evidence. J Pediatr. 2023 Sep; 260:113352)
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