Parents enroll their children in a variety of activities during their youth to prepare them for the rest of their lives. Every parent wants his or her child to be as well rounded as possible. Parents of 4 and 5-year olds who attended a prestigious private school in New York were asked about their reasoning behind their children’s full schedules. One mother responded with, “I remember getting chosen last by the other kids in pick-up sports. I don’t want my son to ever experience that humiliation” (Crain 3). It seems that parents would rather protect their children from harm rather than let them experience it on their own. A sheltered child, in many cases, will be less educated than one who was allowed to play outside and watch television shows. There is a social type of education that a child needs to have which is not taught to him, but only learned through observations. Children also can learn more through their own actions and experiences rather than just being told. Paul Goodman, a radical social critic, states that, “People must be free to make choices, even wrong choices, to learn from their mistakes” (Crain 3). If a child never makes a mistake, then what is he ever going to learn? This is when the free time in a child’s life becomes very important. Kids use activities such as recess or playing in the yard as a time to explore. They learn things about their environment and themselves, that no one will ever teach them.
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