Are we really raising safer kids?

Today, parents seem to be obsessed with safety.

I let my kids play in the (fenced) backyard by themselves. They are 5, 3, 2 and 6 months. Of course, I am outside when the baby is. But I have even left him in the bouncy chair to run inside for something ( like taking brother or sister on an emergency potty break). I keep the doors open, and check on them frequently. We live on a cul-du-sac, and the kids don't ever venture out of the gate. Yet there are parents, even friends of mine, who I know who see this as neglect. 

When we are playing in the front yard, I let my 3 year old ride his bike on the sidewalk all the way around the cul-du-sac. That's right. All by himself. And guess what? He knows that he needs to stay on the sidewalk, and knows at what driveway he needs to turn around. 

My 2 year old is allowed to play on all the playground equipment with her siblings. And I don't follow her. And she has never gotten (seriously) hurt. 

I feel like every time I turn around, there are more rules and inventions to keep kids safe. Some of these are great. Car seats? Awesome. Putting soft material under play structures? Super. Banning lead paint? No problem. But knee pads and helmets for crawling babies? Banning playground games? Labeling every toy with a million warnings? Does this really keep our kids safer? Have kids really eve been seriously injured, or is this just a result of a paranoid, sue-happy world? 

A middle school on Long Island recently banned all balls (other than Nerf) as well as tag, cartwheels, and other activities on the playground, citing "safety concerns."

In an age where obesity can and does cause major health problems and even death, does this really keep our kids safer? 

I remember playing Red Rover and Dodge Ball at recess, now games that are virtually unheard of. Yes, kids got hurt. I think once someone even broke their arm. But we had fun, and we ran around, we interacted with each other and got excercise. The sad thing is, that with the number of electronics the average middle schooler possesses, I doubt the kids will really care all that much that kick ball has gone the way of the dinosaur. But are we doing a disservice to our kids? I think so. I don't think we are really keeping them safer. I think we are limiting their development. I taught elementary school, and honestly, the most common injuries occurred because kids tripped. Should we outlaw running? Pad the walls and floor? 

I actually believe in the free range child. Would I let my child take the subway alone? No. But I live in Kansas. If we lived in NYC, you better believe my kids would learn to navigate public transit. I don't always hold my kids' hands. They cross the street next to me. And guess what? They are learning how to be safe without me. Because that is the ultimate goal of the parent, is it not? 

I would love to live close enough to the elementary school for my kids to walk or bike. When they are old enough (maybe 10?) my kids will be allowed to go to the park alone. The facts are (there are plenty of studies, I'm not going to link here) that kids are actually safer now than in they 70's and 80's. Crime is down. Maybe it is the media that has increased, I don't know, but I feel perfectly safe teaching my children to care for themselves, and then standing back and watching them succeed.

It really seems to me that we are causing our kids to become afraid. We are not teaching them to be safe, but instead to avoid anything that could cause upset or injury. And that isn't how the world really works. You fall. You fail. And you get right back up. I want my kids to take risks. I want them to challenge themselves. I want them to know that they will fail sometimes, and that is ok. I want them to know that they have to work hard sometimes. And that usually, it is worth it.