Recess Temperatures

[shootingstar]

I just meant that we coddle our children so much these days that they don't get to *experience* things like they should (like being uncomfortable, failure, heartbreak, etc). You know: the "everyone gets a trophy for just showing up" and the "we're all the best so everyone gets to be on the honor roll" kind of stuff. Experiencing failure is a good thing, so is being uncomfortable and let down. I teach some kids that I fear will have a major meltdown in college when they realize that they aren't the only special ones in the world and that sometimes you try hard and still come up short and fail because they have never had that experience. Ya know?

And yes, V, I agree with everything you said. I think you see it differently when you teach. Choice is good, but sometimes what you say goes because you're the parent and that's the way it is.

+1. There are safe ways for children to experience things like slight discomfort when it's rainy, snowy, etc. in ways that the child is supported by adults in the background with proper clothing and gradual acclimatization.

As an older child and teen, I never thought my parents were being overly hard on me for shovelling snow..or chopping the ice that clogged up a driveway. (a worser, ickier job) it was just another boring task to do, made only easier if the snow was gently and magically falling at night without a wind. And the thing was if the parent makes a super big deal about something uncomfortable/unjust on behalf for the child (when really sometimes a situation wasn't unjust/uncomfortable for child), then the child might just acquiesce and go along with the parent, not knowing any better or take the easier way out.

I meant shovelling the snow several times per wk. each winter. It wasn't occasional.

Thx, for the New Delhi article, tc1. It is what one's body is used to.
In Canada and the U.S. , there are lots of opportunities to become gradually acclimatized to cold weather. Which is the value of having autumn weather.

Though I wore my coat, etc. because I really wanted to, in my rebellious years I used to wear open toed walking sandals to near freezing temperaures in my 20's. I absolutely cannot do that any more!