At first, you may think my dad made one of the biggest parenting mistakes. Thinking it was safer than a motorcycle, he bought me a three-wheel ATV when I was 12. The Consumer Product Safety Commission eventually banned these tricycles of terror due to countless accidents. I occasionally bring it up: “Dad, didn’t you love me?” That never goes well.
While I would be the first to admit three-wheelers should have been banned, mine offered me freedom to create some of my best childhood memories. Yes, age-appropriate supervision and safety measures must be taken, but unstructured play is crucial for kids. Author Jonathan Haidt found a direct link between a decline in free play and rising anxiety in kids. Here are 5 reasons kids need more time to roam.
1. They learn problem-solving.
Somehow, my three-wheeling friends and I learned that if our three-wheelers wouldn’t crank, we could make them crank by rolling them downhill and popping them into gear. Sometimes it even worked, producing feelings of euphoria I haven’t had since. Let’s stop solving every problem for our kids, which is one the parenting mistakes we don’t want to make, and let them figure it out.
2. They get creative.
As our three-wheeling, pimpled face gang of boys grew, so did the lying lore. Inflating tires to make a three-wheeler float was our grandest lie. While none of us had fully functioning frontal lobes, mine functioned the least. So I was the first and last to attempt to cross Turtle Pond, but what a memory! Kids need room to dream big and fail so they have stories to tell when their frontal lobes are fully developed.
3. They gain social skills.
My three-wheeler was my ticket to a world beyond my house. My friends and I would swap stories and lies and dream about our next Turtle Pond. It’s essential we give our kids room to figure out life with friends.
4. They practice resilience.
The ultimate test of any boy’s three-wheeling skills was using the lake’s dike like a ramp. Driving too slow equaled not enough momentum to make it to the top, most likely making you flip backwards. If you went too fast, you could also flip backwards or land in the lake. Many a good man was taken down. It was awesome. We need to let our kids experience failure and learn to hobble back.
5. They experience wellbeing.
Injuries aside, my three-wheeler days were filled with what I needed. It gave me time outside, away from video games and TV, and time with friends laughing constantly. Ironically, this anxious kid was never anxious while riding a vehicle that advocacy groups protested. Let’s unplug our kids and let them play.
Sound off: How do you help your kids have unplugged time?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What is one new thing you would like to try by yourself or with your friends?”