Free Range Kids

I have always loved Lenore Skenazy's Free Range Kids blog and I've been slowly working up to letting the kids have more freedom and more unsupervised time outside. It helps that we live in a very safe neighborhood and know our neighbors.

This afternoon has been revelatory. I told the 3 big kids they HAD to play outside from 3 to 5 pm today, and after initially balking at the notion, they are all outside having a great time. 

Sweetpea came in to ask if she could go into the neighbors' house to play in the playroom with their girls, and the 2 boys have been playing over 90 minutes together without a single argument! A new personal best! I actually went out into the backyard to make sure they were okay because there was NO arguing to be heard. 

The baby is napping, and all is quiet at the end of a long week. It's gonna be a great weekend!