ITS A KIDS LIFE IN PANAMA

BEING A KID IN PANAMA IS LIKE THE U.S. IN THE 1950'S

Most all the animals have the run of the place!

When we were raising our kids in the 1980's and 90's, the world became a scary place for kids AND their parents.  We spent hours training our kids not to speak to strangers.  Playing outside with friends was all but replaced with organized sports and arranged playdates.  You didn't walk home from school, or play in the woods unless you were within view.  The freedom that we enjoyed as kids in the 50's and 60's is alive and well in Panama.  A friend of mine sent me a longer list of things we COULD DO when we were kids.  Here's just an excerpt.

"We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps

And then ride them down the hill, only to find out

we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes

a few times, we learned to solve the problem."

You know, crashing into the pushes CAN be instructive. I would have to confess to possibly being a bit too protective of my kids.  Some lessons are best learned through experience and if we wrap them in cotton wool, well, it maybe is stealing some vital experiences they need to grow, learn and create!!

As kids we slurped out of water hoses, played with mercury, rode helmet-less on our bikes, etc.  Sure, there's lots to be said for some of the advancements over the years, but something - freedom- and some of the joy and wonder of childhood has been lost.

Here in Boquete, the kids have the freedom our kids lack these days.  They are playing ball in the streets, walking to the store with their little sister in tow to get bread for dinner, stopping to chat with older neighbors and playing, playing, playing OUTSIDE.  No video games in sight.

Without getting too heavy here, it has just struck me that this is still a community.  Folks looks out for each other, know each other, watch each others kids, cows and chickens and stop what they're doing to chat.  It's a breath of fresh air......