re: #148 reine.de.tout
I have a slightly different take on this. As the parent of three teenagers, our policy has been to keep them busy with things they want to do. We don’t force them, nor do we schedule their lives for them. But they aren’t allowed to sit around and play Left for Dead all day either. Either they pick their activities, or we do (chores).

My rules for being a parent: be nosy, be consistent, and keep them looking forward to the next productive thing they get to do.

BTW, stranger danger is one of the worst ways to keep a child safe. While hiding scared from strangers that are a statistic anomaly in their lives, they don’t learn how to keep themselves safe in the real world.