The children have been playing A LOT. They run outside with friends from the neighborhood and you can hear laughter and screaming drifting through the woods. They have begun to ride their bikes up and down our street. They are big and they watch for cars and they always wear their helmets. Still, its hard on this mother. I am not there. I am here. Or I am in the kitchen. Technically I do not know exactly where they are or exactly what they are doing. I practice saying to the pediatrician, "Well, I don't really know what happened." I try to "let go" and sometimes that works. Sometimes I sit and have a good worry while they are out playing. I have been waiting for the moment and yesterday it arrived. I was on the phone long distance trying to straighten out library fees, from a year ago and five states over, when the front door flew open and a worried big brother announced that little sister hurt herself. In the road. Flying down hill on her bike. She came in behind him sobbing and shaking with fear and wearing new scrapes and bruises. But she is fine. Actually better. Mistakes are good for you. Play is the bulk of our "curriculum" right now. Today this showed up in the NY Times. Ahhhh just in time:

The Value of Play
A report in the journal Pediatrics in January by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg and two committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics summed up the importance of free play to a child’s development. It made these points:
¶Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength.
¶Play is important to brain development.
¶Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles.
¶Play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face challenges.
¶Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate and to resolve conflicts.
¶Some play must remain child-driven, with parents either not present or as passive observers. When play is child-driven, children practice decision-making, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.
¶When play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some benefits of play, particularly in developing creativity, leadership and group skills.
¶In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies.
¶Above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood.
Allowing Reasonable Risks