Thanks for a fun, inspiring story, John.

Sure, go ahead and have fun, but only in nanny-state approved ways. Heaven forbid your summer fun involve riding an ATV, motorcycling sans helmet, or going shooting, or riding around in the back of a pick up truck, jumping on a trampoline, taking the 7 year olds for a drive without a baby seat for all of them, or anything else that might carry any hint of risk.

We've allowed a few, over-publicized incidents of injury and death to scare the fun out of all of us. Worse, we've passed those fears into laws so that even those who are willing to live a little are forced into the same bubble as those with a 1001 phobias.

Live and let live ought to include a lot more leeway for people to make their own decisions about what is the proper level of risk for themselves and their children.

I'm with John.

My 11 year old said to me as school was ending, "I don't want to have anything this summer."

What he was really saying is "I want to have free time to just be a kid. Play with my friends, run through the sprinklers, have water fights, etc."

I agreed.

He later asked if he could take guitar lessons.

I agreed.

Later he asked if he could get a 7 peaks pass.

I agreed but told him he would have to work it off during the summer.

He has $5 at a time. Cutting the grass, washing the car, etc.

Stop scheduling the kids to death.

Let them be kids.

They'll enter the anxiety ridden, 24/7 world soon enough.

Serenity now.....

re:have fun You forgot that you can get sued for it too! I, too, wish life was more simple. We have tried to do it with our children but it is difficult.