It's Good When Kids Have Fun
The following is the transcript of my closing editorial from episode 134 of my news podcast The Mind Killer. If you like it, please consider subscribing to the podcast
Last week, I took Roxie to a thing where they strap you into a harness connected to bungee cords and let you jump on a trampoline. It’s awesome. You jump like 20 feet in the air. Kids love it.
While she was jumping, there was another kid there jumping whose mom spent the entire time berating and belittling him. It was surreal. Every time the kid didn’t jump perfectly straight, his mom would scold him for not doing it right, and kept repeating “you don’t listen.” I have no idea what her problem was, because the kid was jumping exactly how you’re supposed to, and he was seemingly having a great time.
This is not an isolated incident. My most popular tweet ever is about how Roxie’s school tried to close the playground for ten minutes before the kids went inside because if the kids are allowed to run around and play before school, they won’t be “ready to learn” or whatever.
Adults just seem to have a reflexive anxiety response to kids having “too much fun.” Sometimes, kids get reckless and do dangerous things, or aren’t careful and break stuff. That’s a real thing. But it seems like most adults, and especially parents or authority figures, have developed a Pavlovian response where if kids are enjoying themselves, they need to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand.
I just want to send the message that kids having fun is a good thing. Kids should have fun. And if you’re reaction to kids having fun is to try to stop them from having fun, then congratulations. You’re now a cartoon villain. You’re the person you hated when you were a kid.
Instead, maybe try encouraging kids to have fun! Take delight in their laughter and let their smiles bring joy to your soul. Or just take a Xanax. But either way, leave the kids alone. They’re not the ones with the problem.