seems like you have no child. as a parent you constantly make decisions for your child. that is called responsibility. i give here probably more freedom than anybody i know around, yet i make the decisions where she has no chance to make good judgement, due to her age. and yeah, that is "limiting her options" if you will. but i see it rather as widening her possibilities to develop and grow. now, if she insisted on going there i doubt i would forbid it. but it will not come to that since there are so many other interesting and exciting things. she will probably go to a soccer club soon. and then she wants to start playing the piano.
jack, thnx for your post, but i must say that i don't like badges in connection with children. you guys seem to have the impression that i want my child to grow up without directions, rules or authority. but that is definitely not the case. i strongly believe that one can find all the positives of scouting without what i would see as negative. i think it is a personal thing - i do not like at all to be part of a crowd, of something uni-form. and while many people tell me that they find it great to get to some other country and be recognised and greeted when they wear their scouting dress ... that is really no positive imagination for me. i want to be adressed for what I am not for the organisation my clothes stand for. but admittedly i might be going a little far with that. in general the thread was inspirational for me, since some guys with other opinion than my own wrote in a way that makes me take their position serious. thnx.
Ya exactly ... and your mom used to tell you "don't cry my sweet heart ... I know they didn't pick you to play with them ... but one day they will realize what a great person you are"
Actually I did very well in physical education, I never worried much about being one of the "last ones". I seem to have hit a soar spot with you. I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories.