Well, this thought struck me, while Anna was playing with her older siblings and cousins in the woods. And again now, when I looked through the pictures!

She was having such fun! Yes, and I did worry. I was afraid she'd fall. But as she stated, confidently, with her 4-years-old logic: "Of COURSE I didn't mum! I held on tight!" I wonder how this might look in the eyes of people from outside Denmark - I know we have a reputation for letting out children run a bit wild...

Beech woods in spring have an indescribable colour. It's gone now, summer is here.

[kyricom]

The smile says a lot. We used to do stuff like that all the time when I was a kid... but that was way before the development of the videogames and cell phones that are turning our kids into mini-robots.

[IgorZ]

The smile says a lot. We used to do stuff like that all the time when I was a kid... but that was way before the development of the videogames and cell phones that are turning our kids into mini-robots.

I would add, as well as social services that take away kids from parents who let them walk to the park or take a city bus to school...

Nice pictures!

[sherrvonne]

We kids and the dog used to run out into the woods all day only coming home for lunch or supper or some odd chore. The other crazy thing we did was bailing rope horse bridles and the neighbors 'out to pasture horses'. Our parents and the neighbors knew we were doing it and no one stopped us. Oh my, country kids. I'm still alive and healthy!

[swanlefitte]

Nice pics that brought back happy memories.
I climbed every thing as a child. Was always reminded dead wood is unreliable and to realize the consequences of a fall. Then I was set free.

[monochrome]

What fun we had 50 years ago . . . . . swaying at the top of a 60 foot sycamore tree . . . . then realizing descending isn't the same mechanics as climbing . . . . and my father yelling up to me, "Well, you got UP there. Figure it out!" and walking away.

He'd be jailed today.

We can't even let our children do a Ropes Challenge Course 20 feet up without double-top elephant ears and a running bottom belay.

[Unregistered User 8]

Are we Danish parents quite out of our minds?

I do not believe that you are, I just think that the overprotective nature of the Western world has not made it to Denmark yet !!! You are very lucky. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[MetteHHH]

Thanks for all the comments everyone!

The smile says a lot. We used to do stuff like that all the time when I was a kid... but that was way before the development of the videogames and cell phones that are turning our kids into mini-robots.

I would add, as well as social services that take away kids from parents who let them walk to the park or take a city bus to school...

I do not believe that you are, I just think that the overprotective nature of the Western world has not made it to Denmark yet !!! You are very lucky. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Well, yes, videogames and cell phones are a reality here as well. Sometime we need to drag the kids out - but once out there, they behave like kids in the woods will, with all the irresponsible fun I remember having. And I guess the cultural view here might be a bit less cautionary, although cell phones have changed the game: A lot of the more dangerous fun we had when I was little probably wouldn't go undetected today, and some times it's just as well: I remember sitting inside a fort made out of hay bales. Around a campfire, that we lit in the middle of it(!)

In the situation in the photos I was present of course - my brother, husband and mother in law as well. But I hid behind my camera, focused on her smile, and told myself: "we survived crazy things!"

...The other crazy thing we did was bailing rope horse bridles and the neighbors 'out to pasture horses'. Our parents and the neighbors knew we were doing it and no one stopped us.

That DOES sound like fun!

Nice pics that brought back happy memories.
I climbed every thing as a child. Was always reminded dead wood is unreliable and to realize the consequences of a fall. Then I was set free.

What fun we had 50 years ago . . . . . swaying at the top of a 60 foot sycamore tree . . . . then realizing descending isn't the same mechanics as climbing . . . . and my father yelling up to me, "Well, you got UP there. Figure it out!" and walking away.

Woods are dangerous, I suppose - but kids are also really good at falling without getting seriously hurt - and in the end you remember the adventure, not the bruises!

[snpsht]

We kids and the dog used to run out into the woods all day only coming home for lunch or supper or some odd chore. The other crazy thing we did was bailing rope horse bridles and the neighbors 'out to pasture horses'. Our parents and the neighbors knew we were doing it and no one stopped us. Oh my, country kids. I'm still alive and healthy!

Oh what memories...luring the horses close to logs with bread or apples and jumping on for a ride up the paddock (totally naked horse) and later graduating to making halters/bridles from whatever we could get our hands on. We lost a lot of bark working out which horses were the most tolerant!
Climbing trees, throwing rocks, making cubby houses and coming home exhausted, filthy and starving by the time the street lights came on because we'd been out since sun up. We tested all the limits and learned to take calculated risks, just as kids should.

It is great to see photos of little kids having such fun and stretching themselves in these days of over protection. They NEED to do this! Keep it up.

[sherrvonne]

My cousin, whom I mention in my post has her own beautiful horses now, and the entire farm, as for me, I have the cameras and whatever wooded area I can get myself into. The photo made me smile since the little girl with blonde hair looks like my daughter when she was that age.