Raising Belizean Children

I had a lot of reasons for wanting to move here. It's worth saying again that, if you're considering moving abroad or traveling full time, make sure you're going toward something, rather than running away from something.

I moved toward this.

One of the things drawing me to Belize is the life of children here. Every day kids walk to and from school, even in Belize city. And they do it twice because they go home for lunch. The big ones watch out for the little ones.

They wander free outside after school and on off days. If another adult sees a child being mean or crazy in a way that actually requires intervention, they say something. Speaking of which, almost nothing requires intervention.

This did not require intervention. All the same, glad I didn't see it until I saw the picture.

My mother in law is visiting. She was with the kids at the dock on the river, and some neighbor kids were over there. As the 2 year old climbed the tree, rather skillfully, the mil was both terrified and awed. To be fair, the girl is a haus. Kids climb and run and fall and play in the river. They get hurt, and they heal. They are outside all the time.

No one is suing anyone because their kid fell out of a tree at someone's house or accidentally got a fishing hook in the hand. No one is worried about somebody stealing their kids because it just almost never happens.

Kids are free. And they play a lot and wildly. Yet they're also almost all very sweet. It melts my heart almost every time we go to the playground. Most kids are so kind and helpful with my children. They're also very comfortable and friendly with adults. It's so wonderful.

My friend Emmeth and the Drums not Guns Kids

Belize is like a radical free range child experiment. My kids getting a Belizean childhood is one of my great joys and one of my favorite reasons to live here.