Being protective of your child is never a wrong approach. You hold the hands of your child when he/she is young and pick the playdates for your child precisely. Being a protective parent, you may also ask your child to respond to texts and calls whenever they are out of the house or so immediately. Many of us have heard that the US has adopted a new parenting technique called ‘helicopter parenting.’ But things are not the same in the other parts of the world. The parents have a different approach for their young children in the Netherlands.
The dropping tradition
According to this tradition, the kids, especially pre-teens, are dropped off in the woods at night. They are supposed to find their way back to the camps. To make it more challenging, at times, the kids are blindfolded while taking them to the woods. According to novelist Pia de Jong states, you will drop the kids into the jungle and look that they don’t die there. But other than that, the kids have to find their way back. If you find this tradition weird, it’s most probably because you’re not Dutch. Here’s more insight into the dropping tradition and why Dutch parents drop the children to the woods.
How is dropping practiced?
The children who go for dropping are blindfolded and then dropped off in groups of 3 or 4, several miles from their house. Next, they walk through farmland, country roads, and some wooded areas and reach the outskirts of the woods. They almost find their way back and reach the designated camps in a few hours. It is a sort of fun adventure that is thrilling and offers a team bonding experience.
A beloved tradition
The Dutch dropping tradition is a beloved tradition of the people of the Netherlands. The main goal of the dropping tradition is to build independence. The Dutches do not drop off their children from cars and move away. The kids are followed by an adult and wear high-visibility vests. Along with it, the team leader carries a cellphone in case of emergencies. The adventure takes a few hours to complete and the kids to navigate back to the camps.
Dutch dropping tradition isn’t that scary
Another reason why Dutch parents drop the children to the woods is that it is not as scary as it sounds. The woods in which the parents drop their children are only large parks. Droppings are also a tradition in other countries, including Belgium, and many people find it fun and not at all dangerous. The children have to do some hiking in the dark woods and then follow small country roads/ paths.
Not everyone takes part in the dropping tradition
Although, Dutch dropping tradition is very famous in the Netherlands, it not necessary for everyone to take part in it. Most of the Dutch children are not part of such scouting troops. Few children are members of scouting troops, and those children only take part in the Dutch dropping tradition.
