Children Need Freedom to Develop Imagination

Re “Sugar and Spice and a Parent’s Worst Fears,” Commentary, Aug. 4: In pondering John Balzar’s commentary, my concerns for children reach beyond their safety alone.

As a second-grade teacher, I work with children who are generally never able to explore their neighborhoods or play away from home because of safety concerns and parents who work long hours. What I see are children who are growing up playing video games and watching TV during most of their free time. This limits the development of creative imagination. It frequently has a stifling effect on a child’s academic growth, as the child cannot envision the world beyond his or her residence and a display screen.

Children need to be free to explore their environment--to watch ants carry food to their holes, to lie on the grass and look up at clouds, to play with and admire the simple elements in the world around them. If our children are not allowed the opportunity to do these simple activities, they do not develop a wholesome curiosity about a vast, wonderful world of possibilities. The loss of such creative thinking abilities will most likely inhibit our country’s future success.

Susan Watts

Mentone, Calif.