I'll never forget the first time that I ate a mailbox face first or the time that I wiped out and donated my leg skin to the gravel <sigh>. We never wore helmets or pads and every kid in the neighborhood had at least one good collision with something (usually a mailbox, I swear those mailboxes attracted us like bugs to a zapper). This is what made us tough and even more so was when our fathers would help us to get back on our bikes and ride again. Sure, I've got some scars and I've probably used up all but one of my nine lives but I am also a much better cyclist now than when I was a child. I don't fear the traffic, I ride with it.

Granted, I don't nessacerily think that young kids should be playing in traffic or riding on busy streets without proper supervision, but at the same time I can't help but wonder if maybe we are sissyfiing children with all of the "stay in the driveway" and "wear your knee pads, elbow pads, safety gloves, goggles (don't want gravel or dust in the eyes), helmet, mouth guard, and water wings."

Kids are gonna get banged up, that is what they do. As good parents maybe instead of over protecting them and calling it "safety", we should be there when they fall and help them back onto their bikes to ride another day.