I Lost a Bet

Newsletter 2019-05-27

My kids played outside this weekend. For most families, that wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy, but I'm raising indoor children. We have a backyard, but it’s not really set up for kids. It’s more of a suburban pig pasture. Don’t get me wrong: The pigs keep it in pretty good shape, at least during this part of the year. In Indiana, there are only two seasons: grass and mud. In the warm months, my backyard is a sea of green, and in the cold months, it’s a soggy pit deep enough to trap a mammoth. We sometimes get snow, too, but it just hides the mud to make it even more dangerous. The perils of my backyard should not be underestimated. I have four kids, but I started out with eight.

Normally, my kids avoid those dangers on their own. They lost interest in the great outdoors when they realized there was no Wi-Fi. Sure, they play outside at school and, in my weaker moments, I take them to the park, but when we’re at home, they can be counted on to stay in rather than out. I encourage this…