Book Review | Chapter 6 Summary – The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

In Chapter 6 of The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt explores how the decline of real-world, unsupervised play has reshaped childhood—and why that matters for mental health.

He argues that previous generations benefited from “play-based childhoods,” where kids regularly engaged in independent, face-to-face play without constant adult oversight. This kind of play helped them develop critical skills like risk assessment, conflict resolution, resilience, and social competence.

In contrast, today’s children experience far less independence. Increased parental fear, safety concerns, and cultural shifts toward intensive parenting have led to more structured, supervised activities and less freedom to explore. Haidt links this decline in autonomy to rising anxiety, as kids have fewer opportunities to practice handling uncertainty, solving problems on their own, and navigating social dynamics.

The chapter emphasizes that overprotection, while well-intentioned, can unintentionally weaken children’s ability to cope with challenges. Without regular exposure to manageable risks and peer-driven interactions, children may become more fragile and less confident.

Overall, Chapter 6 argues that restoring independence and free play is essential for healthy development—and that the loss of these experiences is a key factor contributing to the current mental health crisis among young people.

Planning for the Next School Year

As we plan for the upcoming school year, we are asking families to let us know if their child(ren) will not be attending Beddington Heights School next year due to a move, transfer, or other reasons.

You can update us simply by emailing Mr. Ross at saross@cbe.ab.ca. If your plans are not yet final, any information you can share at this time is appreciated and can be updated later.

CGY Crew Flag Football Residency

We are excited to welcome CGY Crew from the Flames Foundation back to Beddington Heights School this week for their Flag Football residency. This is the second year in a row they have worked with our students, and it is always a highlight. Students will build skills, teamwork and confidence while staying active and having fun. A big thank you to our Parent Association for funding this opportunity and making experiences like this possible for our students.

Regulation Tools Thank You!

We are deeply thankful for the generous support of our community partners in enhancing student well being and learning readiness at Beddington Heights School. Through a donation of $4,000 from Education Matters and $3,000 from our Parent Association, we have been able to invest in a wide range of regulation tools to support students across the school.

These funds have allowed us to purchase bean bag chairs, wobble stools, light covers, fidgets, noise cancelling headphones, fine motor tool kits, foot bands, and regulation tool kits for every classroom. These resources help students regulate their emotions and sensory needs, supporting focus, comfort, and engagement in learning.

Thank you to Education Matters donors and our Parent Association for your generosity and continued commitment to creating supportive, inclusive learning environments for our students.

 Key Dates

Recurring Messages

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Fun Lunch | Subway

Our next Fun Lunch will be Subway on April 30^th. The ordering deadline is April 25^th. Orders can be placed at HealthyHunger.ca. Thanks to generous donations from BHS families, we were able to provide 6 lucky students with a free fun lunch from Coco Brooks last month! Thank you to all who contributed to this cause! If your child is absent on Fun Lunch day, their lunch will be kept in the office until 3:00 p.m. for pick-up. After that time, it will be discarded to meet health and safety guidelines and due to limited storage space.

Popcorn Sales | Delivered Every Thursday

Parent Association sells popcorn for students, which will be distributed each Thursday. All proceeds will support BHS families in need during the Winter Break/Christmas season. Popcorn orders will be made through HealthyHunger.ca. The ordering deadline for each week is Saturday.

FlipGive Fundraiser

Support Beddington Heights School all year long through FlipGive — an easy, free way to raise money just by shopping for things you already buy!

Our school earns cash back whenever families shop for groceries, gas, dining out, or online purchases from hundreds of popular retailers.

Join our team here: Beddington Heights FlipGive

Every purchase helps support our school families.

Growing Smiles Fundraiser | Parent Association

Our Parent Association is excited to launch the Growing Smiles Fundraiser in support of our school community. This fundraiser offers families an easy way to enhance their gardens while helping to raise funds that directly support resources and experiences for our students.

Order deadline: May 4
Pickup date: May 20 (pickup time will be shared closer to the date)

Ordering Link

Thank you for your continued support of our Parent Association and school community.