I'm learning to give my kids more independence. It's not just about trusting them, but also trusting my small-town community.

I'm learning to give my kids more independence. It's not just about trusting them, but also trusting my small-town community.

The author is learning to give his children (not pictured) more independence.Imgorthand/Getty ImagesMy kids are 9 and 11, and my wife and I are learning to give them more independence. Living in a small town means not just trusting them, but trusting our community, too. I realized many of my fears aren't about their capabilities; they can do things on their own.When my wife and I moved from Calgary to Nelson, British Columbia, in 2017, we had a …