Yes, I shelter my children. Don’t gasp in horror—the truth is so do you. The word shelter means, according to Dictionary.com, “to provide with a refuge; place under cover” and “protected from storms, missiles, adverse conditions, etc.” Using this definition of limiting our children’s freedom (placing them under cover) to protect them, we shelter our children every time we keep them from running in the road or riding in the car unrestrained. Every normal parent shelters their children to some degree or another.