Free-range kids picked up AGAIN by police

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I think CPS is currently pursuing an investigation since the idiot parents flagrantly disregarded the parenting plan they recently signed the last time CPS investigated them. Duh.

What does the parenting plan say, exactly? Do you know?

Actually, let's back up. DID the parents sign a parenting plan? There's no mention of it here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/decision-in-free-range-case-does-not-end-debate-about-parenting-and-safety/2015/03/02/5a919454-c04d-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

It was a safety ... They signed it before court.

Where and when did they go to court?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say I am always amazed at how I am requested to always have a snack and water for any two hour activity my child participates in.

I also have to say, having just moved from New York, downtown silver spring intersections seem shockingly dangerous. In New York, most would have traffic police monitoring the crossings... especially around the construction sites. Truth is, in New York we rarely cross six lane roads. Ever--except for Queens Blvd and Atlantic Ave.

I would have no issues having my nine year old brave the dangerous "gang infested" outdoor mall in dtss. I have issues even when I'm with her with crossing the intersections to get there. We walk everywhere and I've never seen a city with more empty parking garages and desolate sidewalks. Everyone in dtss sits in their car. This couple isn't the problem here. Your lousy urban planning is

I agree re urban planning. But the parents have to be realistic about where they are. It's not Mayberry.

If you're interested in urban planning, then either you have read Jane Jacobs, or you should read Jane Jacobs. Commercial places with lots of foot traffic are safe places.

Have. That's not what that area is.

Oh good, you have. But then what is that area? What is so dangerous about it? It's not a commercial area? There isn't lots of foot traffic?

Not much foot traffic on that spate by the garage on a weekend. No. That's the problem.

I live in the area, and you are wrong.

I will also point out that many, many people who live here in Silver Spring 20910 DO know one another. In a sense, it is like Mayberry, in that neighbors are very neighborly. My kids would know where to go for help within ten or 15 blocks of our house - they know someone, or know of someone on most blocks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is it that your kids think is so much fun about going to the park without an adult with them?

They like being out on their own. They like being independent. They like being unsupervised. They like being able to make their own decisions. They like the feeling of being responsible for themselves.

What is it about being unsupervised that they like so much? What do they do without an adult with them that they can't do with an adult? Lots of bad things happened to kids in the old days when kids just ran around wild that wouldn't have happened if an adult were supervising.

What they like about being unsupervised is being unsupervised. Don't you like being unsupervised? I do.

And yes, bad things happened to kids in the old days when there wasn't constantly an adult supervising, but lots of good things happened too. The good things aren't newsworthy, of course. (NOT a leading news story: Yesterday Joe went into the woods to play and came home in time for supper.) My question is: what won't my kids learn if there is always an adult supervising?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I live in the area, and you are wrong.

I will also point out that many, many people who live here in Silver Spring 20910 DO know one another. In a sense, it is like Mayberry, in that neighbors are very neighborly. My kids would know where to go for help within ten or 15 blocks of our house - they know someone, or know of someone on most blocks.

In my experience, people who haven't lived in urban areas seriously underestimate the degree to which people in urban areas know each other and look out for each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is it that your kids think is so much fun about going to the park without an adult with them?

They like being out on their own. They like being independent. They like being unsupervised. They like being able to make their own decisions. They like the feeling of being responsible for themselves.

What is it about being unsupervised that they like so much? What do they do without an adult with them that they can't do with an adult? Lots of bad things happened to kids in the old days when kids just ran around wild that wouldn't have happened if an adult were supervising.

What they like about being unsupervised is being unsupervised. Don't you like being unsupervised? I do.

And yes, bad things happened to kids in the old days when there wasn't constantly an adult supervising, but lots of good things happened too. The good things aren't newsworthy, of course. (NOT a leading news story: Yesterday Joe went into the woods to play and came home in time for supper.) My question is: what won't my kids learn if there is always an adult supervising?

Can't you just wait until they are 10?

[Anonymous]

This story really terrifies me. We are struggling to teach our son to be independent. But he is such a stringent rule follower. What if we finally get him to say...walk to the corner alone...and the police pick him up and hold him for hours. He'll never leave the house again.

Even if the parent are "using" their children to get a message across, its am important message. We are making it illegal to NOT over-coddle our children. I struggle with letting go myself, but to have the cops and CPS step it because they don't agree with a parenting choice as simple as the kids walking down the street is insane. The only harm the children have undergone is the harm by the police for essentially misleading them and kidnapping them.

I may not agree with this families choices - but I don't know the kids. Maybe they are capable of walking alone for blocks. A lot of us used to have that freedom when we were young. Heck, we use to run loose when we were much younger. The problem is that so many of us don't let our children be independent that we can fathom that maybe some kids at age 6 are capable of doing such things as walking to and from a playground alone. I find that sad.

How on earth are kids ever going to learn to be independent if they aren't allowed out of parents arms reach until the are 10 or older?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, I think CPS is currently pursuing an investigation since the idiot parents flagrantly disregarded the parenting plan they recently signed the last time CPS investigated them. Duh.

What does the parenting plan say, exactly? Do you know?

Actually, let's back up. DID the parents sign a parenting plan? There's no mention of it here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/decision-in-free-range-case-does-not-end-debate-about-parenting-and-safety/2015/03/02/5a919454-c04d-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

It was a safety ... They signed it before court.

Where and when did they go to court?

The 1st time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This story really terrifies me. We are struggling to teach our son to be independent. But he is such a stringent rule follower. What if we finally get him to say...walk to the corner alone...and the police pick him up and hold him for hours. He'll never leave the house again.

Even if the parent are "using" their children to get a message across, its am important message. We are making it illegal to NOT over-coddle our children. I struggle with letting go myself, but to have the cops and CPS step it because they don't agree with a parenting choice as simple as the kids walking down the street is insane. The only harm the children have undergone is the harm by the police for essentially misleading them and kidnapping them.

I may not agree with this families choices - but I don't know the kids. Maybe they are capable of walking alone for blocks. A lot of us used to have that freedom when we were young. Heck, we use to run loose when we were much younger. The problem is that so many of us don't let our children be independent that we can fathom that maybe some kids at age 6 are capable of doing such things as walking to and from a playground alone. I find that sad.

How on earth are kids ever going to learn to be independent if they aren't allowed out of parents arms reach until the are 10 or older?

There is a huge difference between a 10 year old and 6 year old. I have a 5 year old and there is no way I'd let her walk to a playground, play and walk home again. As parents it is our responsibility to take her and supervise. You can teach independence and responsibility by showing, working with your kids and so much more. It isn't just about them doing things alone at a very young age and hoping for the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is it that your kids think is so much fun about going to the park without an adult with them?

They like being out on their own. They like being independent. They like being unsupervised. They like being able to make their own decisions. They like the feeling of being responsible for themselves.

What is it about being unsupervised that they like so much? What do they do without an adult with them that they can't do with an adult? Lots of bad things happened to kids in the old days when kids just ran around wild that wouldn't have happened if an adult were supervising.

What they like about being unsupervised is being unsupervised. Don't you like being unsupervised? I do.

And yes, bad things happened to kids in the old days when there wasn't constantly an adult supervising, but lots of good things happened too. The good things aren't newsworthy, of course. (NOT a leading news story: Yesterday Joe went into the woods to play and came home in time for supper.) My question is: what won't my kids learn if there is always an adult supervising?

Can't you just wait until they are 10?

And then what, release them into unsupervised life, with zero experience?

What makes 10 magic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was a safety ... They signed it before court.

Where and when did they go to court?

The 1st time.

This article doesn't say anything about going to court.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/decision-in-free-range-case-does-not-end-debate-about-parenting-and-safety/2015/03/02/5a919454-c04d-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What they like about being unsupervised is being unsupervised. Don't you like being unsupervised? I do.

And yes, bad things happened to kids in the old days when there wasn't constantly an adult supervising, but lots of good things happened too. The good things aren't newsworthy, of course. (NOT a leading news story: Yesterday Joe went into the woods to play and came home in time for supper.) My question is: what won't my kids learn if there is always an adult supervising?

Can't you just wait until they are 10?

Why should I wait until they are 10? Is 10 a magic number?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was CPS doing while they held the children for two hours?

Getting someone with ANY authority to answer the phone on a Sunday. Just my guess.

I think so too, which is why some heads need to roll at CPS. I assume they have a rotation of people on call every weekend, since child abuse can happy at any time day or night. The person who didn't respond to the officer's call in a timely manner deserves a reprimand or firing.

CPS is a crap shoot. That's why I haven't filed reports when maybe I should have. You never know if things would turn out better, or worse.

Its not a crap shoot. When you call the hotline, they do a screening. They have a specific tool that asks specific questions and then it gets rated and either the case is screened in for investigation or out based off of the hotline call. They only have a few workers on evening and weekend shift so its not surprising the timeframe. If anything it was very reasonable. They also need to get ahold of a supervisor on call which can take some time to make a case decision and in this case, it probably involved the administrators. CPS handled this appropriately. If anything, given the parents violated what ever agreement they had, I find it disappointing they haven't taken stronger action. If it was two 11 year olds, it would be one thing but this includes a six year old who was not properly supervised, provided with food and water (officer had to provide water on pick up) and they had no reasonable way to contact the parents in case of emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What they like about being unsupervised is being unsupervised. Don't you like being unsupervised? I do.

And yes, bad things happened to kids in the old days when there wasn't constantly an adult supervising, but lots of good things happened too. The good things aren't newsworthy, of course. (NOT a leading news story: Yesterday Joe went into the woods to play and came home in time for supper.) My question is: what won't my kids learn if there is always an adult supervising?

Can't you just wait until they are 10?

Why should I wait until they are 10? Is 10 a magic number?

Yes. It is the magic number just like 55 mph is the magic number on some streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It was a safety ... They signed it before court.

Where and when did they go to court?

The 1st time.

This article doesn't say anything about going to court.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/decision-in-free-range-case-does-not-end-debate-about-parenting-and-safety/2015/03/02/5a919454-c04d-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

Kay.. They did not go to court, they signed a safety plan before CPS ruled on their case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is a huge difference between a 10 year old and 6 year old. I have a 5 year old and there is no way I'd let her walk to a playground, play and walk home again. As parents it is our responsibility to take her and supervise. You can teach independence and responsibility by showing, working with your kids and so much more. It isn't just about them doing things alone at a very young age and hoping for the best.

Nobody has advocated children doing things alone at a very young age and hope for the best.

If you don't think that your five-year-old is ready to walk to a playground, play, and walk home again, then don't have her do it. You should do what's right for you and your daughter. Other parents, with other children, at other playgrounds, may make different decisions that are right for them.