Free-range parents cited but not charged

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://enews.earthlink.net/article/us?guid=20150312/80788942-a504-4285-92ba-7b6215236003

Attempted kidnapping of toddler:

"The incident began after Michael Wright left his three children with a baby sitter in Sprague on Sunday while he went to work. The children — Brenden, 10, Delicia, 8, and the toddler — were playing unsupervised in a city park near the sitter's house."

Again, the reason why events such as this make international news is because they are so rare.

[/b]It was from WA state. This just happened days ago. [b] Rare or not, the older kid should not have been responsible for a toddler.

Yes, it happened in WA state & I read about it on a British news site. So it was international news.

It happened just days ago. Since then likely hundreds of car crashes have occurred, some of them fatal & involving children. Yet I'm guessing you're still allowing your children to ride in cars.

Yes, of course. And the truth is that most of the safety things we do are for things that never happen to us personally. My kids have never had a bike accident - yet wear helmets. I've never been in a car accident - yet as an adult I'll wear a seatbelt even in the back seat. The point is the likelihood of an injury or accident or horrific event, the point is that we all make choices because of what MAY happen. Are you saying that the 10 year old was old enough to watch his toddler brother?

A 6yo is not a toddler.

Comparing a 10yo walking home along a well-traveled street with his 6yo sibling to not wearing bike helmets or using seat belts is irrational. The risks are not comparable.

If you have data to show otherwise, please share it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me how uptight parents can be. Social media and 24hr hyped-up news really have done their jobs of making you all paranoid. I walked 2 blocks to a school bus stop by myself until I met up with others starting in K. There was never a mom at a bus stop after the first day. Ever! It was no big deal because we all played outside on our own already. Today every mom/nanny is at the bus stop and many even drive to the bus stops. Now if I let my 7yr old walk home the 8 houses alone, I look like a negligent mom.

Another thing that has changed is parents working longer hours and many people not knowing and not having friendly relationships with their neighbors. It's different when you don't know the people 2 doors down -- which you usually did when I was coming up and I am 48.

We know everyone in our neighborhood, as do our kids. They know where to go if they need help.

Silver Spring 20910

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love this article. It rings very true to me. Neighborhoods have gone to shit thanks to overworking and over scheduling.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2015/03/03/would-you-call-911-on-another-parent/?postshare=6491425698008868

+1

Everyone wanted women in the workforce so now 2 working parents are the norm while daycares raise the kids. Working parents over schedule their kids to validate their income, SAHM feel they need to do more to prove their worth f being at home by thinking over- coddling their kids = working hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me how uptight parents can be. Social media and 24hr hyped-up news really have done their jobs of making you all paranoid. I walked 2 blocks to a school bus stop by myself until I met up with others starting in K. There was never a mom at a bus stop after the first day. Ever! It was no big deal because we all played outside on our own already. Today every mom/nanny is at the bus stop and many even drive to the bus stops. Now if I let my 7yr old walk home the 8 houses alone, I look like a negligent mom.

Another thing that has changed is parents working longer hours and many people not knowing and not having friendly relationships with their neighbors. It's different when you don't know the people 2 doors down -- which you usually did when I was coming up and I am 48.

We know everyone in our neighborhood, as do our kids. They know where to go if they need help.

Silver Spring 20910

So if your kid fell off their bike a few blocks away, they would know the person that lived there? 20yrs ago, yes. Not today. Most people are away from their homes than inside of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me how uptight parents can be. Social media and 24hr hyped-up news really have done their jobs of making you all paranoid. I walked 2 blocks to a school bus stop by myself until I met up with others starting in K. There was never a mom at a bus stop after the first day. Ever! It was no big deal because we all played outside on our own already. Today every mom/nanny is at the bus stop and many even drive to the bus stops. Now if I let my 7yr old walk home the 8 houses alone, I look like a negligent mom.

Another thing that has changed is parents working longer hours and many people not knowing and not having friendly relationships with their neighbors. It's different when you don't know the people 2 doors down -- which you usually did when I was coming up and I am 48.

We know everyone in our neighborhood, as do our kids. They know where to go if they need help.

Silver Spring 20910

So if your kid fell off their bike a few blocks away, they would know the person that lived there? 20yrs ago, yes. Not today. Most people are away from their homes than inside of them.

Actually, yes. Not everyone, but enough people that they would be able to knock on a door and get help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me how uptight parents can be. Social media and 24hr hyped-up news really have done their jobs of making you all paranoid. I walked 2 blocks to a school bus stop by myself until I met up with others starting in K. There was never a mom at a bus stop after the first day. Ever! It was no big deal because we all played outside on our own already. Today every mom/nanny is at the bus stop and many even drive to the bus stops. Now if I let my 7yr old walk home the 8 houses alone, I look like a negligent mom.

Another thing that has changed is parents working longer hours and many people not knowing and not having friendly relationships with their neighbors. It's different when you don't know the people 2 doors down -- which you usually did when I was coming up and I am 48.

We know everyone in our neighborhood, as do our kids. They know where to go if they need help.

Silver Spring 20910

That is lovely -- I live in SS too and know a lot of our neighbors but I know a lot of people around the DMV that do not know a lot their neighbors. Geez Christmas -- not everyone's experience is the same. And, yes, a lot of things about how people relate to their neighbors, how many kids you see running around outside after school, yes they have changed since 1974. I was just denoting that things have changed a lot, was not saying at what age kids should be allowed to be unsupervised.
sheesh

[Anonymous]

And what has also changed, or so it seems, that everyone with an opinion has to prove that theirs is right. Folks cannot simply say -- hey we do things this way in our house -- others do something differently. I could care less if you let all of your 2 yr old walk to Giant and do your weekly shopping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me how uptight parents can be. Social media and 24hr hyped-up news really have done their jobs of making you all paranoid. I walked 2 blocks to a school bus stop by myself until I met up with others starting in K. There was never a mom at a bus stop after the first day. Ever! It was no big deal because we all played outside on our own already. Today every mom/nanny is at the bus stop and many even drive to the bus stops. Now if I let my 7yr old walk home the 8 houses alone, I look like a negligent mom.

Another thing that has changed is parents working longer hours and many people not knowing and not having friendly relationships with their neighbors. It's different when you don't know the people 2 doors down -- which you usually did when I was coming up and I am 48.

We know everyone in our neighborhood, as do our kids. They know where to go if they need help.

Silver Spring 20910

That is lovely -- I live in SS too and know a lot of our neighbors but I know a lot of people around the DMV that do not know a lot their neighbors. Geez Christmas -- not everyone's experience is the same. And, yes, a lot of things about how people relate to their neighbors, how many kids you see running around outside after school, yes they have changed since 1974. I was just denoting that things have changed a lot, was not saying at what age kids should be allowed to be unsupervised.
sheesh

I'm the Silver Spring 20910 PP. DH and I work full-time but we know our neighbors from school; church; the swim club/pool; soccer teams; moms' group (a long time ago now); the annual neighborhood block party; the listserv. The list goes on and on. I don't know every last neighbor for blocks around, but I could walk the neighborhood for an hour and give you information about (and stop and chat with) people on every street, easily. When my mom died a few years ago, many neighbors brought food and sent condolence notes. And I am not from this area!

Not everyone's suburban 2015 experience is the same.

[Anonymous]

^^^PP here - I find it very strange (and sad) that people don't know neighbors who live two doors down. Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here - I find it very strange (and sad) that people don't know neighbors who live two doors down. Seriously?

Its because most of my neighbors in Bethesda send their kids to private school so I have no idea who any of them are. 6-7 blocks away is the closest neighbor I know, since they send their kids to public school. Im to middle-class to have anything in common with my neighbors.

[Anonymous]

1940s kids get on the Baltimore Trolly ALONE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^PP here - I find it very strange (and sad) that people don't know neighbors who live two doors down. Seriously?

Its because most of my neighbors in Bethesda send their kids to private school so I have no idea who any of them are. 6-7 blocks away is the closest neighbor I know, since they send their kids to public school. Im to middle-class to have anything in common with my neighbors.

I would be very upset in your situation. Very sad.

[Anonymous]

My neighborhood is a ghost town. There are never kids out playing. They are all in after-care or structured activities every freaking day.

Weekends should be parents mowing/gardening/socializing while kids play, ride bikes, use their imaginations and get super dirty. Now parents think it is normal to pay other people to do the mowing/gardening so they can spend more money being a chauffeur for a zillion activities including "invite everyone to an impersonal birthday party 20min away" and "year round club sports that are a must for getting into college." And lets not forget all the tutors, piano lessons, day camps, sat prep courses and so forth. I feel bad for all of our kids. They know little independence and have no freedom to use their brains, imagination and critical thinking skills. It just seems like from birth the goal is to mold them into someone ready for college and adulthood. And we wonder why teen suicides are on the rise. They can not handle criticisms, they don't want to be held accountable for anything, they were groomed to believe they were perfect. They have zero interpersonal skills and street smarts and are little balls of stress. It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighborhood is a ghost town. There are never kids out playing. They are all in after-care or structured activities every freaking day.

Weekends should be parents mowing/gardening/socializing while kids play, ride bikes, use their imaginations and get super dirty. Now parents think it is normal to pay other people to do the mowing/gardening so they can spend more money being a chauffeur for a zillion activities including "invite everyone to an impersonal birthday party 20min away" and "year round club sports that are a must for getting into college." And lets not forget all the tutors, piano lessons, day camps, sat prep courses and so forth. I feel bad for all of our kids. They know little independence and have no freedom to use their brains, imagination and critical thinking skills. It just seems like from birth the goal is to mold them into someone ready for college and adulthood. And we wonder why teen suicides are on the rise. They can not handle criticisms, they don't want to be held accountable for anything, they were groomed to believe they were perfect. They have zero interpersonal skills and street smarts and are little balls of stress. It sucks.

You have zero idea what those kids are doing much of the time. For example, my kids have heavy extra curricular activities...but: are up early daily and play for two hours before school (Lego building, forts, art, read, hide and seek). My kids typically go on bike rides numerous times per week, play outside 5+ days a week! have play dates, and have lots of downtime. We cut out all screen time on most days and that freed up lots of time. My kids also do well in school AND in their various teams because of the work they put into them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighborhood is a ghost town. There are never kids out playing. They are all in after-care or structured activities every freaking day.

Weekends should be parents mowing/gardening/socializing while kids play, ride bikes, use their imaginations and get super dirty. Now parents think it is normal to pay other people to do the mowing/gardening so they can spend more money being a chauffeur for a zillion activities including "invite everyone to an impersonal birthday party 20min away" and "year round club sports that are a must for getting into college." And lets not forget all the tutors, piano lessons, day camps, sat prep courses and so forth. I feel bad for all of our kids. They know little independence and have no freedom to use their brains, imagination and critical thinking skills. It just seems like from birth the goal is to mold them into someone ready for college and adulthood. And we wonder why teen suicides are on the rise. They can not handle criticisms, they don't want to be held accountable for anything, they were groomed to believe they were perfect. They have zero interpersonal skills and street smarts and are little balls of stress. It sucks.

I doubt you know what every child in your neighborhood is doing with his/her time, but in any case, it is sad that your neighborhood is a ghost town.

Ours is teeming with children and everyone knows one another.