Is there a law in MD about kids being outside without a parent?

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't think you did anything wrong, but I do think it's a teachable moment with your kids. You should talk about what they should do if they notice an adult they don't know that seems to be watching them play, or that is engaged in unusual activity (walking up and down the same street), or that tries to talk to them beyond a simple greeting. It sounds like your kids were coming to get you, which is the right thing and they should be applauded for that. Encourage them to be aware of surroundings and trust their instincts -- that's so important and I feel like it's one reason why parents don't trust their kids to be out and about by themselves -- because they haven't given them the proper tools.

[Anonymous]

How do you know he even works for the county? He could be a random weirdo for all you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about the law, but common sense tells me OP was totally in the right.

10 and 6 is definitely old enough to be outside alone. Even without the windows and cameras. Don't they wait at the bus stop alone? Walk or bike to school? Play baseball or tag or hang out with friends?

The dark gives me some pause, but it doesn't seem like it was dangerously dark - this man could see the kids from across the street for example.

OP, I think you're totally fine. I would stand up the man and tell him not to approach your children again.

Thank the gods. A sane poster.

It's not playing outside with a sibling at dusk that is a problem. It's healthy and normal for kids that age to play outside alone. It's that OP didn't go outside immediately when she noticed a random person walking back and forth. Instead, she watched the situation play out through the window and on the camera. Honestly, would you let the situation get to the point that the person had time to approach your kids and lecture them until they cry? Of course not. The first time you notice a random person doing a pass you go outside. If OP did this instead of staring at a camera the entire situation would have been avoided.

Parenting takes active involvement.

[Anonymous]

OP: just adding a voice to say I don’t think you did anything g wrong here. It’s good to give kids some independence, even if that’s being watched through a window 15 feet away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty surprised by all of those vilifying this neighbor and assuming he's some kind of nefarious crackpot who needs to be reported to the police. (Also may be some sexism going on here - if it were a woman who did this would your reaction have been the same?)

Being a neighbor who shows concern for kids' safety is now something to be reported to the police? So maybe he wasn't nice about it but he did bring his concerns to your attention.

Guess when anyone sees something amiss we should just keep their mouths shut, walk on by and "mind our own business" lest someone accuse you of being a busy body or much worse.

Yep. That sounds like it will work for the benefit of kids.

If it was a woman doing this I would think she was a crazy busybody.

[Anonymous]

If you’re able to identify him and figure out who his employer is, I would report him to his employer. “Badging” people, either literally or figuratively, is a big no no.

[Anonymous]

Nobody should be calling police. That is completely ridiculous. OP was not doing anything wrong. The man was rude, perhaps due to concern, perhaps because he is a jerk, maybe both. That is not illegal, just annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys must really be helicopter parents. In the spring/summer time, all of the kids in our neighborhood are outside after dark. Our street is a dead end at the end of a dead end (as in there is only one entry street to a bunch of side streets). So on the section where our house is there are woods and 6 houses on either side of the street. Kids aged 5-15 are outside playing kickball, riding bikes, playing catch etc. I love it, makes me think of my own childhood and i'm so glad that in this age of all things tech, kids can still do that.

m

Dark is 8-10 in spring summer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d report this to the police tonight. This man could have been using the pretext of working for the county and having authority for getting closer to your kids for nefarious purposes. Either that or he is just a harassing crank but he’s still trying to use a mantle of authority to be abusive.

+1 His actions sound very suspicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty surprised by all of those vilifying this neighbor and assuming he's some kind of nefarious crackpot who needs to be reported to the police. (Also may be some sexism going on here - if it were a woman who did this would your reaction have been the same?)

Being a neighbor who shows concern for kids' safety is now something to be reported to the police? So maybe he wasn't nice about it but he did bring his concerns to your attention.

Guess when anyone sees something amiss we should just keep their mouths shut, walk on by and "mind our own business" lest someone accuse you of being a busy body or much worse.

Yep. That sounds like it will work for the benefit of kids.

If it was a woman doing this I would think she was a crazy busybody.

Women are rarely the kidnappers, rapists and child molesters in this type of situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about the law, but common sense tells me OP was totally in the right.

10 and 6 is definitely old enough to be outside alone. Even without the windows and cameras. Don't they wait at the bus stop alone? Walk or bike to school? Play baseball or tag or hang out with friends?

The dark gives me some pause, but it doesn't seem like it was dangerously dark - this man could see the kids from across the street for example.

OP, I think you're totally fine. I would stand up the man and tell him not to approach your children again.

Thank the gods. A sane poster.

Yes, you are fine OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty surprised by all of those vilifying this neighbor and assuming he's some kind of nefarious crackpot who needs to be reported to the police. (Also may be some sexism going on here - if it were a woman who did this would your reaction have been the same?)

Being a neighbor who shows concern for kids' safety is now something to be reported to the police? So maybe he wasn't nice about it but he did bring his concerns to your attention.

Guess when anyone sees something amiss we should just keep their mouths shut, walk on by and "mind our own business" lest someone accuse you of being a busy body or much worse.

Yep. That sounds like it will work for the benefit of kids.

Stop being so hysterical.

He basically threatened her. That's a bit more than "concern".

"If you don't do something about your unmown lawn I'm going to call the county."
"If you keep leaving your dog outside for days at a time, I am calling the county."
"If you keep blasting your music outside, I am going to call the county."

Threats? If you want to call it that. I consider it fair warning. For all we know, despite her protestations otherwise, OP may frequently leave her kids alone outside after dark and neighbor has seen enough of it to speak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about the law, but common sense tells me OP was totally in the right.

10 and 6 is definitely old enough to be outside alone. Even without the windows and cameras. Don't they wait at the bus stop alone? Walk or bike to school? Play baseball or tag or hang out with friends?

The dark gives me some pause, but it doesn't seem like it was dangerously dark - this man could see the kids from across the street for example.

OP, I think you're totally fine. I would stand up the man and tell him not to approach your children again.

Agree 100% and I am honestly surprised at the replies you are getting.
People sit outside and watch their 6 and 10 yos? That stifles their development.

[Anonymous]

My mom does the same thing as pp’s mom
and I don’t get how wrong her memory is! She used to regularly leave four kids in the car while she leisurely shopped for groceries and we were outside all day long in the summer. On “house cleaning” day we had to take brown bags outside and stay out all day and drink from the hose if we got thirsty. Old people are ridiculous about this AND some people just love to feel like they have “caught” a mom (always a mom) doing something wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know about the law, but common sense tells me OP was totally in the right.

10 and 6 is definitely old enough to be outside alone. Even without the windows and cameras. Don't they wait at the bus stop alone? Walk or bike to school? Play baseball or tag or hang out with friends?

The dark gives me some pause, but it doesn't seem like it was dangerously dark - this man could see the kids from across the street for example.

OP, I think you're totally fine. I would stand up the man and tell him not to approach your children again.

Agree 100% and I am honestly surprised at the replies you are getting.
People sit outside and watch their 6 and 10 yos? That stifles their development.

+1. We live on a one way single block street on the Hill (in a close in safe part, but obviously nowhere near as safe as OP’s neighborhood) where a bunch of kids play on the sidewalks outside. I let my 5 year old play with them on our side of the street near our house (between the alleys) watching from the porch. I would 100% let her roam with the kids on our whole block with only occasional check ins if it weren’t for the (limited) traffic on the street. If I had a set up like OP, I would absolutely let her. Some people here are bizarrely helicoptery. I just don’t understand the huge shift between generations on this when crime has actually decreased substantially nationally.