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[quote=Anonymous]Many posters seem to think that the parents are sending their kids to the park alone at of laziness or a lack of interest in parenting or similat reasoning.  I don't think thats the case at all.  I get the impression that they are very involved in raising their children and want to raise confident, responsible individuals and have actively decided to gradually allow their children incremently more freedom and responsibility instead of hovering over them.  This is not neglect but a parenting choice.

I think the term "free-range parenting" and the accompaning movement is silly and find active participation in it (using the label for yourself, blogging, the stupid cards etc.) possibly cringe-worthy and would certainly roll my eyes at it but I have no issue with the underlying parenting choice only making a big deal about it.

As many have posted this type of parenting is nothing new.

I'm suprised by the number of posters who really don't think a 6 yo and 10 yo can't play at a local park unsupervised and that this hasn't been going on in urban areas for decades.  I will add my antetotal evidence.

Here are some of the things my sister and I did at ages 9 and 6:
- commute home from our parochial school by ourselves, including crossing two major streets, transfering buses and walking 
- visit the zoo on our own walking to and from our home in Mt. Pleasant
- ride our bikes unaccompanied in Rock Creek Park
- in Disney World take the monorail from our hotel to the Magic Kingdom (we had watches and had to be back at a specified time)
- while living in another country for the summer walk to a nearby store alone to return bottles
There are plenty more examples but these I can pinpoint to a specific age and know that we were without a pack of friends, though we also did trips ot the zoo or rode our bikes with others too.

My parents were never considered neglectful and by the standards of friends and family were not considered permissive and were generally thought of as some of the more restrictive parents among my friends - they always wanted to know what we were doing, with whom and would not just let us run free all day.  Also, we weren't jut let loose one day - the freedom came in small increments and responsibity was demanded.

I am trying not to be a helicopter parent but admit I do not allow my 4 yo the same level of freedom I had.  But I do try to give him unsupervised time and hover less and less.[/quote]

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