Reply to Free-range parents cited but not charged

Forum Index » Elementary School-Aged Kids

Reply to "Free-range parents cited but not charged"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]These parents seem to be focussing on their agenda more than on the reality of their kids/neighborhood.  It's one thing to let your kids go outside and play on the same block, or at the park that is a block away.  It's another thing to let them play 9-12 blocks away... if anything happened and they needed help, it would take a lot longer to get back and it's possible the hurt one would have to be left alone while the other went for help.

It's one thing to let your kids play in a neighborhood where they know people, it's something different when they are walking through areas where they know no one and there are random adults hanging around or a place where lots of cars are driving through.

It's one thing to leave a 10 yr old in charge of a 6 yr. old if they are in a very controlled setting and you will be out for a short time (i.e. you drop off the library books 1 mi. away while they are watching tv. at home), it's something different to leave a 10 yr. old full decision-making authority over a 6 yr. old in an uncontrolled environment (outside, streets, playground where swinging and climbing are happening).  Kids get injured.  My own kids have have playground dramas and traumas many times.

I don't disagree with the spirit of "free range parenting" -- but I do disagree with how these particular parents are implementing it.  There's free-range, and then there's just stupid or negligent.  IMO, they are the latter.[/quote]

I agree with you 100%. I give my 10 year old some freedom - he can walk to the local school, in our neighborhood, and shoot hoops. He can stay home while I go to the grocery store. But I'm not letting him be in charge of his younger sister in downtown Silver Spring. I'm an adult and follow pedestrian safety guidelines and I've nearly been run over by crazy (or texting) drivers when in a crosswalk. It can be pretty harrowing in town centers like Silver Spring and Bethesda, where drivers (often teens) are reckless. No way is my ten year old navigating that with his younger sister a mile away from my home (she's 8, but an immature 8).[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics