Parents Investigated For Letting Children Walk Alone

http://ift.tt/1zn1lEY



I saw this a few days ago on another site as well...

Quote:

A Maryland couple that believes in "free-range parenting" said they are being investigated for child neglect after police picked up their children, ages 6 and 10, walking home alone from a park. The Washington Post reported Thursday that the kids were walking home from the park, which is about a mile from their Woodside Park neighborhood, in broad daylight last month and were stopped by police after someone reported seeing them.

Wow, how times have changed. I have long been annoyed by so-called "helicopter" parenting - parents who are overprotective. Now it's the government that is hovering.

Quote:

"The world is actually even safer than when I was a child, and I just want to give them the same freedom and independence that I had — basically an old-fashioned childhood," Danielle, a climate-science consultant, told the paper. The report said the kids would often carry a laminated card that states "I am not lost. I am a free-range kid."

They did not have the card with them at the time, according to another article.



http://ift.tt/1IUXwqr

Quote:

State law prohibits children younger than 8 from being unattended in a dwelling or car, but makes no reference to the outdoors, the station reported.

I used to walk home from Kindergarten, if my memory serves, but definitely every grade after that. We were warned about talking to strangers and all that. There were certain houses with signs in the window that said "Block Parents" that meant the house was safe to run to if there was a problem.

Quote:

Montgomery County Child Protective Services reportedly showed up at the home hours later to investigate further. “They came and they interviewed kids at school without our permission or knowledge. And when they were talking to them, they were painting a picture of a world that is very scary,” Mr. Meitiv told the CBS affiliate.

The title "Free Range Kid" is a little weird to me, but I suppose that's "a thing" now. How sad that it has come to that.

Quote:

The Meitivs say they believe in “free-range” parenting, a growing parenting style movement that focusing on self-reliance and allows children to learn at an early age how to make decisions for themselves.

How sad to be a kid in this day and age. I used to play outside, ride bikes with friends. The parents seem responsible enough, at least from everything I've read.

via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1B37jsA