Helicopter Moms vs. Free-Range Kids  

Okay, so grade four, that's around 10 or 11, right?

Personally, I don't have a problem with this, I mean obviously the son is familiar with the area and was happy to take the trip alone.
I've been walking and catching public transport alone since I was 9 or 10 also.
I mean obviously not all the time, but my parents and I both knew that it was unnecessary to be escorted everywhere.

Obviously it's different for everyone, depending on their own views on parenting, their child's personality and maturity etc, but I don't think that anyone has the right to tell her what she did was wrong.

The world can be unsafe, but unfortunately we can't always shelter other people, even children, from this, even if we are right there with them.

=)

Live and let live, I think.
I wouldn't berate her for her choice with her own child, even if I wouldn't do the same thing myself if I had children.

=D
Have a great day!
Mal.

I think as a parent its my job to do the best job I can to keep my child safe. Personally I wouldn't allow my child to roam free till they are a teenager and even then I would still make them check in every so often after I get all the details on where and what they would be doing. Before I allow my children to do anything I ask myself what would the worse case scenario be and could I love with the consequences. My daughter just informed me that she was getting teased at school because I don't allow her to roam free around town like the other children in her class get to. I explained to my daughter why I feel the way that I do. I don't feel it is safe to allow children as much freedom these days because of hearing about kidnappings and children going missing. I live in a small hick town that might have 1500 people at most but I have heard of two children going missing from here.

These people are so silly reacting like this. Not too long ago children were forced out of their homes at the ages of 11 to go to work so that the rest of the family could eat. These kids would work in incredibly dangerous environments where machines could kill them if they weren't quick enough to move out of the way.

I bet we all remember the first time we were allowed to go to school or come home on our own. Our parents were probably scared to death that something would happen but children need to learn how to fly from the nest, slowly but surely. It isn't as if at the age of 16 they are suddenly allowed out, have money, go out with their friends.

Some people are over protective of their kids and it doesn't help them and anyway children need a bit of independence to learn from their own mistakes too! I started going to school on my own when I was 8. My mother didn't want to do this but it was the only way I could get to school and she could be at work on time. I am still here and I learnt by my adventures.

Thanks for sharing that with us icy.

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