Wondering

[were_gopher]

What is wrong with this world that makes me even slightly nervous that I've let a 12YO and a 9YO go to the park at the end of our road on their own for an hour. Ok the 12YO isn't as savy as most kids his age but it's still something I don't think our parents would have thought twice about in the 60s or 70s.

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I slightly fret sometimes. But my nine-year-old goes to the local park and to the corner shop on his own regularly. We don't let him go to the nicer park that requires him to cross a slightly more difficult road. My daughter started walking home from school alone at age 10. But round here the majority of primary school children do not go out alone at all (a small minority go everywhere alone all the time).

[were-gopher.livejournal.com]

I think it's because those of us who believe in free range kids are now in the minority that makes us more concerned than our parents would have been. As Coths comment shows, it's the busybodies rather than the red top news induced panics that are the problem.