Free Range Parenting

Last updated on: February 24, 2015 at 9:12 pm by Jane the Actuary

Free Range Parenting 2015-02-24T21:12:21-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here’s a link to an NPR article on the subject, citing cases of parents in trouble for letting children manage on their own, at home or in the neighborhood, according to which my home state has the highest “age below which it’s illegal to permit your kids to be at home alone.” Age 14 — wow, that’s nuts!

Why? How did it happen that children, even middle-school children, are expected to need constant supervision.

Yes, of course, a part of it is the all-out-of-proportion worry about child abduction, starting with the Adam Walsh case.

Here are a couple other guesses:

Is it a consequence of the suburban life with lots of scheduled activities? — which means that your kid is less likely to be roaming the neighborhood with a pack, because everyone’s got soccer or basketball, and, if you’re going to allow them to roam, it more likely means roaming alone.

Did it ironically get worse when cell phones came into common use? Yes, I know that’s counter-intuitive, but I wonder if they generated an expectation that we can — and should — be able to know where our kids are at all times.

Is it because, in the suburbs, parents drive their kids everywhere, and, in many neighborhoods, there just aren’t many places a kid can get to on his own, so that the very notion of a kid being on his own becomes foreign?

It is true that one difference we noticed quite clearly between the US and Germany is a different perception of risk. There was no obsessive fear of “stranger danger” and, starting at gymnasium-age, kids travel significant distances on public transportation to get to school. There was not the same fear of drowning as in the U.S. — public pools generally didn’t have lifeguards, and non-swimmers were expected to put water wings on and hop in, regardless of pool depth. At the same time, there was a much greater fear of chemicals, so that organics were much more common, and advertised even at Aldi-type stores.

What do you think? At what age would you let your kid be home alone, or out and about?

Uncategorized

parenting

Previous Post

February 18, 2015

Parking a link: Boris Johnson and the IRS

Next Post

February 18, 2015 Parking a link: labor force participation

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Why was it significant that Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at the well?

Select your answer to see how you score.

She was wealthy She was a prophet Jews typically avoided Samaritans It was raining