Can't let kids walk alone anymore

[rogue06]

Wow...there was a thread about electromagnet being illegal?

It was one of magellan's many, many bizarre claims. Like how scientists claim that starfish evolved from fish and stars. Or if you find your car keys in your pocket than doesn't falsify the proposition that the keys are in a desk drawer. Or that horses must have developed longer legs one leg at a time. I saved this illustration that he made for the last one:

Magellan HorseMutation1.jpg

[mossrose]

Perhaps I misread what Mossy was saying, then.

I meant that the things that we wouldn't even think about not doing for our children's safety today were things that weren't thought of in days gone by.

I played outside and went to friends houses and the schoolyard and all over town to play with friends and stayed out until after dark and neither myself nor my parents nor my friends parents were concerned that some horror would befall me. That doesn't mean the danger wasn't there. But there just didn't seem to be so much of it!

We didn't have seat belts in cars. I wouldn't dream of not using my seat belt now, and in fact I used it long before it became illegal to not use it. And if I have a passenger in my car, I don't even start the thing unless everybody is belted up. When I was a kid, we didn't know about seat belts. They didn't exist. But most of us survived without them.

Smoking was allowed in restaurants and the grocery store and on airplanes and in every public place. Didn't like it, but couldn't do a thing about it. Nonsmokers had no choice but to inhale second hand smoke. We didn't know then if it was dangerous, but I for one am allergic to any smoke and it always bothered me. I survived.

We played on the playground without worrying about whether the strings on our jacket hoods would get caught in the equipment and strangle us. It might have happened, but I never heard of it happening until relatively recently. Now strings in hoods are frowned upon. I survived with strings in my hoods. The majority of kids did.

Nobody worried about nuts in public places. One person who might have had an allergy was encouraged to stay away from stuff with nuts in it. Nuts weren't banned from schools and playgrounds and other public places. Most of us survived.

And so on and so on. I think there is TOO much fear today. I think SOME of it is warranted. I think a great deal of it is not. There has to be a middle ground between "helicopter parenting" and "free range" kids. I think our parents knew what that middle ground is, and we have lost sight of it.

[rogue06]

I'm not old enough to think about the have a past(only 18).

FIFY n/c

[rogue06]

When I was a kid, we didn't know about seat belts. They didn't exist. But most of us survived without them.

Of course nobody had seat belts when mossy was a "kid"

When mossy was younger

Come on. You knew it was coming.

[Jedidiah]

I'm not old enough to think about the past(only 18).

I amened this post, but when I was 18 I had lots of past to think about,

[lilpixieofterror]

I saw this on the local news. The parents are these very stereotypical hippies that portrayed themselves as such to an almost comical level.

Yeah, I kind of got that feeling just by reading that article. That being said, I do think this is an example of insanity from the 'authorities'.

[lilpixieofterror]

I'm unconvinced that "we did it when we were kids" is ever much of a justification.

I'd agree, but at the same time... we can't watch our kids for the rest of their lives.

[rogue06]

Of course nobody had seat belts when mossy was a "kid"

When mossy was younger

Come on. You knew it was coming.

And no that isn't a representation of mossy on the dinosaur but illustrating the fact that when mossy was a kid the available transportation did not have seat belts.

[Carrikature]

I meant that the things that we wouldn't even think about not doing for our children's safety today were things that weren't thought of in days gone by.

I played outside and went to friends houses and the schoolyard and all over town to play with friends and stayed out until after dark and neither myself nor my parents nor my friends parents were concerned that some horror would befall me. That doesn't mean the danger wasn't there. But there just didn't seem to be so much of it!

We didn't have seat belts in cars. I wouldn't dream of not using my seat belt now, and in fact I used it long before it became illegal to not use it. And if I have a passenger in my car, I don't even start the thing unless everybody is belted up. When I was a kid, we didn't know about seat belts. They didn't exist. But most of us survived without them.

Smoking was allowed in restaurants and the grocery store and on airplanes and in every public place. Didn't like it, but couldn't do a thing about it. Nonsmokers had no choice but to inhale second hand smoke. We didn't know then if it was dangerous, but I for one am allergic to any smoke and it always bothered me. I survived.

We played on the playground without worrying about whether the strings on our jacket hoods would get caught in the equipment and strangle us. It might have happened, but I never heard of it happening until relatively recently. Now strings in hoods are frowned upon. I survived with strings in my hoods. The majority of kids did.

Nobody worried about nuts in public places. One person who might have had an allergy was encouraged to stay away from stuff with nuts in it. Nuts weren't banned from schools and playgrounds and other public places. Most of us survived.

And so on and so on. I think there is TOO much fear today. I think SOME of it is warranted. I think a great deal of it is not. There has to be a middle ground between "helicopter parenting" and "free range" kids. I think our parents knew what that middle ground is, and we have lost sight of it.

With knowledge of potential consequences comes the paralyzing fear of making the wrong move. I'm not sure how much of the fear today is unwarranted, though I'd strongly suggest that much of it needs to be put into perspective. There is a middle ground, and I don't think it's as forgotten as it always appears. Remember, it's the stupid and/or noisy people that get the air time.

For myself, I think this middle ground involves understanding a kid's ability based on age and maturity. A 10yo and a 6yo are too young to be out and about unsupervised, imo, especially when the 10yo is ostensibly watching over his sister. Some kids might be ok doing that, but what kind of parent can't be bothered to stop what they're doing and go to the park with them? Letting a 9yo or a 7yo play at a park by themselves is even worse. I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to arresting parents. There's a line somewhere between intervening and giving parents their space, and I think these examples are where that line really blurs.

[Carrikature]

Abortion is a deliberate act. That has no relation to the danger of accidents.

I think you're wrong, but only because the discussion isn't about the dangers of accidents vs deliberate acts. From the perspective of "most of us survived", the cause of the event isn't terribly relevant. Most of us survive just about everything, and that includes bombings, famine, disease, traffic collisions, and smoking, just to name a few.

[Carrikature]

I'd agree, but at the same time... we can't watch our kids for the rest of their lives.

This kind of reasoning is moronic. No one is suggesting that we watch our kids for the rest of their lives. That wouldn't even be possible for most parents. It's not unreasonable to keep a decent eye on your kids while they're still in your care, though, and kids aged 7-10 are still in need of a fair amount of supervision.

[Jedidiah]

. . . and kids aged 7-10 are still in need of a fair amount of supervision.

Kids must be less intelligent, or something, than when I was that age.

[lilpixieofterror]

This kind of reasoning is moronic. No one is suggesting that we watch our kids for the rest of their lives. That wouldn't even be possible for most parents. It's not unreasonable to keep a decent eye on your kids while they're still in your care, though, and kids aged 7-10 are still in need of a fair amount of supervision.

At 10 years old, I was walking to the bus, with my 8 year old brother in tow. 10 year old's are perfectly capable of doing stuff by themselves or even with limited supervision of their younger siblings. Sorry Carr, it isn't 'moronic' at all because 10 year old's are not little children anymore and are capable of doing some stuff by themselves.

[mossrose]

I guess each child should be given responsibility according to their, well, ability. Every child is different, and all 10 year olds are not as responsible as the most responsible one.

Case by case basis, and the parent is the best judge of what each child is capable of.

[lilpixieofterror]

Kids must be less intelligent, or something, than when I was that age.

I was walking, without supervision, to the bus stop and back, with my 8 year old little brother in tow and I even had my 5 year old brother with me too. No disasters happened, as a result of that and I remember it being pretty common too. I also remember that I was making my own lunch at 10 years old too (with the stovetop). Didn't seem all that dangerous to me than either and it doesn't now. 10 year old's are perfectly capable of supervising their younger siblings, I did it and so did lots of people.