Free-range parenting

(Painting by Maud Humphrey)

Utah wants kids to feel at home on the range, even when ranging by themselves.

There was a time when nine-year-olds could come and go freely without adult supervision.  Kids were often seen walking and biking about town, or running errands for the family.

In some states, this is currently a red flag for child neglect.  A Maryland couple was charged with such twice, just for allowing their children, “ages 10 and 6,” to “walk home by themselves from a nearby… park.”

Abduction by strangers is relatively rare, and lessons learned from independent trips can be invaluable.  When government takes on too much of a parental role, Big Brother can bully all younger siblings.

As Lenore Skenazy, an advocate of free-range parenting, recently wrote:  Why give kids freedom – why give parents freedom – when you can take it away so easily and say you’re championing safety in the process?   

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/utah%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98free-range-parenting%e2%80%99-law-said-to-be-first-in-the-nation/ar-BBKNMp6?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=BHEA000

Copyright March 28, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved