Letting Kids Roam Alone - Would You?

SKL, when you're right, you're absolutely right. I highly doubt that they got hundreds of calls - frankly, I suspect that they didn't get *any* calls.

And as far as safety goes, I don't know about you, but I know that the crime rate - including the rate of violent crimes against children - is much *lower* than it was when I was a child in the 80s or 90s. My mother often states how much safer she feels walking around the city now than when she was a young adult in the 70s, for that matter! Same city, too.

I look up these statistics every week. Literally, every week - these conversations just come up that often. Every week I rediscover the same thing - the world is much *safer* than when I grew up. I refuse to be *more* scared now than my parents were when I was a child!

My child is not ready to cross a road at 4, she will probably not be ready until 7 or 8. BUT I live on a highway. There is a huge difference between my road and a road much less traveled. I agree that you shoudl start out allowing them to go as far as you can see them and then build trust.

I think the whole story is obsurd, im from a country town in fla and grew up in fla. It wasnt until i was 14 when I move to a small city. When I move here I learned the "street" so to say. Having my children (6, 11, 3, and 8) grow up not only in the city but also roaming the woods. Having done so they have things such as 4 wheelers, dirt bikes and etc. When they go to the local woods which runs down the back of the canal of my home they take thier B.B guns to play with and thier CELL PHONE, now i'm sure that ur all thinkingB.B guns with all the mishaps with children and guns, but my children have taken special classes reguarding gun safety. My piont is I agree that the decisions should be left up the the parents conserning the trust of thier children. My 2nd rule of thumb is that they go in at least pairs, and if someone is breaking the many rules i have setforth trust me one of the others are there calling me tatteling. Now I dont condone tatteling but it is another way to insure that my children are safe and it tells me that later in life they will be able to speak up when thier in a situation that involves breaking the law.

I think the coach was thinking: I am in charge of these kids until they get back home to a parent. She was probably just concerned that if anything ever DID happen it would be her fault. I totally see where she is coming from, and how frustrating it must be for you.

You know my daughter will be 10 the 29th of april, well her bus drops her off and she would be home 5-10 min by herself, so I gave her a house key and I was getting home from work 5-10 after she got home, she was proud and told her school who informed me that my child by law is not allowed to spend 5-10 min locked inside our home by herself, now I have to pay a daycare for 10 min of watching my daughter which I think is ridiculous, I was babysitting at 9 years old for our neighbors

You will find that situation occurring whenever your child leaves an event where someone else is in charge of their safety. They're afraid to take the chance that something will happen after the child leaves and that you will sue them. I have teenage daughters and their Girl Scout leader would not let them walk home - 4 blocks & together. And we live in Vermont where it's still pretty safe. Rules are rules and I try to live with them, even if I don't always like it.

Really?!? I live in a small town and my son and his friends had 'rule of the city' as long as they called when they got to thier destiantion. There was one time when a man asked him and a friend directions and they both took off because I had told him a hundred times; adults do not need your help unless they are up to no good. I taught my son to bre polite, but trust your gut feelings and leave, run, or scream if you have to, to stay safe. My son was in 6th grade at the time, and to this day as a senior in college keeps an eye out for his friends(girls especially) to keep the bad guys away.

Carme, I find it very sad that you would teach your kids this, "adults do not need your help unless they are up to no good." Pitifully sad. There are plenty of instances that an adult might need to ask for directions or any number of things. To teach kids to fear all adults is what's wrong with the world today.

I agree with Joy here. As a child I helped plenty of adults with directions or even help an elderly person carry groceries.

We should not teach children to fear everything. If I see a child staring at me for whatever reason I might make some small talk or give them a smile. I wouldn't want them to run away in fear because of that.

amy s, if I were you I wouldn't let my kids walk to your park either. But the "conditions" in the post described it quite differently than your situation. A 5 lane bypass, I wouldn't have either. But notice I did say " if the conditions are like you said they were." There is a big difference between a third of a mile away and 3 miles. In your situation, I would do the same thing as you do.

That mother is absolutely right - adults do not need help from children. This is the accepted rule from America's Most Wanted. As far as I am concerned, it's the only way to teach safety - the "stranger" talk doesn't work and this rule doesn't involve any fear at all - it simply prevents a child interacting with a potential pedophile. Any child can be taught to say, "I'm sorry, you'll have to ask an adult for help".