I'm the same - growing up I was allowed to roam freely, within reason. For example, I would hike and camp overnight with my parents having only a rough idea whe

I'm the same - growing up I was allowed to roam freely, within reason. For example, I would hike and camp overnight with my parents having only a rough idea where I was. But like you, I don't think I'd be happy with my kids doing things like that (my kids aren't quite old enough yet anyway). I think part of it is realising that some of the things I did were pretty fucking stupid, and could have ended very badly. For example, I recall exploring a dilapidated house that was falling to pieces - in the middle of nowhere in rural Scotland. I could very easily have died if something had gone wrong. I'm certain the media is a large part of it too - the overwhelming focus on doom and gloom feels very unhealthy for society as a whole. That doesn't explain all of it though; I realise we live in safe times, but still find myself being overprotective, sometimes seemingly irrationally.