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At that age I was walking two blocks to school, and was going to friend's houses to see if they wanted to play. By age 12 I was riding my bike two miles to go b
by chiph 4y ago
At that age I was walking two blocks to school, and was going to friend's houses to see if they wanted to play. By age 12 I was riding my bike two miles to go buy ice cream & candy. In my early 20's I drove across the US (South Carolina to California) by myself over several days. No cell phone or other safety net.
Being overprotective means your kids don't develop a spirit of adventure and self-reliance. Is there a risk of their coming to harm? The statistics say chances are lower than ever. Violent crime peaked in 1991 and has trended downward (+/-) ever since (this site is run by the FBI):
https://crime-data-explorer.app.cloud.gov/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend https://crime-data-explorer.app.cloud.gov/pages/explorer/cri...
- GordonS 4y agoBy 12 I would sometimes (through choice, or because I'd missed the daily bus) walk 4 miles to school along country roads, before cellphones were a thing. I'd also go camping, alone or with friends, in the middle of nowhere, with my parents only knowing very roughly where I was (e.g. "we're camping on such-and-such estate, near the area with the wild boars" :) Now, as a parent, I keep catching myself being a helicopter parent, and hate myself for it! Nothing catastrophic happened to me or my siblings, or anyone else I knew of. So I don't even know why I act this way now.