5 ms·

They made it illegal to be a single mom and not provide adequate childcare. Many families have both parents working, so the situation of needing to find someone

by syrrim 4y ago

They made it illegal to be a single mom and not provide adequate childcare. Many families have both parents working, so the situation of needing to find someone to look after your child is not unique to single parents. That said, this is one of the reasons raising children on your own is more difficult.

swatcoder 4y ago
There‘s a lot unsaid in any gossiped anecdote like this, but there’s not a single fact in the story as given that suggests inadequate child care. Maybe there were other reasons that justify the police action, but we weren’t given any here.
hn_version_0023 4y ago
What is inadequate about leaving a 9yro child at home in her own home, alone?
strken 4y ago
As a 9 year old (admittedly not in the US), when there was a day without school but my parents still had to work, I was allowed to stay home on my own and ride my bicycle to a town 5km away to buy lunch. My 7 year old brother wasn't allowed to stay home, but came on similar trips with me. The adequate childcare for a responsible 9 year old might be "tell them to call 911 if there's a serious emergency, or text you if anything comes up".
- Tostino 4y ago
  This is how I grew up in the US (central FL) in the 90's. I was 6-7 when I was riding my bike down to the corner store ~0.5mi away, and ~10 I was staying home and watching my sisters when necessary. I was perfectly capable of cooking and looking after things. I just don't get this hysteria that seems to have gripped so many people. We are living in one of the safest times to be alive.
  - dave78 4y ago
    I grew up like this too (in the US in the 80s). I now have an 8 year old, and I think she would be fine at home alone for a while if necessary (especially with easy access to me via phone/Alexa/whatever). However, in my state (Illinois), the government has made it illegal to leave my kids home alone until they are 14 (14!) years old. This is insanity, but I don't dare risk it because on the off chance anything happened and the police found out, I fear the government would take my children away. I don't think the hysteria is coming from the average American. I think it is coming from nanny-state politicians who want to campaign on "cracking down on child abuse" or whatever.
    - aidenn0 4y ago
      14 is insanely old. 1/3 of my class were latchkey kids by 6th grade, and my (very overprotective compared to my peers') mom got a job when I was in 7th grade so I came home to an empty house at 13.
    - Symbiote 4y ago
      I took a bus home from school a couple of times a week (when my mum's commute didn't take her past my school) from age 11 or so. It was great. Since it wasn't a school bus, it was easy to wander round the shops or the park etc and take the bus 10 or 20 minutes later.
yamtaddle 4y ago
A nine-year-old home alone for hours was downright common in the 80s and 90s, let alone back in the "golden age of unsupervised kids" (so I hear, anyway) 70s. It was basically fine.
victorhooi 4y ago
I think you're glossing over a few things here... Firstly, many societies around the world would consider 9 yo to be mature enough to do things like....go to the shops, use a telephone, go to a friends place to play, or look after a pet. Or in this...stay at home? I'm not sure if it's specifically an American thing (and seemingly by extension, Australia, since there's so much cultural osmosis), but it does feel like we are infantilising our children, right into their young adulthood. Apparently it's normal now for somebody in their 20's to continue living with their parents, and have their parents do things like cook all their meals for them, do their laundry, etc Secondly, what you're suggesting specifically targets poorer, or possibly Black people - I'm not sure if that's your intent? However, you're basically saying it's not OK to be poor, and not be able to afford things like a live-in nanny, or daycare (if available).
LightHugger 4y ago
Not leaving children alone to foster independence is in itself, inadequate childcare.

by syrrim 4y ago

swatcoder 4y ago

There‘s a lot unsaid in any gossiped anecdote like this, but there’s not a single fact in the story as given that suggests inadequate child care. Maybe there were other reasons that justify the police action, but we weren’t given any here.

hn_version_0023 4y ago

What is inadequate about leaving a 9yro child at home in her own home, alone?

strken 4y ago

As a 9 year old (admittedly not in the US), when there was a day without school but my parents still had to work, I was allowed to stay home on my own and ride my bicycle to a town 5km away to buy lunch. My 7 year old brother wasn't allowed to stay home, but came on similar trips with me. The adequate childcare for a responsible 9 year old might be "tell them to call 911 if there's a serious emergency, or text you if anything comes up".

Tostino 4y ago
This is how I grew up in the US (central FL) in the 90's. I was 6-7 when I was riding my bike down to the corner store ~0.5mi away, and ~10 I was staying home and watching my sisters when necessary. I was perfectly capable of cooking and looking after things. I just don't get this hysteria that seems to have gripped so many people. We are living in one of the safest times to be alive.
- dave78 4y ago
  I grew up like this too (in the US in the 80s). I now have an 8 year old, and I think she would be fine at home alone for a while if necessary (especially with easy access to me via phone/Alexa/whatever). However, in my state (Illinois), the government has made it illegal to leave my kids home alone until they are 14 (14!) years old. This is insanity, but I don't dare risk it because on the off chance anything happened and the police found out, I fear the government would take my children away. I don't think the hysteria is coming from the average American. I think it is coming from nanny-state politicians who want to campaign on "cracking down on child abuse" or whatever.
  - aidenn0 4y ago
    14 is insanely old. 1/3 of my class were latchkey kids by 6th grade, and my (very overprotective compared to my peers') mom got a job when I was in 7th grade so I came home to an empty house at 13.
  - Symbiote 4y ago
    I took a bus home from school a couple of times a week (when my mum's commute didn't take her past my school) from age 11 or so. It was great. Since it wasn't a school bus, it was easy to wander round the shops or the park etc and take the bus 10 or 20 minutes later.

yamtaddle 4y ago

A nine-year-old home alone for hours was downright common in the 80s and 90s, let alone back in the "golden age of unsupervised kids" (so I hear, anyway) 70s. It was basically fine.

victorhooi 4y ago

I think you're glossing over a few things here... Firstly, many societies around the world would consider 9 yo to be mature enough to do things like....go to the shops, use a telephone, go to a friends place to play, or look after a pet. Or in this...stay at home? I'm not sure if it's specifically an American thing (and seemingly by extension, Australia, since there's so much cultural osmosis), but it does feel like we are infantilising our children, right into their young adulthood. Apparently it's normal now for somebody in their 20's to continue living with their parents, and have their parents do things like cook all their meals for them, do their laundry, etc Secondly, what you're suggesting specifically targets poorer, or possibly Black people - I'm not sure if that's your intent? However, you're basically saying it's not OK to be poor, and not be able to afford things like a live-in nanny, or daycare (if available).

LightHugger 4y ago

Not leaving children alone to foster independence is in itself, inadequate childcare.