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> “go outside and play, come back for dinner” why is this impractical? EDIT: I'm getting downvoted but I am seriously not sure. I don't have kids right now bu

> “go outside and play, come back for dinner” why is this impractical? EDIT: I'm getting downvoted but I am seriously not sure. I don't have kids right now but its part of how I intend to raise them when I get them.

mensetmanusman 2y ago
People who are misinformed by watching too much news will call the cops on kids without grownups near by. This is somewhat rare, but it feeds into a real culture of misinformation where parents think this happens enough to fear letting them roam. The feedback loop self reinforces because of lack of education - many people don’t realize the more news they consume the less they know about the statistics on the ground. Also, cars are more dangerous now than before for kids to get crushed by.
- averageRoyalty 2y ago
  The rarity here cannot be overstated. I enjoy stories like this - in the same way someone who enjoys true crime doesn't actually support murder - and they're heavily overreportd but quite uncommon. If you want to let your kids go out and play it's unlikely you'll have issue. I suspect for many it's just an excuse to plonk their kids in front of the iPad all day.
  - mensetmanusman 2y ago
    Screen time is also a symptom of a very different form of misinformation - complete lack of information. The human body is so much healthier with sufficient exposure time to the outdoor environment. Sitting is long term pain. If parents knew this more, they would pushback on screen time in the same way they don’t let their kids eat ice cream all day.
Brian_K_White 2y ago
In the US it will be because of other people, who will call child protective services, who will then come and destroy the family.
- LeanderK 2y ago
  This is very far removed from my experience growing up. How do kids even get to school? Can't they walk, cycle or take the bus (I assume that must be possible but they still have to get to the bus stop)? My first experience of being able to do something on my own was walking to school. It's always the same way, so it must be possible, right? I think I must have been 6-7 years old?
  - CalRobert 2y ago
    It depends on the neighbourhood but at least when I was a kid in Stockton, California everyone in my school was driven, and that was the 90's.
    - LeanderK 2y ago
      So the school bus-system is not a major thing?
      - Brian_K_White 2y ago
        The bus driver is the guardian, the kids are not unescorted. What's no longer a thing is the kids going any further than eyesight of their front door to a pickup location on their own. Their parent can see them at the corner of the block, or goes with them.
        LeanderK 2y ago
        that's insane! Even if they are 12 or even 15? (I assume something around 16 is the legal age where you can then drive?) Or are we only talking small kids like 6? I assume the bus stop is only max 10 min away? For the context, here in the UK the streets are full of children walking from and to school every day. And in germany there's the discussion about making the cities safe enough so that every 6 year old can walk to school. Are you really saying that 14 year old kids can not walk alone to a local bus stop nearby? Because you don't trust them to navigate a street on their own and need a guardian? Or was it implicitly about children around 6-8? Tbh I really enjoyed my walks to school. These were my first little moments of independence, I could pause a little bit and enjoy the summer atmosphere or rush home when my mom cooked my favourite meal. Maybe a small detour to buy some sweets at a small corner shop if I saved some money.
Vvector 2y ago
If someone lets their kids outside while not under direct supervision, there is a real risk of the government taking their kids away from them. Just one example from the news https://reason.com/2022/12/08/emily-fields-pearsiburg-virginia-cps-kids-outside-neglect/ https://reason.com/2022/12/08/emily-fields-pearsiburg-virgin...
- LeanderK 2y ago
  I am not in the US. The original post is not even about the US? Shocking. Is this really true? I grew up with my bicycle, which gave me the freedom to spend the summer holidays how I wanted. Visit friends, and when I got a little bit older cycle with them to a lake, a public swimming pool, get ice cream, play football etc. until the sun came down and I had to come home. Of course, I wasn't allowed to do things alone only with a group of known friends, they knew who I am spending time with and which friend I am visiting. And never to strange places only the familiar ones nearby. My gf grew up in the city and grew up in her local neighbourhood and her local friends. The parks, playground and also the nearby ice-cream if its hot and sunny :) Do they sit in their home playing video games all day or what?
  - CalRobert 2y ago
    There's a few things going on - (Also, I am indeed American but have lived in Europe for the last 11 years. I moved from Ireland to the Netherlands a year ago so our kids could have more independence, though even here is imperfect). For the US - and actually a good deal of Europe too - terrible urban and street (stroad, rather) design makes it dangerous and impractical to bike as a child. Having 3 inches of paint as the only protection against a Dodge Ram doign 50 mph isn't ideal. Also, things are spread farther out compared to older city designs, and there are fewer kids, so within a 5 minute bike ride you'll have fewer friends. And - this is something my mom tells me at least - two income households becoming the norm means you don't have that safety net of moms (it was almost always moms) with an eye out the window that you could run to in case somebody was badly hurt.
    - LeanderK 2y ago
CalRobert 2y ago
Drivers will kill them, mostly. Also meddling curtain twitchers reporting you to police and the lack of other kids near by.
- LeanderK 2y ago
  but the threat of drivers mostly depends on the neighbourhood. The more walkable it is the less of a threat drivers are, right?
  - CalRobert 2y ago
    Indeed, but walkable neighbourhoods are hard to come by. Even Europe has plenty of car-focused design.

mensetmanusman 2y ago

People who are misinformed by watching too much news will call the cops on kids without grownups near by. This is somewhat rare, but it feeds into a real culture of misinformation where parents think this happens enough to fear letting them roam. The feedback loop self reinforces because of lack of education - many people don’t realize the more news they consume the less they know about the statistics on the ground. Also, cars are more dangerous now than before for kids to get crushed by.

averageRoyalty 2y ago
The rarity here cannot be overstated. I enjoy stories like this - in the same way someone who enjoys true crime doesn't actually support murder - and they're heavily overreportd but quite uncommon. If you want to let your kids go out and play it's unlikely you'll have issue. I suspect for many it's just an excuse to plonk their kids in front of the iPad all day.
- mensetmanusman 2y ago
  Screen time is also a symptom of a very different form of misinformation - complete lack of information. The human body is so much healthier with sufficient exposure time to the outdoor environment. Sitting is long term pain. If parents knew this more, they would pushback on screen time in the same way they don’t let their kids eat ice cream all day.

Brian_K_White 2y ago

In the US it will be because of other people, who will call child protective services, who will then come and destroy the family.

LeanderK 2y ago
This is very far removed from my experience growing up. How do kids even get to school? Can't they walk, cycle or take the bus (I assume that must be possible but they still have to get to the bus stop)? My first experience of being able to do something on my own was walking to school. It's always the same way, so it must be possible, right? I think I must have been 6-7 years old?
- CalRobert 2y ago
  It depends on the neighbourhood but at least when I was a kid in Stockton, California everyone in my school was driven, and that was the 90's.
  - LeanderK 2y ago
    So the school bus-system is not a major thing?
    - Brian_K_White 2y ago
      The bus driver is the guardian, the kids are not unescorted. What's no longer a thing is the kids going any further than eyesight of their front door to a pickup location on their own. Their parent can see them at the corner of the block, or goes with them.
      - LeanderK 2y ago
        that's insane! Even if they are 12 or even 15? (I assume something around 16 is the legal age where you can then drive?) Or are we only talking small kids like 6? I assume the bus stop is only max 10 min away? For the context, here in the UK the streets are full of children walking from and to school every day. And in germany there's the discussion about making the cities safe enough so that every 6 year old can walk to school. Are you really saying that 14 year old kids can not walk alone to a local bus stop nearby? Because you don't trust them to navigate a street on their own and need a guardian? Or was it implicitly about children around 6-8? Tbh I really enjoyed my walks to school. These were my first little moments of independence, I could pause a little bit and enjoy the summer atmosphere or rush home when my mom cooked my favourite meal. Maybe a small detour to buy some sweets at a small corner shop if I saved some money.

Vvector 2y ago

If someone lets their kids outside while not under direct supervision, there is a real risk of the government taking their kids away from them. Just one example from the news https://reason.com/2022/12/08/emily-fields-pearsiburg-virginia-cps-kids-outside-neglect/ https://reason.com/2022/12/08/emily-fields-pearsiburg-virgin...

LeanderK 2y ago
I am not in the US. The original post is not even about the US? Shocking. Is this really true? I grew up with my bicycle, which gave me the freedom to spend the summer holidays how I wanted. Visit friends, and when I got a little bit older cycle with them to a lake, a public swimming pool, get ice cream, play football etc. until the sun came down and I had to come home. Of course, I wasn't allowed to do things alone only with a group of known friends, they knew who I am spending time with and which friend I am visiting. And never to strange places only the familiar ones nearby. My gf grew up in the city and grew up in her local neighbourhood and her local friends. The parks, playground and also the nearby ice-cream if its hot and sunny :) Do they sit in their home playing video games all day or what?
- CalRobert 2y ago
  There's a few things going on - (Also, I am indeed American but have lived in Europe for the last 11 years. I moved from Ireland to the Netherlands a year ago so our kids could have more independence, though even here is imperfect). For the US - and actually a good deal of Europe too - terrible urban and street (stroad, rather) design makes it dangerous and impractical to bike as a child. Having 3 inches of paint as the only protection against a Dodge Ram doign 50 mph isn't ideal. Also, things are spread farther out compared to older city designs, and there are fewer kids, so within a 5 minute bike ride you'll have fewer friends. And - this is something my mom tells me at least - two income households becoming the norm means you don't have that safety net of moms (it was almost always moms) with an eye out the window that you could run to in case somebody was badly hurt.
  - LeanderK 2y ago

CalRobert 2y ago

Drivers will kill them, mostly. Also meddling curtain twitchers reporting you to police and the lack of other kids near by.

LeanderK 2y ago
but the threat of drivers mostly depends on the neighbourhood. The more walkable it is the less of a threat drivers are, right?
- CalRobert 2y ago
  Indeed, but walkable neighbourhoods are hard to come by. Even Europe has plenty of car-focused design.