4 ms·

Totally agree with this. I grew up in the 70s & 80s; myself, along with every other kid I knew, learned to exist without any supervision starting around 3rd gra

Totally agree with this. I grew up in the 70s & 80s; myself, along with every other kid I knew, learned to exist without any supervision starting around 3rd grade. I think that might be difficult to believe for younger people today, but it's true. During the summer, all the kids in the neighborhood would get on our bikes in the morning and ride all day long, not returning home until dinner time. No parents. No cell phones. We had injuries all the time (one kid got shot in the leg by a hunter, another kid broke both his legs jumping into a shallow creek), but we all somehow survived. People weren't so protective of children back then. The attitude was basically, "They're kids. They're tough. They can take it." My sister has kids, and she's a total helicopter parent. I've asked her why, considering how we were raised. She simply said, "That's just how it is now. That's how everyone parents." So yeah, there is certainly a cultural element to this. But I wonder if that cultural change has been created or amplified by cost. In other words, the dumb-ass kid that jumped off a bridge into a shallow creek (it was on a bet, naturally), would his parents have to file for bankruptcy these days because of the high medical costs?

D13Fd 2y ago
I had this even in the 1990s. But now it really is different. Last week, I let my 7 year old go by herself to a Dollar Tree store by herself while I was with her siblings at another store in the same shopping center. A bit later, I went in to the Dollar Tree after her, and got a real talking to from the cashier about how unsafe it was for me to let her go to the store by herself. She said the world isn't safe any more and I'm putting her at risk. The cashier was an elderly woman! I would think she was raised in a time where kids were allowed to leave the house on their own. I try to teach my kiddos independence. I send them out on their in ways that I think are safe. But the amount of judgment I get is just crazy. And I fear that one day I'll have child protective services knocking on my door.
- jimt1234 2y ago
  My Boomer mother is the same way. She sits around the house watching cable news and browsing the Neighborhood website - "This area is going to hell. Did you see someone had their bicycle stolen 2 weeks ago?! And someone's dog pooped on my lawn! I got them on my Ring cam!" The real kicker is the "sex offender" websites - "OMG! The kids can't go outside! There's 2 sex offenders in this area!"

D13Fd 2y ago

I had this even in the 1990s. But now it really is different. Last week, I let my 7 year old go by herself to a Dollar Tree store by herself while I was with her siblings at another store in the same shopping center. A bit later, I went in to the Dollar Tree after her, and got a real talking to from the cashier about how unsafe it was for me to let her go to the store by herself. She said the world isn't safe any more and I'm putting her at risk. The cashier was an elderly woman! I would think she was raised in a time where kids were allowed to leave the house on their own. I try to teach my kiddos independence. I send them out on their in ways that I think are safe. But the amount of judgment I get is just crazy. And I fear that one day I'll have child protective services knocking on my door.

jimt1234 2y ago
My Boomer mother is the same way. She sits around the house watching cable news and browsing the Neighborhood website - "This area is going to hell. Did you see someone had their bicycle stolen 2 weeks ago?! And someone's dog pooped on my lawn! I got them on my Ring cam!" The real kicker is the "sex offender" websites - "OMG! The kids can't go outside! There's 2 sex offenders in this area!"