If the latter is now considered unusual, we have some big problems!! it is, and we do: https://www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/mom-charged-with-child-en

If the latter is now considered unusual, we have some big problems!! it is, and we do: https://www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/mom-charged-with-child-endangerment-for-letting-daughter-play-in-park-across-the-street/ https://www.offthegridnews.com/current-events/mom-charged-wi... https://reason.com/2025/08/09/child-protective-services-investigated-her-4-times-because-she-let-her-kids-play-outside/ https://reason.com/2025/08/09/child-protective-services-inve... https://reason.com/2026/01/16/she-let-her-6-year-old-ride-to-the-park-alone-georgia-called-it-neglect/ https://reason.com/2026/01/16/she-let-her-6-year-old-ride-to... https://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrested-son-park/ https://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/31/living/florida-mom-arrest... https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/parents-investigated-for-letting-freerange-kids-play-in-park-alone/news-story/7a8ab1301f333809875b9b24533c03f7 https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/parents-investig... https://nationalpost.com/news/growing-up-independent-is-illegal-mom-arrested-in-u-s-for-letting-nine-year-old-daughter-play-alone-in-park https://nationalpost.com/news/growing-up-independent-is-ille... https://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/mom-arrested-leaving-daughter-park-alone/ https://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/mom-arrested-leaving-daug... https://legalclarity.org/is-it-illegal-to-let-your-kid-play-outside-alone/ https://legalclarity.org/is-it-illegal-to-let-your-kid-play-... those are all from the first page of a search for "parents charged for letting kids alone on the playground" there are probably many more such stories.