Saving the Parents

For John, BLUF:  Nebby neighbors.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Some good news for Christmas.

From Salon and reporter Elissa Strauss we have "Illinois Is Dropping Citation Against Mom Who Let Her Sons Go to a Playground Alone".

During the summer of 2013, Natasha Felix decided to let her three sons—then ages 11, 9, and 5—play by themselves in a playground next to their apartment building in Chicago.  A short while later, a preschool teacher saw the unchaperoned boys and decided to called the city’s Department of Children and Family Services hotline on their behalf.  The state shared the teacher’s concern and gave Felix, a 27-year-old single mother, a child neglect citation.  She was allowed to keep her children, but the charge resulted in the loss of her job and also prevented her from volunteering at her children’s school.

Poor Ms Felix was caught in a belief that we need to protect our children by not letting them have the freedom to be children.

In recent decades, our ideas about what can be considered inadequate supervision has expanded a great deal.  Surveys show that in 1971, 80 percent of third-graders walked to school alone, whereas in 1990, only 9 percent did.

And yet, the number of missing children continues to decline.

Ms Lenore Skenazy, founder of “Free Range Kids" represents the opposite of Helicopter Parents.  I was a free range kid.  I can't remember a grade where I didn't walk or ride my bike to school.♠

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Well, I did ride a bus for a few days in Eighth Grade, when we were in a new town. Quickly gave that up for walking with my buddies.