[Victoribus Spolia]

Free-Range Parenting Definition from wikipedia:

Free-range parenting is the concept of raising children in the spirit of encouraging them to function independently and with little parental supervision, in accordance of their age of development and with a reasonable acceptance of realistic personal risks. Seen as the opposite of helicopter parenting, the idea was popularized by pediatrician Benjamin Spock. A notable text of the movement is Lenore Skenazy's book Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry (2009).[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-range_parenting

Summary of Common Restrictions:

In the United States, free-range parenting is limited by laws in many states restricting children's autonomy, such as how old a child must be to walk to school alone. In Massachusetts, such issues are generally addressed on a case-by-case basis. Other states, such as Delaware, or Colorado, based on states' child labor laws, will investigate reports of any child under the age of 12 being left alone, whereas other states, like North Carolina, have fire laws that stipulate a child under 8 should not be left home alone. Only three states specify a minimum age for leaving a child home alone. These include Illinois which requires children to be 14 years old, in Maryland, the minimum age is 8, and in Oregon 10.[3]

The Recent Protections in Utah:

Republican Utah Gov. Gary Hubert just signed a bill that allows for “free-range parenting,” which means children of a certain age and maturity level will be able to take part in more independent activities without parents facing legal consequences.

The bill essentially changes the definition of neglect in Utah, ABC News reports. Previously, parents could be arrested for neglect by allowing children to take part in certain activities without parental supervision, such as walking to and from school alone, but this law will change that starting May 8, 2018.

Children of “sufficient age and maturity” will be able to stay home, play outside, walk to and from the park or other recreational areas, and walk to and from school by themselves.

Advocates of the bill say this newfound freedom will encourage children to develop the confidence necessary to do things on their own and grow into independent individuals, but it will also encourage them to spend more time outside.

As Utah state Sen. Lincoln Fillmore told ABC News:

Kids need to wonder about the world, explore and play in it, and by doing so learn the skills of self-reliance and problem-solving they’ll need as adults. As a society, we’ve become too hyper about ‘protecting’ kids and then end up sheltering them from the experiences that we took for granted as we were kids. I sponsored [the bill] so that parents wouldn’t be punished for letting their kids experience childhood.
The terms “free-range kids” and “free-range parents” come from a book by Lenore Skenazy titled “Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry.” In the book, Skenazy discusses the importance of letting children learn to do things on their own starting as soon as they are mature enough to trust themselves as much as they trust their parents.

Skenazy was asked about her opinion on Utah’s new law in an interview with ABC News on Friday. “The way you get brave and self-sufficient and problem-solving is by doing some things on your own … We have to let parents be rational and loving and trust their kids and give them the independence that we all cherish.”

There have been incidents across the U.S. in recent years in which parents have faced the legal consequences of neglect after for allowing their children to walk to and from places like school by themselves.

But with developments in technology that allow parents to track their children via iPhone apps and other devices, there still are ways to keep track of your child after they walk out the front door — something that didn’t exist a decade ago.

Some think the new law is dangerous for children because they think parents won’t be as concerned about the consequences of letting their children do things and go places by themselves. Supporters of the law think it is a step in the right direction toward regaining lost levels of independence in the era of the iPhone.

http://dailycaller.com/2018/03/29/utah- ... e-parents/

Another Article that states that free-ranging kids is basically child-abuse.

https://observer-reporter.com/opinion/e ... 5b01e.html

[Albert]

"Free-Range" is pretty much how I grew up. In summer times from sunrise to dawn I spend playing outside only coming home to eat. Unfortunately with all the creeps these days and crazy society that we live in, I would probably be a helicopter parent myself.

Edit: I think Free-Range parenting should be allowed and protected. It is up to the parents to decide how to best raise their children.

[Victoribus Spolia]

"Free-Range" is pretty much how I grew up. In summer times from sunrise to dawn I spend playing outside only coming home to eat. Unfortunately with all the creeps these days and crazy society that we live in, I would probably be a helicopter parent these days.

Well, to be honest, the greatest hinderance to me trying to be free-range is not the creepers but the nosy bastards that have an itchy finger to dial CPS to report "unattended children."

My general philosophy has been to stay away from where people are or only in neighborhoods with like-minded folks.

At the end of the day, no matter how one personally does it, do you think people who do decide to free-range should be punished? If not...you probably agree with option one.

[Albert]

Sorry I edited that in my first response. Yes, I think parents should be allowed to parent their children as they see fit. Especially if you are lucky and live in a safe community I see no issue of allowing children to be free.

I walked to school ever since I was old enough not to get lost and could find my way around town. It kills me to see kids these days not to be able to have the same freedom. And also makes me bewildered as to why we have so many creeps these days.

[Victoribus Spolia]

I walked to school ever since I was old enough not to get lost and could find my way around town. It kills me to see kids these days not to be able to have the same freedom.

I think this is somewhat essential to having a normal childhood development to be honest....every generation that is raised in this ridiculous helicopter fashion will be increasingly fucked up....mark my words.

And also makes me bewildered as to why we have so many creeps these days.

Two Words:

Cultural Decay.

[Rancid]

Most of us grew up "free-range". The helicopter style is a fairly recent thing, like within the last 20 years easily. Right?

I grew up in the inner city, both parents working two full times jobs each (I only ever really saw my mom on the weekends, and dad on Sundays). Most kids in my neighborhood grew up in similar situations. Basically, we were free range kids, not that we had a choice. We were called "latch key" kids back then. Meaning when you get home from school, there was no one home waiting for you, you just let yourself in with a key that was hidden somewhere.

I think the free range style is good for kids, so long as it's reasonable to their particular mental age.

My wife is Asian and is a classic Tiger mom with helicopter tendencies. I'm the one that always has to pull her back.

[Victoribus Spolia]

Most kids in my neighborhood grew up in similar situations.

Yeah, the last few normal generations seemed to have been all free-ranged....People could trust each back then not to be CPS calling rat-bastards or child-raping pedophiles....

Apparently you can't do that anymore unless you live in Utah...or Butt-Fuck Egypt...

[One Degree]

The summers and nice weekends when I was 12-16, I would routinely hop freight trains to visit friends several miles away. It was normal for me to be gone from sunup to sundown as young as 8. I can’t imagine anyone today condoning my behavior. I could stay at friends for several days because my parents knew I would be held to the same standards by my friends parents. The destruction of community norms will have ever increasing devastating effects. When you trust your neighbors to discipline your kids, you don’t need to worry about them so much.

[Victoribus Spolia]

When you trust your neighbors to discipline your kids, you don’t need to worry about them so much.

In some countries and cultures this is clearly still the case...which reminds me of a quick story:

When I was getting my Masters degree, I ran a boarding house (among other things) and I had a Ph.D student from China living with me and my family...for sake of the story we will call him Wong....One day, I remember that I had left the 2nd floor living room and had left Wong there with my son who was like 4 at the time and when I came back my son was crying.

I asked what happened and the chinaman said: "I Spank....He took Ball and In My Face." I gathered from his hand jestures that my son threw a ball into his face while he was working on his laptop so he just took it upon himself to smack my kid's ass." I told him thank you and then proceeded to give my son his second dose.

It was a total throwback moment and a moment of intercultural agreement on child-rearing and it was fantastic. I gave all of my boarders permission to spank my kids if they did stupid shit.

[Rancid]

True story, my parents never spanked me, but by grandparents did. Now I harbor deep seeded disappointment in my parents for not helping me out when my grandma was spanking.

Kidding, it's all good. :starts to tear up a little:

[Albert]

My goal is to never spank my kids but try to relate to them through example and understanding why something is good or wrong.

I'm either going to raise monsters or saints. Hopefully they will just turn out normal and not some delinquents in a porn video.

[Victoribus Spolia]

True story, my parents never spanked me, but by grandparents did. Now I harbor deep seeded disappointment in my parents for not helping me out when my grandma was spanking.

Kidding, it's all good. :starts to tear up a little:

Were you around your grandparents more than your parents per chance?

[Rancid]

My earliest years (say birth to about 8 years old), yes, I was around grandma more.

[Victoribus Spolia]

My goal is to never spank my kids but try to relate to them through example and understanding why something is good or wrong.

Good luck. I can't imagine trying that with my kids, but they were born with the genetics of my wife and I....so they literally ran out of her vagina with a chainsaw looking to destroy things and people.

ORIGINALLY SPOKEN REGARDING MY KIDS:

[Victoribus Spolia]

My earliest years (say birth to about 8 years old), yes, I was around grandma more.

Well, the reason I asked is because that seems to be a common experience. Parents that are away a lot tend to not want to spank their kids the few times they get to spend time with them; whereas, if you have to spend considerable amount of times with kid, especially if you agree with spanking in principle as grandparents likely would, they would be more likely to spank you little ass since they have to deal with your shit more....

Just an observation I have seen and I wanted to see if your experience confirmed it at all.

Thanks.

[B0ycey]

I think parents should raise their children as they seem fit, but Children do need supervision and guidance and shouldn't be left alone as a form of learning. The Jamie Bulger case highlights the dangers of under protecting children along with the dangers of not guiding and teaching children moral discipline.

[Victoribus Spolia]

I think parents should raise their children as they seem fit, but Children do need supervision and guidance and shouldn't be left alone as a form of learning. The Jamie Bulger case highlights the dangers of under protecting children along with the dangers of not guiding and teaching children moral discipline.

So, should free-range parents be allowed to raise their kids as they seem fit then?

Did you vote in the poll?

[B0ycey]

It is one of them VS. There is over protecting and under protecting. You want to aim for something in the middle. By reading the OP and taking it at face value, no. But that doesn't mean I don't accept letting children play in the mud or go to school with their friends. And every child is different too. Some children you can leave alone in the house knowing they be safe and some you can't as they could end up burning the thing down.

[Victoribus Spolia]

It is one of them VS. There is over protecting and under protecting. You want to aim for something in the middle. By reading the OP and taking it at face value, no. But that doesn't mean I don't accept letting children play in the mud or go to school with their friends. And every child is different too. Some children you can leave alone in the house knowing they be safe and some you can't as they could end up burning the thing down.

You are such a spineless centrist its nauseating.

....just screwin' with ya.....sorta

[B0ycey]

Ultimately VS, what your child becomes when they reach adulthood is testament to their upbringing. I suspect children with parent guidance and some freedoms will be more socially functional when they reach adulthood than those who are taught to learn for themselves. But I don't have stats on that so I can only go with something I do know. Single parent families have more discipline issued children then those of two parent families. If parent guidance wasn't an factor, why does that happen?