Could this also have as much to do with the baby boomer generation growing up with more children nearby? In our neighborhood, there are only two other children my son's age.
How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
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Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#42As another in a long line that identifies with this, my partner and I are taking steps to buy a small acreage on the outskirts of a city where we can 'free-range' our kids whilst giving me access to city work. While we also want this lifestyle we think this is super important for our young'uns (5&7) and I'm more than happy to accept the additional commute to give them this. This will take my commute to about 90 min each way but I'll try and offset with 2 days a week working from home if possible.
So for all the people acknowledging the loss, it's completely an option to give your kids a free range life if you willing to give up the inner city life yourself.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#43It's odd that mobile phones didn't change this trend.
You'd think the giving a 6 year old something they could use if they did get in trouble and that enabled parents to talk to them would make it safer.
I walked to school in the 1980s and would really like my kids to do the same, but my partner, who also walked to school, won't have it.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#44This American Life had a funny anecdote illustrating the opposite extreme where a woman who doesn't quite understand the meaning of "summer camp" leaves her kids at a campground by themselves for a week. My mother emigrated to the United States from Germany in the '50s. And her understanding of American culture and traditions wasn't always quite clear. And one of her confusions was about summer camp. She knew that ki…
I feel like this more than a cultural misunderstanding. It would not be considered normal or acceptable to leave your children alone for so long in Germany either.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#45When I grew up (in Australia) in the early-to-mid 90s I was allowed to roam quite a bit. The rough rule of thumb was that I would need to be home by sunset or have already called mum from a friend's house letting her know where I was and agreeing to a plan to stay after sunset. I think my parents struck a pretty good balance between driving me places when it made sense vs. just making me ride a bike/walk to the local town area or to friends' houses when I wanted to go of my own accord - it taught me responsibility and independence.
I really value it (still) and plan to allow the same freedoms if I have kids.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had a similar experience in the rural south in the 90s, for what it's worth. I was largely given free reign to tromp around the (expansive) woods, had a bb gun that I liked to tote around, and at one point had a motorcycle - a ratty little 50cc honda dirtbike that I repeatedly wrecked into ditches and briar patches. Point is, at least for "country" millennials, I think plenty of roaming did happen.
At least for me this happened in suburbia too in the 90s. (Minus the motorcycle) edit: $1.25 at Burgerville is bonkers to me. We just had $0.29/$0.39 burger/cheeseburger Tuesday deal at McDonalds. Those days are gone...
Ditto. and ours was a slingshot not an air rifle.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#47I think this is highly dependent on the parents. I'm 32 and my parents let me go all over town, pretty much where I wanted with no adult supervision, for as long as I wanted. I was allowed to stay out past dark until about 9 on school nights, later on the weekends and in the summer. All this and I have a medical condition that could get me seriously hurt or killed.
My parents trusted me, and they taught me early on to be responsible.
That said, I regularly see young kids in SF out by themselves. I'd say as a parent, if you are one, get ahold of yourself and allow your kids some freedom.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#48Honestly, this seems like a pretty short sighted view of the safety of roaming. In any American city how far could an African American kid roam from their neighborhood in 1926?
How much space could an unmarried female white expect to have before societal conventions interfered in 1926?
What about an urban Irish boy in 1926 NYC, how much space could he roam in safely?
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#49I have a 4 year old, in my mid 40s, and think about this a lot for some reason. In the 70s during the summer, when I was around 7, we would wake up, eat breakfast, go out and about wherever we wanted, come back for lunch, out again, come back for dinner, and then out again past dark to play flashlight tag. I think I would be charged with child endangerment these days if my kid (3 years in the future) was doing stuff…
What part of the US do you live in? I have 3 kids ages 7 to 12 and they and all of the neighborhoods kids wander together over a distance of several miles.
We make sure they have a phone and a time they are expected to return. The kids always group up as there is more safety in numbers. Life isn't worth living if you don't actually live.
Re: How Children Lost the Right to Roam in Just 4 Generations
#50I have a 4 year old, in my mid 40s, and think about this a lot for some reason. In the 70s during the summer, when I was around 7, we would wake up, eat breakfast, go out and about wherever we wanted, come back for lunch, out again, come back for dinner, and then out again past dark to play flashlight tag. I think I would be charged with child endangerment these days if my kid (3 years in the future) was doing stuff…
For sure the media is the main problem. the commercial news media sells fear.