Honestly (to make this CEP), EC sounds like another way to be all, "LOOK HOW WEALTHY I AM!" One of you can afford to stay home and watch your kid shit and piss into a bowl all day. LUXURY. It's a class marker...except when it's not, like in China. It's like extended breastfeeding. It shows who either has enough time/money in a developed nation, or who has no money in a developing nation.
It's a classic example of when "upper class white people like to pretend to be poor."
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
Assuming the unguarded intersection isn't crazy busy, absolutely.
I'd probably walk him across the unguarded street the first few times, but after that, you should be good to go.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
Assuming the unguarded intersection isn't crazy busy, absolutely.
I'd probably walk him across the unguarded street the first few times, but after that, you should be good to go.
Assuming the unguarded intersection isn't crazy busy, absolutely.
I'd probably walk him across the unguarded street the first few times, but after that, you should be good to go.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING DH!!
BAAAAH.
Team you! Assuming these are fairly standard quiet, residential streets, I am sure your kid can handle it. Is the unguarded intersection a T or a four-way*?
*By only giving you two options, I'm assuming you don't live somewhere nuts with frequent intersections of more than 2 roads.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
Assuming the unguarded intersection isn't crazy busy, absolutely.
I'd probably walk him across the unguarded street the first few times, but after that, you should be good to go.
I agree, provided that the child in question isn't a complete kucklehead.
Team you! Assuming these are fairly standard quiet, residential streets, I am sure your kid can handle it. Is the unguarded intersection a T or a four-way*?
*By only giving you two options, I'm assuming you don't live somewhere nuts with frequent intersections of more than 2 roads.
It's a T. The road *is* fairly busy, but that's because it's the way to school - lol. Everyone is dropping their kids off so they're pretty cautious drivers.
Team you! Assuming these are fairly standard quiet, residential streets, I am sure your kid can handle it. Is the unguarded intersection a T or a four-way*?
*By only giving you two options, I'm assuming you don't live somewhere nuts with frequent intersections of more than 2 roads.
It's a T. The road *is* fairly busy, but that's because it's the way to school - lol. Everyone is dropping their kids off so they're pretty cautious drivers.
It's a T. The road *is* fairly busy, but that's because it's the way to school - lol. Everyone is dropping their kids off so they're pretty cautious drivers.
Which part of the T is he crossing?
We're on the short arm, crossing down the long arm.
I wish there was a babysitters club around here. I could use a non family preteen or teen babysitter.
I found one on Facebook in a neighbourhood group. And I left my (sleeping) 1 year old with her after giving her the wifi password and assuming she wouldn't burn the house down.
She didn't.
Funny story...I once managed to lock myself out, locking my 18 month old charge IN, while baby-sitting at age 12. They never called me again. ?
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
He can absolutely do that! I had thoughts about letting my just about 7 year old walk a mile home from school by the end of the year (assuming that there are other neighborhood kids walking, we just moved so I'm not positive yet). The only reason that's off the table is that I don't trust her sister, who will be in K in the same building, to walk home without me so I'll walk over to get both. If it was that close I would totally be telling them to meet up and walk home together.
Honestly (to make this CEP), EC sounds like another way to be all, "LOOK HOW WEALTHY I AM!" One of you can afford to stay home and watch your kid shit and piss into a bowl all day. LUXURY. It's a class marker...except when it's not, like in China. It's like extended breastfeeding. It shows who either has enough time/money in a developed nation, or who has no money in a developing nation.
It's a classic example of when "upper class white people like to pretend to be poor."
She just wants to go backpacking, unencumbered. It's not like there are any other ways having a child impacts one's life. It's just the diaper thing and she's got that covered.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
Yup. Especially since other children will be crossing at the same time so traffic will expect it. I'd walk with him the first two weeks or so, down to the crossing guard anyway and then let him have at it.
I found one on Facebook in a neighbourhood group. And I left my (sleeping) 1 year old with her after giving her the wifi password and assuming she wouldn't burn the house down.
She didn't.
Funny story...I once managed to lock myself out, locking my 18 month old charge IN, while baby-sitting at age 12. They never called me again. ?
A kid I sat for was burned by a lightbulb. We were using a lamp turned on its side to make shadow puppets for the older two when the baby roamed over and but his hand on the bare bulb.
They did call me again.
My bff babysat for them too and that kid poo poo picasso'd the walls on her.
Funny story...I once managed to lock myself out, locking my 18 month old charge IN, while baby-sitting at age 12. They never called me again. ?
A kid I sat for was burned by a lightbulb. We were using a lamp turned on its side to make shadow puppets for the older two when the baby roamed over and but his hand on the bare bulb.
They did call me again.
horrible parents! they were supposed to call for your untimely death!
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision?
Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
If it makes you feel better, here elementary kids just walk home wherever home is. I've never seen a crossing guard. I see kids jaywalk and cars just swerve to avoid them. So whatever you decide, at least it's better than here!
It's a classic example of when "upper class white people like to pretend to be poor."
She just wants to go backpacking, unencumbered. It's not like there are any other ways having a child impacts one's life. It's just the diaper thing and she's got that covered.
We live two houses down from a crosswalk (no light or guard, just a crosswalk). You cross the street, go around the corner and down half a block to another crosswalk, with a light AND a guard. Cross that street and walk directly into the front doors of school. A seven year old can totally do that alone, right? Maybe with some supervision to the first crosswalk, but definitely after that, right?!?
He can absolutely do that! I had thoughts about letting my just about 7 year old walk a mile home from school by the end of the year (assuming that there are other neighborhood kids walking, we just moved so I'm not positive yet). The only reason that's off the table is that I don't trust her sister, who will be in K in the same building, to walk home without me so I'll walk over to get both. If it was that close I would totally be telling them to meet up and walk home together.
Ben's best friend lives on the other end of our street, so he has the same walk, only backwards. Anyway, his older brother is two years older, and they've walked alone since 2nd/K. His mom was so worried, but it worked out.
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision? Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
No. I don't know anyone who was killed or so severely injured as a child due to laid back parenting as to still be impacted from it.
Maybe child mortality due to unintentional injury has decreased but I would guess it's more likely due to car seats, smoke detectors, and increased awareness and infrastructure to handle child abuse than to helicopter parenting.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision? Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
No. I don't know anyone who was killed or so severely injured as a child due to laid back parenting as to still be impacted from it.
Maybe child mortality due to unintentional injury has decreased but I would guess it's more likely due to car seats, smoke detectors, and increased awareness and infrastructure to handle child abuse than to helicopter parenting.
ha. Okay glad I-m not the only one. I was wracking my brain trying to think of a dead or maimed friend fron childhood, hey jude made it sound so common.
there is a balance between reckless and overprotective and I feel like we're not there yet. See: all the recent stories about moms getting arrested for letting their kids walk more than 50 ft from their houses.
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision?
Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
I do and dh is a bit older than me so he had even less supervision and I could tell you so much stuff that makes me cringe from him childhood. Cringe. Between the two of us growing up we know of (IMO) too many kids in accidents that never would've happened with supervision. One is in a wheel chair, one is missing an eye , a kid in my k class passed away in k from an accident (not car accident), we actually both know of someone who froze to death outside as young teens. We grew up in the city so I'm not sure if there was more of a false sense of security because the assumption was that there was always someone around so it was deemed safe.
Obviously I'm not telling all the stories, but trust me I'm not at all interested in how things were then, especially when dh was growing up (he's 43). Listening to some of his stories, I wonder if anyone parented at all. It surely makes me look at his parents with the side eye sometimes. But to him it's how it was then, it's not like his parents were neglectful, it's just that it was the city , everyone was sent out the house in the morning and don't come back until dinner. Sometimes that's an ok parenting strategy and works out perfectly, and sometimes a kid needs an adult, and a balance would be nice.
He can absolutely do that! I had thoughts about letting my just about 7 year old walk a mile home from school by the end of the year (assuming that there are other neighborhood kids walking, we just moved so I'm not positive yet). The only reason that's off the table is that I don't trust her sister, who will be in K in the same building, to walk home without me so I'll walk over to get both. If it was that close I would totally be telling them to meet up and walk home together.
Ben's best friend lives on the other end of our street, so he has the same walk, only backwards. Anyway, his older brother is two years older, and they've walked alone since 2nd/K. His mom was so worried, but it worked out.
Hmmm, that's food for thought. I think my two together could make the walk easily and the school considers them "walkers" as they aren't eligible for the bus. I wonder if they would allow Julia to "pick up" Emma. Julia's K required an adult to pick the child up but we're in a new district so the rules may be different.
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision?
Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
I can' think of a single person seriously injured from preventable childhood accidents...BUT I actually agree that this argument has a serious hole. That's great that the "world is safer" but how much of this safer world is because of more cautious parents? It's a valid point even if my generation is largely all scrunchy browed right now trying to think of somebody who actually put their eye out. The generation behind mine probably has a better chance of something like that - by the time I was a kid we were supposed to wear seatbelts, drunk driving was a no-no, riding in the back of pickup trucks was frowned upon, there were safety campaigns about safe street crossings, and stop drop and roll and not talking to strangers in white vans, etc.
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision?
Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
No, actually I don't know anyone personally harmed by lax parenting 30 or 40 years ago. We aren't talking carseats here. Logically, they have made car travel much safer. There are other safety measures that have obviously improved with age. There is no evidence that kids all the sudden can't go anywhere until the age of 18 without their parents without immediately being in danger. My mom was actually VERY overprotective with me. She didn't allow me to drive until I was 18, and then, only sparingly. (As such, I have anxiety over long distance driving as an adult). I was basically not allowed to go over to a friends house until the age of 10, and then, only rarely. I couldn't ride my bike in the neighborhood etc. It is actually one of the things I have chosen to do differently because of the impact it had on me and my social life as a kid. (P.S. We lived in a very safe, residential neighborhood where my brother and sister who were 15 and 20 years older frequently roamed, unharmed, in their childhood). There are reasonable safety limits to place on kids. I am not suggesting we leave 7 year olds home alone. Have you ever read State of Fear? While it is fictional, it makes a lot of sense with the current way we are living. Bad things will happen but good things happen too.
Statiscally, America is safer now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. The constant stream of media stories makes it SEEM like walking out our door is an immediate risk to our lives. Technically, your kids are in no more danger now than they were 30 years ago when kids could (GASP) go somewhere without their parents before the age of 18. I think stifling kids independence is more of a popular parenting style of the time than a true reflection of how dangerous America is now.
Honestly I'm so tired of this argument. Maybe parents today are more cautious than their parents because they saw first hand what happens when parents let kids have too much free reign and too little supervision?
Don't we all know kids from our childhood whose parents let them do stupid things and now they are either dead or paying the price as an adult?
Have we over corrected from the lacksidasical parenting approach of the 60s? Maybe. But I don't think this is a case of "media driven parenting" rather a simple desire of just wanting to do better for your kid than what you had or saw growing up.
And didn't I read somewhere that childhood accidents have actually decreased over the past few decades? Maybe cautious parenting has played a role.
But there's being cautious and there's being over-protective to the point of doing potential psychological harm to your child.
I know of three people who died in accidents as teenagers. I didn't know them personally, but they were friends of friends type of thing. One was struck by a car while riding his bicycle without a helmet. One climbed a tree after an ice storm, fell, and hit his head on the ice. The third was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her drunk boyfriend.
Let's look at the bike example. Few people wore helmets when I was growing up. Bike infrastructure was even more abysmal than it is now. Vehicle awareness of bikes was worse. This is a fairly easy one to find balance on - making your child wear a helmet could save his life but will not inhibit his growth into an independent, self-sufficient adult. Essentially, the benefit FAR outweighs the cost.
But never letting your 12-year-old go anywhere alone? This is where the issue of the world being a safer place today comes into play. At some point, the scales tip, and the potential harm of inhibiting your child's growth into an independent, self-sufficient adult outweighs the benefits of protecting him from every single danger that could come his way. Your job as a parent is to prepare your child to take on the challenges of the world, not shield him from all of them. Thus, when someone says to me that a 12-year-old child cannot be left alone in a fairly safe environment, I question whether that parent has properly taught the child the skills needed to be independent. adult.
I don't view the past with rose-colored glasses. I am glad we wear bike helmets and don't use lead-based paint and pregnant women generally don't smoke and all of these evidence-based advancements. I don't support shielding our children from everything in the world because CNN decided to make another missing white girl the story du jour.