GMA- Free Range Parents in Maryland Investigated

[penguingrrl]

My first reaction to this story was that it was absolutely absurd. I definitely think a 10 year old should be able to walk a mile without supervision and not have freaking CPS called on them.

Then I thought further and realized that we're only hearing from the parents side since CPS obviously cannot comment. I'm curious if there's a lot more to the story and a few things I thought of:

Are the kids tiny for their age and therefore someone thought they looked enough younger to arouse suspicion (although calling the police is still overkill to me)? My 7 year old has a 9 year old on her basketball team who is smaller than my 5 year old. If I saw her walking out alone somewhere and didn't know how old she is I would be curious and a tad worried.

Did CPS roll their eyes about getting the call, go because they have to, then see something in the course of the investigation that was worrisome but of course the parents aren't disclosing that?

Is there a law in MD that says a 10 year old is not allowed to supervise a 6 year old? If so that's ridiculous, but we also have to expect CPS to uphold state law. And those who live there should contact their representatives to get that law changed.

[stealthmom]

That anyone is making excuses for the person that alerted the police truly makes me sick. I reject this culture of helpless sheltered children we are creating. It is not good for them and is MUCH more harmful than walking to the park.

What kind of adult do you think your constantly gpsed kid is going to become? Confident? Independent? A leader? Think again. The direction in which we're headed is completely counter to the goal of raising children. CUT THE GODDAMNED CORD ALREADY. And if you can't, please allow those of us who can to do so without a goddamned call to cps every other day.

[chickens987]

Jan 16, 2015 15:01:57 GMT -5 stealthmom said:

That anyone is making excuses for the person that called cps truly makes me sick. I reject this culture of helpless sheltered children we are creating. It is not good for them and is MUCH more harmful than walking to the park.

We don't know that "someone" called CPS. Someone saw 2 kids walking alone and called the police. The police brought in CPS, because they are mandated reporters and had to do that.

If someone called CPS directly, chances are none of this would happen. As matildasun pointed out, they often fall short of expectations. I expect that the only reason they didn't  in this case is because the police were involved.

[stealthmom]

Jan 16, 2015 15:17:52 GMT -5 chickens987 said:

Jan 16, 2015 15:01:57 GMT -5 stealthmom said:

That anyone is making excuses for the person that called cps truly makes me sick. I reject this culture of helpless sheltered children we are creating. It is not good for them and is MUCH more harmful than walking to the park.

We don't know that "someone" called CPS. Someone saw 2 kids walking alone and called the police. The police brought in CPS, because they are mandated reporters and had to do that.

If someone called CPS directly, chances are none of this would happen. As matildasun pointed out, they often fall short of expectations. I expect that the only reason they didn't  in this case is because the police were involved.

sorry. You're right. Just replace "called cps" with "alerted the police."

[InBetweenDays]

This is absolutely ridiculous. Based on the google images this is a well traveled area with wide sidewalks and marked crosswalks.

Our (almost) 6 and 8 year old walk a few blocks to the store together, and if DD was 10 I may consider letting her walk a mile on her own. The odds of a child being abducted by a stranger is something like a 0.005% chance. I think I'll risk those odds to teach my kids some independence.

[livinitup]

My dad was the original "free range parent". He's baffled by why I won't leave a sleeping baby, on a cool day, in the driveway or let 6 yo DD play unsupervised. I don't argue if it's safe or not. I just say that I don't want to be arrested.

Little different than his day.

[imojoebunny]

Jan 16, 2015 9:05:36 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

My 9 year walks my 6 year old around my neighborhood all the time. I have one neighbor who hates it and reminded my husband that there are teenagers at night who have done pranks like move flower urns from one persons yard and put it in another.

Because clearly they are looking to kidnap children as well.

Makes me lose my mind.

Though I don't let him take her to the subdivision park since it is by the woods and she would wander.

My kids have walkie talkies they use at our mountain house to go "hike" by themselves.  They will go 1/2 mile or more, just the 2 of them at 8 and 5.  If they need me, which has happened once, I am just a walkie talk away.  At home, which is far safer, no snakes, someone every 50 feet, they can't walk around the block, even with sidewalks and no street crossings because someone would no doubt hassle them about being alone or call the police.  It makes me crazy.  

[imojoebunny]

Our town has something called safe routes to school that are designed to get kids to walk to school, and 9 and 10 year olds walk and roll to school alone from all over the city (roughly 4 square miles). There are crossing guards at major intersections.

[polarbearfans]

As much as I think kids that age can walk a mile alone, it's not as safe as it used me. Growing up I would walk to the pool (looking back I cannot believe they didn't require parents to be there) or park all the time alone or with a neighbor kid, and it was like a little over a mile away. Or I would walk to the video store which was maybe half a mile away. But it was a small town and everyone knew each other. So while I was walking alone, numerous people who knew me and my family were watching. Someone I could go to if needed was never far away.

Now, it seems like communities are not as social or close, which is a danger. I do think kids are not given enough independence at a young age to develop needed skills, but our communities are not designed to facilitate the safety net closer communities had. Nothing is perfect, but it was helpful to give that early independent knowing people knew you and your children, and would help and call if needed.

[niq]

Jan 16, 2015 13:58:43 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Is there a law in MD that says a 10 year old is not allowed to supervise a 6 year old? If so that's ridiculous, but we also have to expect CPS to uphold state law. And those who live there should contact their representatives to get that law changed.

We can argue about it or we can look it up.

www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm
www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

"How old does my child have to be before I can allow her or him to be home alone?

Under Maryland law, a child must be at least eight years old to be left alone in a house or car. State law also says a child must be at least 13 years old to baby-sit another child."

So it's pretty cut-and-dry in this case. Considering the only state that thinks it's okay for 6 year olds to be alone is Kansas, I think free rangers have a ways to go. Maybe the minimum babysitting age should be 10 and not 13.

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2015 18:26:15 GMT -5 polarbearfans said:

As much as I think kids that age can walk a mile alone, it's not as safe as it used me. Growing up I would walk to the pool (looking back I cannot believe they didn't require parents to be there) or park all the time alone or with a neighbor kid, and it was like a little over a mile away. Or I would walk to the video store which was maybe half a mile away. But it was a small town and everyone knew each other. So while I was walking alone, numerous people who knew me and my family were watching. Someone I could go to if needed was never far away.

Now, it seems like communities are not as social or close, which is a danger. I do think kids are not given enough independence at a young age to develop needed skills, but our communities are not designed to facilitate the safety net closer communities had. Nothing is perfect, but it was helpful to give that early independent knowing people knew you and your children, and would help and call if needed.

Statistically, we are safer, though. And the people most likely to hurt children are people that they know.

[niq]

Jan 16, 2015 18:26:15 GMT -5 polarbearfans said:

As much as I think kids that age can walk a mile alone, it's not as safe as it used me. 

I'm not trying to be combative about this, but violent crime is at its lowest rate since Richard Nixon was President.



Maybe things are different in DC? Not really.

[cjeanette]

Jan 16, 2015 19:05:18 GMT -5 niq said:

Jan 16, 2015 13:58:43 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Is there a law in MD that says a 10 year old is not allowed to supervise a 6 year old? If so that's ridiculous, but we also have to expect CPS to uphold state law. And those who live there should contact their representatives to get that law changed.

We can argue about it or we can look it up.

www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm
www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

"How old does my child have to be before I can allow her or him to be home alone?

Under Maryland law, a child must be at least eight years old to be left alone in a house or car. State law also says a child must be at least 13 years old to baby-sit another child."

So it's pretty cut-and-dry in this case. Considering the only state that thinks it's okay for 6 year olds to be alone is Kansas, I think free rangers have a ways to go. Maybe the minimum babysitting age should be 10 and not 13.

Glad to know Eleanor is free to walk the streets of our hood without fear of CPS.

Proud Kansan right here. Lol

[penguingrrl]

Jan 16, 2015 19:05:18 GMT -5 niq said:

Jan 16, 2015 13:58:43 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Is there a law in MD that says a 10 year old is not allowed to supervise a 6 year old? If so that's ridiculous, but we also have to expect CPS to uphold state law. And those who live there should contact their representatives to get that law changed.

We can argue about it or we can look it up.

www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm
www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/childsafety/childsafetyfaqs.html

"How old does my child have to be before I can allow her or him to be home alone?

Under Maryland law, a child must be at least eight years old to be left alone in a house or car. State law also says a child must be at least 13 years old to baby-sit another child."

So it's pretty cut-and-dry in this case. Considering the only state that thinks it's okay for 6 year olds to be alone is Kansas, I think free rangers have a ways to go. Maybe the minimum babysitting age should be 10 and not 13.

I wonder if home alone/car alone laws apply to unsupervised in public though.

And I have left my 7 year old home alone, so I'm not opposed to kids being unsupervised, I just wonder if CPS was required by an overprotective law to step in. I'll admit that before I left her I did google PA state law to make sure that if either kid's teacher (K and 2nd) got wind of it I wouldn't be dealing with this exact situation.

[mcfelix]

I also live in Maryland and while I don't live in MoCo, I was driving through this particular area yesterday and thinking about the situation. I can't answer if I would be comfortable letting my own kids do that (I don't have kids that age, or know the maturity/responsibility level of these kids, etc) but I don't have a problem with it. I think if I came across these kids I probably wouldn't think anything was strange. If I was concerned I would ask the kids if they were okay and if they needed me to help them find their parents.