So who's leaving their kid at the park tomorrow?

baconsmom

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2012/05/17/why-abadoning-your-kids-this-saturday-is-a-good-thing/

Lenore Skenazy, of Free Range Kids, created this little "holiday": Take Our Children To The Park...And Leave Them There Day.

Bacon pretty much has run of the neighborhood already; if she manages to clean up her TV room mess, maybe I'll let her bike the half-mile to the park if she wants. 

But I found it interesting that the woman who wrote the piece for Babble has an 11-y-o who has hardly crossed the street by herself. 11. Really? I fully expect that by 11, Bacon will be staying by herself while dad and I go on dates. Like, 11 is old, yo. And she says she's not a helicopter parent. I do not think that means what she thinks it means. 

mrsconn23

I just read the article linked to that one where the dad was charged with child endangerment for leaving a 6 and 9 year old at the park in his neighborhood. 

 What the hell ever happened to MYOB? I'm sure that lady didn't a) overhear the conversation the dad had with his kids before he left and b) really know how old those kids were.  What if the 9 year old had really been 11?

I want to see what defines 'child endangerment'?  Oh wait, it's like a lot of our laws, totally ambiguous and they can apply it whatever situation they feel is warranted.

MinM

At 11 I was baby sitting my newborn sister and 10 y/o sister. Yes, old yo.

tawillers

Son has been staying home by himself since the beginning of the year.

baconsmom

Min - I was babysitting all three of my brothers, who at the time were 7, 5, and 3. I could make lunch and reheat dinner and use the phone properly. What else do you need? 

I'm really glad my neighborhood is made up of like-minded parents. It's interesting to me; I think if we lived somewhere more affluent or less diverse - we have a lot of recent immigrants - Bacon would be outside by herself. As it is, there's a whole gaggle of kids, most younger than her, who are on their bikes all afternoon and on the weekends with minimal supervision. 

And it's good for her. She can take care of herself, but she knows I'm just in the house if she needs me. She does ask if she can go outside, but that's simply because we taught her it's polite to let your family know where you are. I mean, I don't go to the store without telling H. She's not fearful of anything, but she's not reckless, either. 

mrsconn23

The kiddo's been staying by himself since he was 9.   He also can go to the park in our neighborhood with his friends.  Or around the block.

We have walkie talkies that we use to get ahold of him (or vice versa). 

We pretty much started this when we found out we were having DefConn.  The kiddo definitely need some pushes to become more independent.  It's gone well, with just a few hiccups.

VarunaTT

I don't know how I feel about this.  To me, there's a difference in having your kid inside your house, behind locked doors or in a fenced yard with a phone close by to call for help, vs. at a park completely unsupervised.  

I don't worry so much about the kid as I do about the predators around.  When I was in the 6th grade (so 11?), I had someone expose himself to me when I was riding my bike home from school and we found out later that he had been in our apartment complex pool doing the same thing.  In the past, we've had preteens approached/attacked at the mall.  That has gone down a bit since security was amped up to a greater seeable presence.

I had a lot of, "Mom and friends will sit at [name place] chatting while you guys wander around by yourselves for X amount of time. Check-ins required at this time and this time.  Go 'way!"

ETA: We didn't live in a neighborhood, so I didn't have a gaggle of kids either.  I think a big group would be make me feel far more safe than just a single or pair of children.

DG1

At what age does she suggest starting this park adventure? And geez. I was staying home alone at 10, babysitting on the regular by 11. But my kids ARE reckless, so I am wondering what their timeline will be. Last night, they were playing together when I went to check in on them. They had climbed on top of the dining room table and were twisting the chandelier and watching it untwist itself. Seriously. The things you don't realize you must specifically warn against.

DG1

Also, even if the concept is valid (questionable), isn't having a specific day just a giant invitation to pedophiles? If I ever did do this, it would be on a day when no one would know there might be a bunch of kids alone in the park n

dharmabunny

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_so-whos-leaving-their-kid-at-the-park-tomorrow?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:9e3ddc6d-ce32-48f9-b5df-3bf0f215cd9aPost:57e1767f-c4ee-4774-ac85-38bc38bd4c57">Re: So who's leaving their kid at the park tomorrow?</a>:
[QUOTE]Also, even if the concept is valid (questionable), isn't having a specific day just a giant invitation to pedophiles? If I ever did do this, it would be on a day when no one would know there might be a bunch of kids alone in the park n
Posted by DG1[/QUOTE]

That's just what I was thinking.  Way to broadcast on the interwebs "free smorgasbord day"

baconsmom

DG, she says age 7 and up.

And frankly, the likelihood that a stranger pedo is going to go to the park to pick up a kid is miniscule. Pedophiles groom and prey upon children who are close to them. I'm much more suspicious of priests and uncles than I am of random strangers. 

Lizzieyounce

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_so-whos-leaving-their-kid-at-the-park-tomorrow?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:9e3ddc6d-ce32-48f9-b5df-3bf0f215cd9aPost:bcb5b833-f241-4045-bfd6-28bfcbc8a460">Re: So who's leaving their kid at the park tomorrow?</a>:
[QUOTE]Min - I was babysitting all three of my brothers, who at the time were 7, 5, and 3. I could make lunch and reheat dinner and use the phone properly. What else do you need?  I'm really glad my neighborhood is made up of like-minded parents. It's interesting to me; I think if we lived somewhere more affluent or less diverse - we have a lot of recent immigrants - Bacon would be outside by herself. As it is, there's a whole gaggle of kids, most younger than her, who are on their bikes all afternoon and on the weekends with minimal supervision.  And it's good for her. She can take care of herself, but she knows I'm just in the house if she needs me. She does ask if she can go outside, but that's simply because we taught her it's polite to let your family know where you are. I mean, I don't go to the store without telling H. She's not fearful of anything, but she's not reckless, either. 
Posted by baconsmom[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I've raised my kids the same way. I have a 17 year old and a 12 year old...Once I felt they were old enough to know to look both ways before they cross the street, not to approach strangers and help hunt for that "lost dog", knew our address and phone number, then I'd let them go out and play without constant supervision. That's how I was raised, and I am blessed enough to live in a neighborhood chock full of kids so that my kiddos can have the same experiences I did. They even drink out of the garden hose sometimes! </div><div>
</div><div>I love how my girls prefer to be outside rather than in playing on their Wii...

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GBCK

Buffy is a bit to smally et...