I Wish I Could Give Here The Freedom I Had

[LadyKay]

I grew up in a small town. Where everyone knew everyone. I can remember running free through my neighborhood. I walked to the park  with out an adult to go swimming with my friends.  I ran the neighborhood on my bike and as  long as I was home before dark, all was fine. All my parents ever knew was I was in the neighborhood somewhere or playing at the park. Now that I have a daughter, I can not imagine allowing her this freedom. I hate letting her outside alone. And when I do she is only allowed across the complex parking lot to her friend's house. And even then I am checking out the window to make sure I can still see her every so often. I kind of feel bad that I can not give her the freedom I had. Cause it was great to grow up that way. But I do sometimes remember stuff that happen and wonder how I managed to live to adulthood.  Sometimes I think I am being over protective. But I can't help it. It is just how things are now days.

[TronRP]

And that is exactly it, "It is just how things are now days". If things were the way they were when we were growing up, just about everyone was close enough to be in your business and if anything happened, everyone knew. However, the flip side was, if you did anything, your parents knew about it way before you made it to the front door.

...yeah...those were the days...natsukashii...

[Scary Guy]

No one has ever had freedom, not really anyway.  You didn't hear about bad things happening because they weren't that widely reported, but they still happened.  Human trafficking for sex and slavery should have always been a concern.  Although, studies have shown that violent crime is at a historic all time low now.  http://time.com/3577026/crime-rates-drop-1970s/

It's good to be a balance of both free range and helicopter parent.  Freedom but always with conditions and rules for safety.  Until I was 5 I couldn't go out of eyesight (five houses away) and then after I could go to the end of the block.

Other studies have shown that not letting your kids explore and get into things makes them more susceptible to germs and viruses.  Not to mention it can also stunt their learning ability.

Technology helps too.  Give them a cellphone with GPS and keep track of them.  Restrict what apps they can install because apps can track you as well and basically just mine you for data to sell to marketers / other corporations.

Anyway, I suppose my point is parents are supposed to be protective yet lenient with freedom.  It's a tough line to walk and most parents are idiots.  I think the best parents are the ones scared they're going to screw it up, because those are the parents who try as hard as they can not to.

On the bright side of the dark cloud that no one wants to talk or even think about.  If the worst does happen and they do end up killing themselves most people can usually have more.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

No one has ever had true anarchy.  That's different than freedom.  

 

Anyhow, I totally understand what your saying lady kay.

 

I wonder how I survived  riding around in the flat bed truck of my uncles for like 7 years on and off from place to place on gravel and mudhole roads. lol   That sort of thing would seem alien today.