(The Center Square) – Did you grow up walking wherever you wanted? Were you a latchkey kid, home long hours on your own? Did your parents send you out of the house in the morning and not expect you back till dinner?
These common refrains come from nostalgic members of older generations, lamenting the closely monitored and largely indoor lives of “kids these days.” The shift is, some say, in large part due to vague child protection laws that equate these freedoms with neglect.
Joining a bipartisan trend that has found success in 11 states and counting, Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia, and Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Whitehall, say they’re introducing legislation that would protect “reasonable independence for children.”
“Even when children are well-cared for and are engaging in activities that not long ago were considered healthy and commonplace—part of what it means to be a kid—today’s parents oftentimes are afraid to let their kids have ordinary freedoms to play and grow as they once enjoyed themselves,” reads a memo supporting the bill.
The issue puts a spotlight on the vagaries of the state’s existing laws, which are left open-ended. While there is no law, for instance, establishing an age at which children can be left home alone, there is also no constraint on whether a parent can be found guilty of criminal endangerment for leaving them.
“Under archaic laws and evolving cultural norms, simple activities for kids like playing outside, walking a sibling to school, or being home alone after school are sometimes treated as child neglect or child endangerment,” reads the memo. “Merely allowing a child to be outside of constant supervision by an adult has led to frivolous child protection investigations, traumatizing children and families, as well as contributing to a climate of fear in our communities.”
Fostering more childhood independence, including advocating for legislation like this, is the primary focus of nonprofit organization, Let Grow. The group evolved out of the “free-range kids” movement merging with growing concern for college students who some say have exhibited “increasing fragility.”
“Children who have more opportunities than others for independent activities are not only happier in the short run, because the activities engender happiness and a sense of trustworthiness and competence, but also happier in the long run, because independent activities promote the growth of mental capacities for coping effectively with life’s inevitable stressors,” said Let Grow’s co-founder Prof. Peter Gray on the group’s website.
Opposition to the idea of “free-range parenting” has come from those who cite dangers that were less prevalent, or even non-existent, for earlier generations.
Parents cite increased traffic, larger vehicles with less visibility, and overdevelopment as reasons not to let kids walk or bike places. The National Sporting Goods Association has documented a drop from 41% to 22% bike ridership among children and teens over the last quarter century.
Then, there are malicious dangers. Some parents say the world has become more violent and less safe for children. Others say it’s constant access to news and social media that makes us perceive it that way. Some say kids are safer with electronic devices that allow them to be easily tracked, while others say the tech creates distractions that make children less aware of threats in their surroundings, from cars to strangers.
One parent’s “good old days” is another parent’s traumatic experience of very real abuse and neglect. With compelling arguments on both sides, the question of how to parent remains a deeply personal one. If a law like the one being proposed by McNeill and Krajewski passes, advocates say it will protect parents’ rights to make that judgment for themselves.
