Boy, 9, rides US subway alone

Uh-oh.

Get ready.

I had a thread about allowing Mo some extra freedom not long ago and I heard horror stories from all over -- which is exactly why it is so easy to be afraid.

I agree that we do a bad job assessing what is a risk for our kids.

Me to.
Absolutely agree.

The Times: Why you shouldn't over-protect your kids


When I flew from Albuquerque to Washington/Dulles two weeks ago, a 12-year old was sitting in front of me, flying alone as well. (And many made comments about his parents, too!)

He did so since quite some time (visiting relatives in New Mexico): his father said, he told me, if he could ride a bus on his own, he could fly as well.

And so he did, since some years. (He phoned his father before the start and after landing.)
He spoke perfectly English, btw, Spanish was obviously his father's first language, and studied French and German at school.

When i was a boy, we had to walk five miles to school . . . in a blizzard . . . uphill . . . both ways . . .

shoes made of tires

You had shoes ? ! ? ! ?

Exactly! When I was a young girl I was brought to the bus station to
go to Kindergarten by myself. On the end of the bus ride there was a nun
standing, waiting for me. There never was a problem.

Today is a different world though, crime against children is up and rising,
and I be damned if my child could become a statistic just becaus I let
her walk/ride the bus alone.

There are other means to teach them independence.

I'd say hearing the horror stories on the news is enough to cause parents to be cautious. I think it is hard to know when to let go this day and age. I don't fault those that do...though I wonder at how they can...and I wonder how I will be able to - though I know it is a necessity. I don't want to cause them to be afraid or lack confidence in their abilities.

Horse poop. In the first place, anyone familiar with how children have lived in the past, and how they live in far too many places in the world today would not make such an idiotic remark. In the second place, what is actually up and rising is the penchant of the media for scare stories.

Of course, coming from someone who has no kids, it's understandable
to have such a comment, Setanta.

In fact, you don't know if i have any children or not.

Of course, coming from someone for whom logic is not a strong suit, the claim that only people who have children will know if crimes against children are "up and rising" is unsurprising.

Agree 100% with Set.
And im a parent.

Im worried.. yes.. as a mother I should be.
But with out the media to smear problems in my face, and to capitalize on the one , rare freak-o like they are everywhere.. I am much calmer about where my daughter goes and why.

I know who lives near me and I watch them like a hawk.

But I have stopped living in this american fear that everyone , every where , every time, is out to get me. Because it is just not true.

Well, every kid is different. Some are much more responsible and mature than others at the same age, and conditions in neighbourhoods differ, too, so I'd say it depends on the circumstances.

Of course you don't want your children harmed but molly-coddling isn't the answer, either.

My sisters and I had a lot of freedom when we were children, less structured lives than some kids today (not so many activities after school like music, dance, swimming lessons and so on) and it was a great childhood.

My parents never knew where any of us were because we'd start out at one place and go to several more before coming home. That's just the way it was. And we weren't unaware of dangers - they were part of life and one just had to be a little vigilant. There were a few regular flashers we'd encounter during our rounds and we'd just keep our distance.

That is not to say I would tell any parent today what to do; everyone has to judge for themselves what's best.

Do kids even get sent to the store to pick up a loaf of bread anymore? We were always out running errands, it seemed.

Perhaps we're just all more aware of the dangers today due to the instancy of the news and this heightens our alarm.

Having a bad day again, Setanta. I am not going to be your outlet of the
day, just because you feel like a miserable SOB again. Take someone
else to release your anger, I am just not up for it.

Laughing at your typical know-it-all, idiotic assertions is not evidence of anger on my part. On behalf of my mother, i thank you for describing her as a bitch--that's your style, isn't it?

Damn. I used to walk six blocks to school in the first grade. My mother never went with me. At every corner, we would meet up with other kids going to the same place. I was six.

Actually, if the truth be told, for years when I came to NY, I would walk miles to avoid having to go on the subways. Ever since Giuliani, I have felt psychologically safer, and will take the subway.

That's actually a good question - is crime up or are we just more aware of it? I suspect the latter.

One might argue that total crimes against children have increased--but only to the extent that the total world population has increased. As a proportion of all crimes, there is no good reason to assume that crimes against children have increased.

There is certainly no reason to assume that being the parent of one or more children makes someone more knowledgeable about crime statistics.

True. Or more knowledgeable about children and child-rearing.