Dunno how I'd have gotten home from school or to soccer practice if I needed an adult, ffs I was staying alone overnight and cooking dinner for myself by 5th grade. How do you acquire independence and skills with someone hovering all the fucking time?

"You're guilty of leaving your child alone, therefore we're taking you away from your child."

Based on the safety plan including “installing a location tracking app on the child’s phone”, the kid has a phone and could easily call for help or be called if there was a concern.

Children used to ride bikes much farther then a mile without even a quarter in their pocket to pay for a phone call.

I started walking to school when I was eight. My parents made sure I knew the way and that was that. And on our bikes we went wayyy farther than a mile unsupervised

Americans have degenerated so fast.

All of Gen-X would like a word...

Lol. When I was 10 me and a friend would take a bus TO ANOTHER COUNTRY and hang out at the arena to wait for the teams so we could get our hockey cards autographed.

I still have that niklas lidstrom rookie card.

A few days later, DFCS presented Patterson with a "safety plan" for her to sign. It would require her to delegate a "safety person" to be a "knowing participant and guardian" and watch over the children whenever she leaves home. The plan would also require Patterson to download an app onto her son's phone allowing for his location to be monitored. (The day when it will be illegal not to track one's kids is rapidly approaching.)

Of course there's a grift train. I'd be very curious to know more about that company, its owners, and its financials.

Also tagging @abucci@buc.ci (can someone tell me how to do that right?). Seems like something that might interest you, re: our recent conversation.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Adam_Walsh

This is what started this panic. A TV movie dramatization from 1983. At this point current parents largely weren't born yet so they don't even know how it started, they've just been raised into believing this is normal. It's not normal.

What in the sweet ever loving fuck is this shit?

State mandated helicopter parenting?

But I thought red states were bastions of freedom?

From a very red state.

From a boring dystopia to a holy fuck that's scary dystopia.

Imagine getting jailed unless you ground your kids 24/7. Pretty sure that used to be a punishment for kids, not a requirement.

I know this is probably not possible if I still wish to use English online, but does anybody know how to filter out news specifically form America? It's becoming less and less relevant to my life as America is becoming more and more like Russia. It's like yea, I know, the people are literal fascists, any additional details are just depressing.

That would be admitting this country ain't safe enough for a child. Doomer world

When I was a kid I got kicked out of the house at 9am on the weekends with no cell phone; now walking less than a mile is grounds for parents to get arrested?

By this logic, the movie 'Stand By Me' is kiddie porn.

Jeez...assuming this is a true story and not embellished..

Early 90's. Latchkey kid. Come home from school to our Acreage out of town. Get on bike and ride to the nearest corner-store, which was a highway rest-stop a couple of kilometres away. I'd have to (SHOCK) cross the highway AND a railroad track of all things to get there!

My god why weren't my parents imprisoned!!!!

Do I need to add the /s tag, or is it clear enough?

When I was 10, I was riding a bicycle to school 4 miles one way. When I got home, I unlocked the empty house with my own key, took the lunch money my mom had left for me, and rode 12 tramway stops into the inner city to buy lunch at McDonalds.

I'm not saying that's what it should be like, but I loved it, and I enjoyed my autonomy.

He should have driven an F350 there what was she thinking!

My kids of 7 and 10 ride to school through the city (it's about a mile away, but my daughter went to another school 3 miles away before.
When we got to this new school, I rode with them for a month using different routes and shouting "look left", "stop here", as they weren't looking. Once they were able to lead me to school and back without complaints from mybside for a few times, I let them do it themselves. We just take turns kicking them out in the morning to ensure they're on time. It works, and they will grow into independent people.
I was cycling wherever the fuck I wanted when I was a kid. I'm fine.
For the context, we're in Denmark, and I'm originally from Russia

When I was 10 i was told to be home when the street lights came on. Otherwise my parents rarely knew where I was. Kids these days aren’t going to be able to function independently when they grow up if they can’t even take a walk on their own.

Yeah like as if God forbids any kids run around without being continuously tracked by Life360.

I'm all for protecting kids, but this goes beyond the reasonable boundaries of the nanny state.

Reported to police for walking less than a mile into town on a road that was 25 - 35 mph speed limit...

Damn, I used to walk home from the bus stop that was 1/2 mile away when I was in kindergarten. These people need to calm down.