Man gets cops called on him for letting his 12 year old play in the yard.

[Anti Federalist]

Reddit story, so I don't know how much truth there is to it.


What is a parent to do? Police called on me for letting my son play outside by himself. He is almost 12.

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/xoo27/what_is_a_parent_to_do_police_called_on_me_for/

The police said he wasn't doing anything wrong, but the other parent(s) wanted me reported for neglect for allowing him outside by himself. I personally think helicopter parents and parents who allow their offspring to become obese from a steady diet of hotdogs and tv/videogames are the neglectful ones. I live in an apartment complex, if that matters. Also, when he goes out alone I send him with a walkie so we can contact each other. And he knows the boundaries of where to go. So do I have to ruin the shred of childhood that lingers and keep him indoors all the time now? Or go with him, which he would hate and be ridiculed for? WTF? Any advice?

Edit: FWIW, he is 5'5", he doesn't look like a little kid who wandered off.

Edit #2: Thank you all so much for your support!

[Danke]

I know my response.

[Origanalist]

At least they didn't shoot the parent and taze the kid.

[pcosmar]

Get the hell out of the Cities.

Those shit holes are going to get exponentially worse.

[Carson]

I sort of remember being left on my own a lot when I was a kid.

Then again I remember every kid seemed to have a to-do list ready if they had the house to themselves. And we waited...

And we waited...

And we waited...

We often kept an eye out on each other also. It was a healthy time to grow up it seems to me. People now seem to be awfully scared of everything. Then the shit we pull now we probably should be sleeping in underground bunkers.



“I was so poor growing up - if I wasn't a boy - I'd have had nothing to play with”

Rodney Dangerfield

[jmdrake]

That's insane! I bet the scum that called the cops let their kids watch slasher movies and think they are good parents.

[Rudeman]

12 is Jr. High age isn't it? I used to play outside all the time and I was younger than that. Only rule was I had to be home before it got dark/dinner (whichever came first).

[Kluge]

Christ's sake, I was 10, living in a foreign country and was outside alone all the time. How will a kid learn anything without being able to investigate on his own?

[heavenlyboy34]

WTF? When I was that age I just had to let the folks know I was going and I'd stay out with friends all day. (both when I lived in the Phoenix suburbs and in a more rural Ohio area) How are kids going to learn basic social skills being inside and under surveilance 24/7?

[Tod]

When I was less than 10 I could basically go as far as I could ride my bike and still make it back in time for supper.

[Anti Federalist]

My boy loves the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.

He presses each new edition off on me to read as soon as he's done.

So I read the latest, last night, and I found it to be good news that the author, through the main character of Greg, commented extensively on how his schoolyard playground was now "like a prison yard", since they took all the playground equipment, the kids were prohibited from running or touching each other, (they had to play "Power Walk Air Tag")from bringing any kind of toys or games along, and because of that, how one single Lego block was selling for half a buck on the schoolyard black market.

[heavenlyboy34]

When I was less than 10 I could basically go as far as I could ride my bike and still make it back in time for supper. City, suburbs, or rural area? /curious

[John F Kennedy III]

When I was 7 in little league the coach used to drive with us sitting in the bed of his pickup truck.

[oyarde]

I bought and registered my first boat when I was 12 , I already owned a racing bike , had a savings , checking accounts ,a few shares of stock , owned a lawn mower , a.177 pellet rifle , a bow and a quiver full of arrows , a tomahawk , ice pick , machete , traps , fishing poles , tackle box , had my own livestock ...

[oyarde]

Of course if someone had called the Law on me , they would not have bothered to stop and talk to me and I would not have gone out of my way to listen....

[kpitcher]

A woman was doing the talk show rounds awhile ago by sending her kid on the NYC subway alone. Someone was at the destination to pick him up. She's got a website called free range kids http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/ - can't say I've read it, just remember the news story and a google search showed that.

[Noob]

When I was that age I could walk right to downtown to the stores, walk all over town, go to the pizza place play the arcade games, order pizza, walk home.

[tangent4ronpaul]

When I was really young, like 6 or 7 I was supposed to stay in our yard. Shortly after that it was our street and then neighborhood. By 11 or 12 I was riding my bike to the library a mile away and walking to the nearest grocery store - maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. Sometimes I'd ride the bus alone to the nearest shopping center which was about 5 miles away.

edge of suburbia and country side.

-t

[DamianTV]

Get the hell out of the Cities.

Those shit holes are going to get exponentially worse.

Lets expand on that...

I dont think that the problems are inherit to big cities. The problems are inherit to Stupid People. You know who we are talking about. The ones that call the cops when the little girl opens a lemonade stand. The ones that think youre kid should be microchipped at school. The ones that believe that every alphabet soup letter of the government is there for our benefit. The ones that think it is OKAY to Tazer a 12 year old because mommy was late on her taxes. It is these very Stupid People that exacerbate the problems we have by repeating the trash that comes out of the MSM as if it were actually true, thus perpetuating the lie.

Cities themselves arent the problem. There are plenty of smart people that live in cities too. Cities just tend to have a higher density of idiots per square mile than those that need to be independant.

[devil21]

WTF? When I was that age I just had to let the folks know I was going and I'd stay out with friends all day. (both when I lived in the Phoenix suburbs and in a more rural Ohio area) How are kids going to learn basic social skills being inside and under surveilance 24/7?

That's kinda the point. My social skills suck and I had a lot of access. Can't imagine how shallow and empty of empathy or passion those sorts of kids will be as adults.

[tangent4ronpaul]

That's kinda the point. My social skills suck and I had a lot of access. Can't imagine how shallow and empty of empathy or passion those sorts of kids will be as adults.

They still play and socialize - it's just over the Internet more these days...

-t

[kathy88]

When I was 7 in little league the coach used to drive with us sitting in the bed of his pickup truck.HAHAHAHA my coach did too!

[Tankbot85]

That's insane! I bet the scum that called the cops let their kids watch slasher movies and think they are good parents.

And what may i ask is wrong with "Slasher" movies? My daughter is six. Has been watching everything we watched since day 1. We have just taught her the difference between right and wrong and real and fake. She loves zombies and vampires and things like this.

[Revolution9]

I had the cops pick me up when I was four when I walked from the London suburbs to downtown to go swimming, couldn't bum a dime to get in and was walking back. Let me wear his cap and I hid below the window as it was embarrassing for a "big guy" like me to have to get a ride from a cop like I was some snot nosed brat who needed mommy to hold his hand. It was out in the morning, in for dinner..

Rev9

[Meatwasp]

When I was 7 in little league the coach used to drive with us sitting in the bed of his pickup truck.
Is that against the law now? My kids always rode in back of our old willeys jeep.

[ShaneEnochs]

My babysitter quit the summer before 2nd grade, so from 2nd grade on up, I'd get off at my bus stop, and walk the 3/4 mile to my house. I'd go in, fix me a PB&J, and wait two hours for my parents to come home.

Then again, they'd also make me go out and play and not let me back in the house unless it was time to eat or I had to go to the bathroom. I lived up in a "holler", if anyone is familiar with the term. I went exploring every day.

[Barrex]

Lol. That is retarded. Befor I was 12 I was bitten by a dog, chased by a bull, roster attacked me, fell of a tree, got stuck in cave (few minutes), went on a river raft (3 logs tied together) and I barely could swim, had self made bow&arrows, slingshot, had few fights, my younger sister hit me in the head with a stick (was bleeding) + tousand things like that..... all of that wasnt big deal.

"That my dear is what natural selection is all about"

[moostraks]

And what may i ask is wrong with "Slasher" movies? My daughter is six. Has been watching everything we watched since day 1. We have just taught her the difference between right and wrong and real and fake. She loves zombies and vampires and things like this.

Your child is six...give it time to see the full personality and the effects of your decisions. While the occasional stupid parenting decision will not make or break a human soul, a series of insensitive decisions will warp it. You can rationalize to a child all day long but children aren't adults and will internalize more than we as adults give them credit for and it may take some time before the effects of the decisions come home to roost. At the end of the day the ledger matters. A child mainstreamed with a diet of slasher films will be desensitized to things in comparison to one fed a diet of exposure to nature and things of beauty.

I wouldn't want your child to spend time around mine for any great length of time most likely as it is disturbing to me to have a child "love zombies, vampires, and things like these" and I wouldn't want mine to think that is acceptable. However I would have to explain to the state why I am not exposing them to these things quicker than you will have to account for your decisions as yours seems to be the examples of mainstream children I have seen.

[Kluge]

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/08/06/violent-tv-shows-keep-young-kids-awake-study

[Demigod]

I could not imagine my childhood without playing Border guards,Mosque and building bunkers outside ( if you can call stolen bricks connected with mud inside a bush a bunker ).Every summer day I would get out at around 10-11 get back only for lunch or if my parent needed me to buy something ( man I hated being called back for that ) and finally come home at around 21 to watch TV

[brandon]

Me neighbor lets there 18 month old play out front on the sidewalk unattended. Cops get called every week. Hopefully they get locked up soon.

Nothing wrong with an 11 year old being outside though.

[PaulConventionWV]

Lets expand on that...

I dont think that the problems are inherit to big cities. The problems are inherit to Stupid People. You know who we are talking about. The ones that call the cops when the little girl opens a lemonade stand. The ones that think youre kid should be microchipped at school. The ones that believe that every alphabet soup letter of the government is there for our benefit. The ones that think it is OKAY to Tazer a 12 year old because mommy was late on her taxes. It is these very Stupid People that exacerbate the problems we have by repeating the trash that comes out of the MSM as if it were actually true, thus perpetuating the lie.

Cities themselves arent the problem. There are plenty of smart people that live in cities too. Cities just tend to have a higher density of idiots per square mile than those that need to be independant.

Still, as admitted in your post, cities are going to likely be a worse place for you and your kids growing up.

[PaulConventionWV]

My babysitter quit the summer before 2nd grade, so from 2nd grade on up, I'd get off at my bus stop, and walk the 3/4 mile to my house. I'd go in, fix me a PB&J, and wait two hours for my parents to come home.

Then again, they'd also make me go out and play and not let me back in the house unless it was time to eat or I had to go to the bathroom. I lived up in a "holler", if anyone is familiar with the term. I went exploring every day.

Same here. We often took long hikes in the woods or played down by the creek. I was attacked by chickens when I was 2, if that tells you anything.

[PaulConventionWV]

Your child is six...give it time to see the full personality and the effects of your decisions. While the occasional stupid parenting decision will not make or break a human soul, a series of insensitive decisions will warp it. You can rationalize to a child all day long but children aren't adults and will internalize more than we as adults give them credit for and it may take some time before the effects of the decisions come home to roost. At the end of the day the ledger matters. A child mainstreamed with a diet of slasher films will be desensitized to things in comparison to one fed a diet of exposure to nature and things of beauty.

I wouldn't want your child to spend time around mine for any great length of time most likely as it is disturbing to me to have a child "love zombies, vampires, and things like these" and I wouldn't want mine to think that is acceptable. However I would have to explain to the state why I am not exposing them to these things quicker than you will have to account for your decisions as yours seems to be the examples of mainstream children I have seen.

When I was young up until about the age of 12, all we had to watch was what we got on the antenna (2 channels or 3 on a good day) and a select few movies that we owned. We would watch these same movies over and over to pass the time. Renting a movie from the video store was a real treat. We had some Felix the Cat cartoons, the movie Madeline, which we watched a whole bunch, and I forget many of the others. It seems like forever ago now. There were 6 of us in the house, even when the parents were away, so there was plenty to do as long as it wasn't raining, so we played games like hide and seek, pretended the floor was hot lava and jumped from piece of furniture to piece of furniture, and also acted like we were spies trying to sneak around without anyone noticing we were there. We didn't even have a computer for a long time.

[jbauer]

I think the best idea is to force feed cheatos maybe by mainline IV well they play some warfare game on the latest and greatest nintendo or xbox or whatever it is these days. That way they're ready to go and think war is just a game we should all be playing.

[jbauer]

Did the same lava thing. Also did blind folded hide and seek. We'd limit the hiding places to a few rooms. We'd then move all the furniture to confuse the seeker.


When I was young up until about the age of 12, all we had to watch was what we got on the antenna (2 channels or 3 on a good day) and a select few movies that we owned. We would watch these same movies over and over to pass the time. Renting a movie from the video store was a real treat. We had some Felix the Cat cartoons, the movie Madeline, which we watched a whole bunch, and I forget many of the others. It seems like forever ago now. There were 6 of us in the house, even when the parents were away, so there was plenty to do as long as it wasn't raining, so we played games like hide and seek, pretended the floor was hot lava and jumped from piece of furniture to piece of furniture, and also acted like we were spies trying to sneak around without anyone noticing we were there. We didn't even have a computer for a long time.

[pcosmar]

Kids stories,, been there,, done that,, got the scars.

Amazing that any of us survived.

[heavenlyboy34]

Kids stories,, been there,, done that,, got the scars.

Amazing that any of us survived.
Ever fall out of a tree or treehouse? Fucking hurts, but its worth it. Develops character, too. :cool: Most people I knew in grade school liked climbing trees too. It really is a wonder any of us survived. We coulda broken our necks! ;) :D

[jbauer]

Na the only ones that broke thier necks needed to be weeded out anyway. Bad genes!! Now we all surive to breeding age and have the ability to pass on our genetic material regardless of our merits.


Ever fall out of a tree or treehouse? Fucking hurts, but its worth it. Develops character, too. :cool: Most people I knew in grade school liked climbing trees too. It really is a wonder any of us survived. We coulda broken our necks! ;) :D

[bolil]

When I was a kid you couldn't keep me in. I would wander, whether you liked it or not. Why? Cause I was a kid, and kids are curious. I still enjoy a good wander sesh. Power Walk Air Tag?!?!?! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAhahahAHAHhahahHAAHAHAHA.

[brandon]

I was all over the neighborhood by myself by the time I was like 7 or 8. I lived in a safe quiet suburban place though, I guess an apartment complex might be a little different.

[Dr.3D]

Wow, Mr. & Mrs. Cleaver would be locked up for letting Wallie and the Beaver camp out in the backyard all night.

[Kluge]

I could not imagine my childhood without playing Border guards,Mosque and building bunkers outside ( if you can call stolen bricks connected with mud inside a bush a bunker ).Every summer day I would get out at around 10-11 get back only for lunch or if my parent needed me to buy something ( man I hated being called back for that ) and finally come home at around 21 to watch TV

Border guards, Mosque? Building bunkers? No cops & robbers? Cowboys & indians? And you got back at 21 o'clock?

You had a strange childhood--don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Kluge]

Me neighbor lets there 18 month old play out front on the sidewalk unattended.

For some reason I read this with an Irish accent. :D

[oyarde]

Border guards, Mosque? Building bunkers? No cops & robbers? Cowboys & indians? And you got back at 21 o'clock?

You had a strange childhood--don't let anyone tell you otherwise. He is in the Balkans I think :)

[tangent4ronpaul]

Border guards, Mosque? Building bunkers? No cops & robbers? Cowboys & indians? And you got back at 21 o'clock?

You had a strange childhood--don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Army brat - obviously...

-t

[Kluge]

He is in the Balkans I think :)

Ohhhhhhhhhh...I'm such a small-minded American. :p

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

When I was less than 10 I could basically go as far as I could ride my bike and still make it back in time for supper.


Yep... at 7, I was free to disappear into the woods all day. It was still a rather populated area and usually had a friend with me, but that was how I preferred it.



Me neighbor lets there 18 month old play out front on the sidewalk unattended. Cops get called every week. Hopefully they get locked up soon.



Yeah, there's a certain point where something like that concerns me, but I still wouldn't call cops.

[kah13176]

Yep... at 7, I was free to disappear into the woods all day. It was still a rather populated area and usually had a friend with me, but that was how I preferred it.


Exactly my story, but I was like 5. I could disappear for the entire day, sun up to sun down.

[heavenlyboy34]

When I was a kid you couldn't keep me in. I would wander, whether you liked it or not. Why? Cause I was a kid, and kids are curious. I still enjoy a good wander sesh. Power Walk Air Tag?!?!?! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAhahahAHAHhahahHAAHAHAHA.
Whereabouts did you live? I did that a lot when I lived in the midwest for a while. But here in the desert suburbs it's harder to wander around.

[TheTexan]

Get the hell out of the Cities.

Sounds like advice on how to survive a zombie apocalypse... which isn't too far from the truth...

[ZENemy]

I was already walking to the mall ALONE when I was 12.

[green73]

I was running all over town from at least age 7.

[heavenlyboy34]

I was already walking to the mall ALONE when I was 12.
It strikes me as odd that this has become uncommon. :eek: