This comment from a young viewer of the video (YouTube comment) sums it up nicely:
S[…]H[…] 5 months ago
The degree of paranoia in our society today is bringing kids up to be extremely dependent and sheltered. Do you want to know how I probably have matured the most? By doing things without my parents. I’m 17, and I leave the *state* on a regular basis (~60 miles by train) with zero adult supervision (I’ve been doing it for a year and a half now). Clearly, I didn’t get mugged/abducted/murdered, but it helped teach me independence- something that you really should learn sooner or later…
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The fact is, crime rates are down today (the streets are NOT more dangerous) and even if you are around your kids 100% of the time, there is still no guarantee that your kids will be “safe.”
Some of the most notorious abductions and/or child murders happened when parents/grandparents were home and children were taken from their own bedrooms:
Naturally, common sense should prevail and the environment, nature/personality/”street smarts” of the children, etc. should all play a part in how much freedom one’s children should have. Parents also need to role-play with their kids and explain the many different worst-case scenarios they might experience and help them determine what the best actions would be if they encounter unsavory characters or dangerous situations.
But how many of us look back on our childhood and think: “Gosh, those days spent with mom and dad watching my every move were the best of times!” Probably very few of us would want to change anything about our free and adventurous childhoods. It’s a shame that many parents won’t extend the same consideration to their own kids today. Kids should be allowed to earn age-appropriate freedom, IMHO.
