My friend and I got a talking to by a security guard the other day because our children (aged 6-8) were unsupervised outside the library... in a safe grassed area between the library and the playground, away from the carpark, and in full view because of the glass windows. We were in the process of packing up our stuff and our younger kids to join them.
It's so hard to give our kids more independence! Not because I'm afraid of my kids getting hurt, lost, or abducted. But because I'm afraid of well-meaning people telling them off (it's happened when my 5 year walked home from the park, 3 houses away and a stranger stopped their car to ask him where his parent was), calling the police, or otherwise meddling. I know what my kids are capable of, but I can rarely give them that independence. It's so sad
Ooof this is one I have thoughts on.
My friend and I got a talking to by a security guard the other day because our children (aged 6-8) were unsupervised outside the library... in a safe grassed area between the library and the playground, away from the carpark, and in full view because of the glass windows. We were in the process of packing up our stuff and our younger kids to join them.
It's so hard to give our kids more independence! Not because I'm afraid of my kids getting hurt, lost, or abducted. But because I'm afraid of well-meaning people telling them off (it's happened when my 5 year walked home from the park, 3 houses away and a stranger stopped their car to ask him where his parent was), calling the police, or otherwise meddling. I know what my kids are capable of, but I can rarely give them that independence. It's so sad
I enjoyed reading this and have had many similar thoughts and feelings.