It is now illegal...

[Gummi Bear]

To let your children play outside:

http://reason.com/blog/2014/09/15/child-services-to-mom-who-did-nothing-wr

I am beside myself. Mrs read this article to me while I was getting ready for work this morning. Neither one of us can wrap our brain around the mentality that this whole article is written about. Someone else who thinks they know more about raising your child than you do, and if you don't agree, they call the law, and criminalize you.

Unfreakinbelievable.

[Tuffbroadhead]

Given the details of the story..

6yr old playing down the street from his house and left alone....iffy...

Personally I would not let a 6yr old play outside alone in a city down the street from my house..

[npe001]

That is crazy! What is wrong with this World?

[Dirtymike]

For the most part it is none of my business how someone else raises their child. I personally would not allow my 6 year old to be across the street while I was inside watching tv, or laundry or whatever else might be more important than assuring my child is safe. But that is just me. I dont trust people. Too many kids taken, lost, or come up missing. Not mine, not if i can help it. I make the time to spend at the park with my children. What gets me is when I am playing with my kids at the park and other kids are wanting me to push them on the swing, help them get up the slide, and just chat telling me look what i can do..., 30 min later momma comes up and grabs little suzy and hurriedly tells her to come over here, giving me ugly looks. I am like lady if you would of been watching your child you would of seen me playing with your kids for 30 min. I am big ugly and hairy, if you did not know me you would not want me playing with your kids based on looks. I am fine with that, you can judge my ugly mug all you want, but dont get mad when you finally notice your angel is playing with the big ugly hairy dude and his kids on the swing set.

Short version, a 6 year old has no business being outside unsupervised in public. They can play in the back yard but i can assure you i am peeking out the window often to make sure they are still there.

There are sickos out there, everywhere!!! I will do my best to protect my child from them.

[Reaper33]

Given the details of the story..

6yr old playing down the street from his house and left alone....iffy...

Personally I would not let a 6yr old play outside alone in a city down the street from my house..

based on what details. I read 150 yards down the street in a neighborhood. You wouldn't let you kids play 150 yards away? Seriously? I would assume you stayed right by the house then as a kid and never went farther than the front yard...

[AntlerCollector]

Worlds changed a lot just since I was a kid. Played outside everyday growing up!

[Tbar]

Back in the day mom wanted us OUT of the house so we played outside all day. Didn't matter where we went as long as we were home for dinner.

[AJ the TP Guru]

The Police Blotter, a regular feature of the Elgin Courier Weekly, stated last week that ... caller stated that a 7 yr. old child was playing outside without supervision. Responding officer asked the child where he lived, and he said, here. Shortly, the boy's aunt drove up, and the officer "advised" her.

Since this happened on my street, I figure the caller was the same busybody who called the cops on me a few years back. I'd butchered a hog, and some of the blood was still on the driveway pavement from when I removed the carcass from the vehicle. Responding officer said he couldn't tell me who the complainant was, but that they thought I might've dismembered my wife and transported her body somewhere.

[Dirtymike]

based on what details. I read 150 yards down the street in a neighborhood. You wouldn't let you kids play 150 yards away? Seriously? I would assume you stayed right by the house then as a kid and never went farther than the front yard...

When I was 6? **** skippy- past the drive way and it was whippen time.
Do you trust a 6 year old to not run out infront of a car?
Do you trust a 6 year old to know not to take candy from a stranger?
Do you trust a 6 year old to not pick up a used seringe ( needle ) they found in the play ground?
Do you trust them to not wonder off following a dog, or to stay away from an animal that could be a stray?

Sorry a 6 year old, no sir, I do not trust a 6 year old. I sure dont trust society. Lucky that lady did not take him to her home. Perfect example, the child went with the woman. There was no stranger danger screamed......

Do what you want with your kids. I will protect mine. I have the time.

[Tuffbroadhead]

based on what details. I read 150 yards down the street in a neighborhood. You wouldn't let you kids play 150 yards away? Seriously? I would assume you stayed right by the house then as a kid and never went farther than the front yard...

6 yrs old.....think about that for a while

[elkbowhunter]

Worlds changed a lot just since I was a kid. Played outside everyday growing up!

Same here...its amazing how things have gotten so off center. In this day and time leaving kids unattended at a young age is probably not wise. At 6 years old thats a no brainer. They sure are not mature enough to play in a city suburb street with cars speeding by. Different world out there today. NUTS. Now we have figure at what age do we let kids play outside? Life is way too complicated.

[bowhuntntxn]

Where does the blog post infer that it is illegal to allow a child to play outside? So this lady has an over achieving busy body neighbor that needs to mind her own business.

And i am sure the police and cps were following protocol. Why read more into the blog post than is there?

[Avezorak]

My daughter is 11. She doesnt play out of mine or my wifes sight. And we live in a decent neighborhood. Too many sickos running loose.

At 6 years old. No way. Blows my mind seeing kinder and first graders walking a mile or more to school alone. Sorry. Not ok IMO

[bwssr]

used to walk to the bus stop on Saturday morning..ride to the indoor cinema..watch 2 movies, then ride the bus home...when I was in kindergarten....

[TxDispatcher]

That is NUTS!!!

And before anyone decides to play judge, I think there are definitely some parents who should pay closer attention to their kids. I'm not saying every parent is supermom or superdad and doesn't need to be more attentive. But sheesh! Let kids be kids to the utmost extent that they can be these days! Gone are the days of my youth, where we would be gone for hours at a time, and mom didn't worry. But you have to allow your kids to learn freedom a small piece at a time. If you keep them hemmed up inside all day every day, they could end up living in fear inside your house the rest of their lives! Let them grow as much as they can, as often as they can, so that they can learn their limitations

P.S. I'm darn glad that we live where I can let my kids run and play and not worry about this crapola anymore. My boys would rather be outside with their pellet guns in hand, being "snipers" and taking out the "enemy"

P.S.S. If a parent isn't ACTIVELY WATCHING a young child, then they're not aware of the sickos and pervs who dwell among us. I guess I should have clarified that. The "letting kids learn to the extent they can" is while keeping a "secret" eye on them at 5, 6, 7 years of age. Just wanted to clear that up