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Tomorrow is “Take Your Kids to Park and Leave Them There Day”
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Lenore Skenazy’s proposed Take Your Kids to the Park and Leave Them There Day. The Free Range Kids advocate is urging parents of children over the age of 7 to take them to a public park and leave them there alone. Unattended. Unsupervised. Untethered from mom and dad.
Tomorrow, May 22, is the appointed day and lots of people are freaking out. While some predict arrests for those who leave their kids unsupervised, others warn of mass child abductions. The father of murdered 12-year-old Polly Klass says the whole thing is a “knuckledheaded” idea and many in the media seem to agree. Skenazy herself is preparing for the possiblity that something bad will happen to someone’s child and she will be blamed.
But, on the other side of the coin are those who think that maybe it is time to lighten up and let our kids roam a little. As Skenazy says, “children, like chickens, deserve a life outside the cage.”
Some of us here at Strollerderby have decided to give it a go tomorrow. We might feel a little nervous about it, but we will push through. We will take our children to the park and leave them there alone for a little while. What about you? Are you ready to ready to put your fears aside — even for just fifteen minutes — to let your child out of the cage?
Image: wolfpix/Flickr
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13 Comments
[...] Tomorrow is “Take Your Kids to the Park and Leave Them There Day” [...]
Researchers Discover Families are Messy and Stressy | Strollerderby commented on May 24 10 at 11:03 amEmily commented on May 21 10 at 3:32 pmMy child is 4 months old and therefor never left anywhere alone unless he’s sleeping. However, I went to the park unattended as a child and I see no reason why he shouldn’t either…in several years.
Have fun tomorrow!
Brandi commented on May 21 10 at 4:47 pmMy daughter is 3, but if she was 7 I would probably let her stay with a friend by herself alone. It does depend upon her maturity level at that age. Even at 3 I sit back on a bench & let her do her thing. I only get involved if it looks like she’s going to steal another child’s toys. I don’t think I’ll let my child have as much “free-range” as I did as a child since we live in an area with more traffic, but I do feel parents are way too controlling of their child’s actions.
DeerMama commented on May 21 10 at 5:34 pmNo way! 7 is just too young for me. I’m in no hurry to have my child grow up. There are other ways I can help her find autonomy. But leaving a 7 year old alone in the park feels very scary to me and I’m the Mommy.
DeerMama commented on May 21 10 at 5:47 pmAnd let me add that these free range kids are the ones that I end up having to parent whilst I am there with my 2 year old. These are the kids who fall and I end up having to comfort. These are the kids who roughly take over the playground from the smaller kids and have no adult figure guiding them. Oh yeah and these are also the kids who want in on the snacks I have packed for my toddler. Free range or neglected. I am positive it differs from child to child but I am also sure that many parents are delusional when it comes to their child’s maturity.
GtothemfckinP commented on May 21 10 at 7:21 pmYep, I hear you DeerMama!
carefree childhood commented on May 21 10 at 8:17 pmBy 7 kids should be able to be at the playground, not alone but with friends. They should know better than the bug strangers for snacks, pick on smaller kids and want to be comforted by a stranger unless they are really seriously hurt (ie in need of an ambulance). I do agree with you, it differs from child to child but I think must 7 year olds could handle it in the right circumstances.
LindaLou commented on May 21 10 at 8:26 pmMy older kids (13 & 10) are allowed to ride their bikes to the park and play with their friends there. We won’t be doing that tomorrow though because one child has volunteer work to do and the other has a birthday party to attend. They’ll just go another day. It’s silly to live in fear.
Laure68 commented on May 21 10 at 11:31 pmI have no problem with people determining when their kid is ready to go out without mom and dad. However, I do think it is irresponsible for this women to be encouraging parents to do this. (btw, I find her extremely annoying in general.) Not every kid is ready at 7. I can see parents thinking this is a cool, trendy thing to do, without making sure their kids are really ready. And as some others have said, it would be better for them to go with a group of friends. (And more fun for them, really.)
Lia commented on May 23 10 at 5:15 pmNo. I lean far more towards free range than helicopter, but I do not think my child is ready for this. Watching my (newly) 8 year old play in the park while I read a book on a nearby bench? Sure. I don’t even have to be within close reach, but I do want to be able to see him and hear him shout if necessary. I fully agree that in all likelihood he’d be completely fine and he would be more than happy to do it. Predators are not my fear, but getting hurt or making a stupid decision (let’s go exploring near the near water! or getting distracted while crossing the road) are. He has the maturity of an 8 year old. Most of the time he’s fine, but he still needs a little guidance with safety issues.
Jane commented on May 24 10 at 2:27 pmPlease don’t leave your kids alone in the park until you are absolutely sure that they have the maturity and wherewithal to know if they’re being buttered up by a pedophile, and then to run like hell. Oh, and give them somewhere to run, since you won’t be there. My son is 13 now and free range, but when he was preschool and elementary age, and the playgrounds of NYC were his backyard–always accompanied by an adult–on at least three occassions I or other parents had to ask creepy grownups who wouldn’t stop hanging around our kids to leave. Pedophiles hang around playgrounds. I would never have thought this was true till I saw it with my own eyes. Adults who hang around playgrounds unaccompanied by a child and continually try to touch your child and won’t leave them alone when you ask? I hate to think what would have happened to my son if I had not been there. Men who continually photograph children after being asked many times to stop? Pedophiles hang around “Seal Park” in Chelsea, Union Square playground, the big discovery playground in southern Central Park near the climbing rock and carousel. Please don’t leave your kids alone in the playground. One of my friends left her four-year-old alone for a few minutes and came back to the park to find that she wasn’t there. She had wandered off and we found her three or four blocks away. Some people assume that when they leave the park, the other parents will automatically take over supervision of their children, but unless you ask no one knows that the responsibility has shifted. City playgrounds are wonderful places for kids to play with other kids, but sadly there are a few too many guys out there who don’t seem to understand that kids aren’t sex objects. You don’t have to be a helicopter parent, but please keep your eye on your kids.
Sara commented on May 24 10 at 9:30 pmI agree that we have become a generation of over protective parents …. and leaving our kids in the park at the age of 7 l would also agree should be a parents decision based on level of maturity. However to have a day where we advertise nationally that our kids are alone in parks is completely irresponsible and ridiculous. There isn’t a chance l would leave my precious children alone in a park tomorrow and take the chance that some sicko has seen this as an opportunity to do something horrible. Creating a day is simply a disaster waiting to happen and as a parent l can only hope nothing terrible happens. There are better ways to cut the apron strings and this is not it!!!
Bev commented on May 21 12 at 10:33 pmI agree with Sara. This is insane to advertise a day to leave your children alone in a park. Is this woman crazy? I watch her show “Bubble Wrapped Kids” sometimes and although she has good points and advice for overprotective parents….this is beyond stupid. How would she feel if one (or more) of the kids were kidnapped and murdered? Get a grip Lenore.
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