On Apr 27, 11:53*am, "gloria.p" > wrote:
> barbie gee wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010, Stu wrote:
> >> .....and the kids were safe to play and run all day, usually ending up
> >> at a friends place for lunch, they played outside from morning to
> >> night. *It's not safe for the kids to do something like that now.
>
> > we've only convinced ourselves it's "not safe".
>
> Where do you live? *Not many places are still safe to turn kids loose.
>
> Do you read the newspaper? *It was very safe in my children's day.
> Not today. *There are too many people out there searching for kids
> to molest and feeling entitled to do so.
>
> gloria p

Gloria, I have to disagree with you. We hear about more creepy things
happening to kids nowadays, but my DD would take off on her bike for
hours at a time, sometimes with other kids, sometimes alone. We live
near a busy secondary road, near malls and shopping areas. I don't
recommend shoving 5 year olds out the door for an all day romp, but by
10, many children have a reasonable sense of safe conduct, between
what they learn at school and home, that they can head out to play
without constant supervision.

At least nowadays, we teach them the difference between respecting
their elders and running screaming from "funny uncles and aunts."

maxine in ri