General Discussion

violetpastille

(1,483 posts)

35. My daughter is 15

Wed Jan 9, 2019, 07:07 PM

Jan 2019

After 9/11 Millennials really started trying to control their childrens' environments to a degree that is unprecedented in history. Now I see the women my age who wouldn't FORCE their kids to go to the corner store alone, encouraging them to be independent; now raising young women who are in some ways the pets of the mother. Or security blankets.

"I don't want her to leave home. She's my best friend. I make home so nice so she won't leave me."

These poor girls miss a lot of school.

High School used to be something other than a grind to get into college to get a job to pay your debts to work 80 hour weeks to..being young isn't what it was. The kids have a lot of anxiety.

tldr; I'm lucky I got in under the wire, generationally. I didn't pass on a lot of fear to my daughter. But it's environmental. It's in the air.

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Does this depress you? When did it start??? (kids can't walk home from school alone). [View all] LAS14 Jan 2019 OP

There are too many pedophilers and child abductions to let them walk home alone. backabby-blue Jan 2019 #1

There really aren't any more than when we were growing up. It's just that with the national news pnwmom Jan 2019 #13

Are there really more than there used to be? Mariana Jan 2019 #18

I was a latch key kid in the 70's backabby-blue Jan 2019 #23

So, do you think there are more now than there used to be? Mariana Jan 2019 #38

I'm not sure but .... backabby-blue Jan 2019 #50

Where in the heck was that? nt fleabiscuit Jan 2019 #76

Los Angeles California backabby-blue Jan 2019 #80

It happens more than you think. backabby-blue Jan 2019 #81

Flashers and pervs have been around a long time. haele Jan 2019 #86

I live in Portland and was riveted to developments Mme. Defarge Jan 2019 #28

I agree with you. Terri is Guilty as sin backabby-blue Jan 2019 #53

Since I'm not "au courent" Mme. Defarge Jan 2019 #61

I don't believe he was either. backabby-blue Jan 2019 #64

Non-custodial childhood abduction and / or sexual assault is on the decline, not rise. n/t X_Digger Jan 2019 #47

Nonsense. cwydro Jan 2019 #49

Nearly all pedophiles that abuse children are in the child's family or close in another way. alphafemale Jan 2019 #56

I spent my college years as an afterschool caregiver crazycatlady Jan 2019 #2

I remember walking home from school in a group when I was in first grade. haele Jan 2019 #3

I'm 61. MicaelS Jan 2019 #4

Whoa. 3 miles took, what 50 minutes or an hour. That's a lot for a little one 🙂 MLAA Jan 2019 #85

I feel like a complete idiot... MicaelS Jan 2019 #93

It happens all the time...when you revisit someplace you haven't seen since you were a kid. MLAA Jan 2019 #94

Another thing.... MicaelS Jan 2019 #95

I walked home in elementary school. luvs2sing Jan 2019 #5

I walked to kindergarten zipplewrath Jan 2019 #6

My kids walked home from school when they had friends LeftInTX Jan 2019 #7

I remember there being a large yellow vehicle anarch Jan 2019 #8

Times are different. I'm in Massachusetts too. Croney Jan 2019 #9

It makes me a little sad, too. aikoaiko Jan 2019 #10

I grew up in a semi-rural area several miles from my elementary school. Tommy_Carcetti Jan 2019 #11

Here in suburban central FL kids are walking and biking all over Roland99 Jan 2019 #12

I walked to kindergarten by myself Ohiogal Jan 2019 #14

Me too exactly as you stated. no_hypocrisy Jan 2019 #52

I live in the same neighborhood I went to elementary school hibbing Jan 2019 #15

"I don't know what families with both parents working do..." Totally Tunsie Jan 2019 #41

Not every one lives close to their parents. Revanchist Jan 2019 #45

My grandchildren are in after-school programs, and my daughter works 70% time. pnwmom Jan 2019 #66

This Seattle suburb still encourages walking to school, and so do other districts. pnwmom Jan 2019 #16

Glad to hear this!!! I hope more school districts follow their lead!!! nt LAS14 Jan 2019 #70

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the walking school bus program for grade schoolers. nt tblue37 Jan 2019 #74

When I was in primary school... TygrBright Jan 2019 #17

i am glad i grew up free range. helmetless. latch key. pre internets. pansypoo53219 Jan 2019 #19

Helmetless isn't in the same category as the others. There's no downside to wearing a helmet pnwmom Jan 2019 #21

None? cannabis_flower Jan 2019 #27

If the collar reliably works, fine. But helmets have been saving lives for decades. It wasn't pnwmom Jan 2019 #29

According to the article cannabis_flower Jan 2019 #30

It is up to individual school districts to decide. Caliman73 Jan 2019 #20

Why is it depressing? Things change. WhiskeyGrinder Jan 2019 #22

It's bad for the environment and bad for children's growing bodies, pnwmom Jan 2019 #32

Using "kids don't walk to school" as a stand-in for "capitalism is forcing people into unhappy WhiskeyGrinder Jan 2019 #37

I think you answered your own question. FiveGoodMen Jan 2019 #42

Yeah, I guess I don't see it as "depressing." WhiskeyGrinder Jan 2019 #44

I See It RobinA Jan 2019 #67

It's depressing because walking home from school was a really enriching experience. nt LAS14 Jan 2019 #71

This message was self-deleted by its author elocs Jan 2019 #24

My mother grew up in Europe spinbaby Jan 2019 #25

That might have still been going on in Germany and other countries much more recently. pnwmom Jan 2019 #33

Interesting spinbaby Jan 2019 #46

What we had is called a "Free Range Childhood" these days Ron Obvious Jan 2019 #26

Never had a parent pick me up or take me to school in my life. milestogo Jan 2019 #31

I think stranger danger is overblown TexasBushwhacker Jan 2019 #34

they used to post kids addresses on 70s cable access shows pstokely Jan 2019 #88

My daughter is 15 violetpastille Jan 2019 #35

We walked to school. Polly Hennessey Jan 2019 #36

I walked to and from school... taking a shortcut across a cemetery and through some woods.* NurseJackie Jan 2019 #39

A large number of kids walk/bike around here Retrograde Jan 2019 #40

The 24 hour news cycle has got us collectively paranoid. GulfCoast66 Jan 2019 #43

My kid's elementary school was 4 blocks away. They walked. Tracer Jan 2019 #48

I agree with you. I think it's sad. yardwork Jan 2019 #51

I think it's an example of how fearful our society has become. Guns play right in to this. jalan48 Jan 2019 #54

depresses me handmade34 Jan 2019 #55

Small town FL, 1956-69....walked or rode bike to three different schools every day dameatball Jan 2019 #57

I take my daughter to and from school every day Nonhlanhla Jan 2019 #58

In the state of Michigan trixie2 Jan 2019 #59

I live in WI, and the kids here walk to and from school. The kids were also allowed to walk Luciferous Jan 2019 #60

When I was in 3rd grade in Germany I caught the Doreen Jan 2019 #62

I rode the bus, or a parent sometimes picked me up The Genealogist Jan 2019 #63

Former free range kid Mr. Quackers Jan 2019 #65

Free Range Kid Here RobinA Jan 2019 #69

I lost two friends when I was in grade school who were taken on their way home... cynatnite Jan 2019 #68

Oh, wow. But that's got to be the exception!! What kind of environment was it? LAS14 Jan 2019 #75

Suburb... cynatnite Jan 2019 #89

I had a classmate in the fifth-grade was abducted... Dave Starsky Jan 2019 #92

My story geralmar Jan 2019 #72

My nephew is in 6th grade Texasgal Jan 2019 #73

Can you tell me what in my OP is confusing? I'll try to clarify. nt LAS14 Jan 2019 #90

I work in a school Phoenix61 Jan 2019 #77

Walked to and from school from K-12 grade aeromanKC Jan 2019 #78

Walking is not necessarily safe cvoogt Jan 2019 #79

I walked to the babysitter house after school starting in 1st grade Horse with no Name Jan 2019 #82

explanation of modern parenting... American parents are 100% responsible for the kids, unlike the Demovictory9 Jan 2019 #83

I lived in DC going through school Ahpook Jan 2019 #84

what about kids who can't get free bus service? pstokely Jan 2019 #87

I'm 73 years old. I started walking to school in kindergarten. MineralMan Jan 2019 #91