I picked up my grandsons (7 and 8) at school again today.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. We moved a lot when I was a kid, in the 50's.

the FIRST thing my brother and I did was hop on the bikes and explore the new area.

Caveats: We lived in a lot of smaller towns, mostly, altho the last move was to a town of 55,000.
We were totally free range, the only rule was to come home before it got dark, which, in the summer, was 8 pm or later.

"Don't talk to strangers" was the earliest warning I remember, when I was 5, and walking to kindergarten.
It changed to strangers and cars when I was 9, but same thing.
I am now wondering if my brother, 2 years younger than me, was given the same warning.

I do not remember hearing any stories/news about child abductions, except for the stranger warnings, and those had no detail, just the one sentence.

I do understand the many changes that have led to parents being worried about their kids in today's society, and I worry about how those kids are gonna develop, after being told they could be murdered in a school room, or while walking the streets, esp.in cities like Chicago.

the worst anxiety I remember was having to hide under a school desk during nuke drill, because something called communist wanted to blow us up.