Is Free-Range Parenting a Good Idea? 

There needs to be a balance. Don't be a helicopter mom but don't let your kids do anything they want.

This seems fine, but i watched another news clip about free range kids where the mom didn't send their kids to school and instead let them choose what they learn (or don't learn) everyday. That I don't agree with. Letting your own kids walk home by themselves is not negligent to me.

As a non -American this seems reeeally weird. Here Kids go to the Playground on their own all the time or take the bus when they are about 6-7 years old. Nobody would freak out about this.

I don’t think she’s the “worst” mom that’s extreme

Born and raised in Norway: “free range” is regular parenting here. At least when I was growing up and I’m only (soon) 17 so🤷🏻‍♂️

Overprotection also causes a lot of damage

If they are together I don't see it being too big of an issue. I was an overly paranoid parent and now my 18 year old struggles a little with being independent. I wish I had met in the middle.

What the USA calls free-range parenting in this video, is the normal parenting around the world. A parent doesn't have to constantly be there. As soon as the child is old enough, it can walk home alone from school, even if it is a mile away. No, don't get into a fit: I know there are some neighborhoods, that are not safe because of weird/aggressive people or because of traffic. But those are not the rule. There is nothing wrong with an eight year old going for three blocks from the house to buy some forgotten rice, while mommy is cooking. Pretending it is wrong, is absolutely rediculous and a sign of helicopter parenting, which is one of the worst ways of parenting, next to abuse. Now, some people call allowing your child to do whatever it wants when it wants it, also free-ranging. But that is something else completely. That is neglect, which is horrible for children as well. Kids need some guidelines and some rules to thrive. It teaches them to take responsibility for their actions from an early age on. To withhold that from them, is lack of parenting instead of another kind of parenting. To withhold schooling from children is sometimes called free-ranging as well and thus gets confused with allowing kids to go walk for a few blocks too. Unschooling is a dumb trend and not even a new one. The seventies in Europe were filled with such experiments and it didn't work out that well for most children, so people returned to proper parenting and proper education again. But I guess some parents didn't learn such valuable information and are repeating mistakes made by former generations. Since wrong parenting can really damage children and their chances in life, I advocate for formally teaching children some basic skills for raising a family. Say in forth grade and eight grade. Most of them will one day do it themselves. To learn from good and bad examples of others can save many kids a lot of hurtful experiences later in life.

I'm in my 50s. When I was a kid we all walked to school (starting in kindergarten). I think the bigger danger today is that kids are over weight and over dependent.

No. The answer is no. If free range just means able to play outside by themselves, fine, but too often it means no rules. If it means no bedtime, no alarm clocks, no vegetables and no school, it's a bad idea.

wtf, does someone thing 8 or 11 is too young to cross the street alone

"Boy boils egg" 😂😂😂😂

I grew up with a free range mom and helicopter dad. Not to mention my dad verbally and emotionally abused me while helicopter parenting me. Let me tell you, being with my dad as a kid was like being with a prison guard. I will be 21 in a month and haven’t spoken to him for nine moths. My mom and I are still close. So people, if you don’t want your children to loathe you, treat them respectfully and not like slaves. Take it from someone who’s been through it.

They're not that young especially at 11 years old! HE is definitely old enough to go out alone!

I agree with letting children Make their own decisions and allowing them to make mistakes. However it's about thinking about the risk, there are mistakes you can't afford for them to make such as falling off scaffolding and breaking your back or misjudging the traffic and being hit by a car.

So to protect the kids from being kidnapped the police kidnapped them?...What is wrong with the world...

I have a helicopter parent, and while this does look appealing to my inner kid who *wishes* this is how I was raised, my grown self is seeing that there needs to be a middle. Don’t just let them go out into the world unprepared, but don’t helicopter them.

There needs to be a healthy middle imo. Don’t be strict but also don’t let your kid wander off and do whatever they want.

Try telling this to a Latina mom. I'm 21, and she refuses to let me go. 💀

I live in Bulgaria, Eastern Europe. It's maybe not the safest place but I started using the bus daily when I was 8 for 45 minute ride two times a day just by myself. Basically going through half the city i live in. Guess what? Im alive lol. Parents should absolutely control their kids but also let them do stuff by themselves

An 11 year old is old enough to take responsibility for his younger sister. In Africa there are children as young as twelve who are now the heads of their family responsible for younger siblings because their parents have died of Aids. I used to walk to school and home again from the age of 6. My junior school was just around the corner from our house so it was perfectly safe. I have heard of parents who were investigated by CPS because a neighbour complained that the children were playing in their own, fenced back yard without supervision For heavens sake how pathetic can you get. Their mother was at home she could keep an eye on them. When I was a kid we had several trees in our yard that I used to climb all the time. No doubt today we would have been taken into care because my mother allowed us to climb trees.

America is the safest it's been in a long time. People still get kidnapped and killed and raped, its an everyday sad reality but you can't live your life in constant fear, People have died tripping and breaking their neck on the coffee table in the comfort and saftey of their own home. If death is out to get you, you gon die. Kids of helicopter parents have still been kidnapped, so watching your kids every move isn't always going to protect them. anyway, there is no one right way of raising kids. Everyone needs to stop freaking out everytime someone raises kids differently.

In 2002, “free range parenting” was known as “I’m going outside, mom!”

A couple of generations ago there were lots of children playing outside, walking home etc etc so it was safer. They looked out for each other and they knew what the boundaries were. It's just not like that anymore unfortunately.

You know what, I grew up with a helicopter parent and sometimes I absolutely hated my mom for it! However, looking back I am so thankful that my parents gave me structure & kept me safe. You will have your whole life to be “free-range” please keep your kids safe.

I’m in my late 20’s and I walked EVERYWHERE. Walked home from school with other neighbor kids and went home and waited for my mom to get off work. Always played outside and came home when the streetlights came on. This isn’t ancient. Now every kid needs a cell phone and fit bit to keep track of em 24/7. It’s crazy. But it’s where we are. We need a better balance.

This is great. I am a free range mother. There is nothing wrong with teaching our children independence and how to be safe on their own. Its called prepping to be an adult.

Haha, when I was a kid I used to take a bus or go wherever I wanted (in Japan). It's such a pity kids are not allowed to roam around in the US... Let the kid take the subway, I don't think Manhattan is that dangerous - there are a plenty of people.

I didn’t realize how bad this was and how many parents are helicopter parents. I can remember vividly my mom telling me to watch my brother and to be home before the streetlights come on. I was 10 and he was 7, and we were fearless. No one called CPS, no one asked if we needed help. And there was kids we played with. It was an amazing time

I think the big issue here is not knowing the community. Back in the day most people knew most of their neighbors. Everybody watched out for each other. Today people can live on a block for over ten years and not know who is living next to them.

I'm swiss and i went to kindergarden alone or with a friend at like age 4... In school everyone came by bike. In the winter, it is dark in the morning when you come and at about 5 o clock it's already dark; so even in like 3rd grade there were times when it was dark and i went home or to school.

There needs to be a good balance between freedom and overprotection when it comes to kids. I didn't ride the train alone until I was 18. At that time I had to beg my parents to let me do it. We had lived in the suburbs our whole lives and at the time, we lived forty minutes outside of Chicago. My parents were really scared for me to go on the train. I told them it made no sense that I couldn't go alone because my 16 year old friend took herself to basketball practice all the way on the south side. They finally agreed because they realized it was unfair seeing as though I was going to college soon. There was a train station outside of my high school that ran all the way to the city. The moral of the story is, you don't have to wait until your kids are 18 to let them ride the train, but at the same time, don't let your young kids fall from scaffolding.

People freak out when they see an 11 year old walking down a busy street with his little sister in broad daylight? They're holding hands and crossing the road very carefully. But looking at the story of the cops locking up the kids who were walking back from the playground by themselves is shocking. They were way out of line and can you imagine how traumatised the children must have been? The police is there to protect, not scare children.

Bring back the sixties. Great times! We were all free range.

all fun and games until they get kidnapped....a 6yo walking alone on the streets? No!

The thing I worry about the most is disgusting child predators. Freaks that seek kids. I'm all for letting a child be independent, but there has to be a line drawn.

I keep hearing the argument "let the kids do whatever they want" and it is taken out of context. Because these parents are being responsible and teaching their kids to be responsible. Then they put them to the "test" on using what the parents teach them...responsibility, accountability and self worth

I completely agree with this woman.... thats how I raised my daughter and she is a healthy happy 23 yr old now.

My parents weren't free range but they also weren't helicopter parents. They would give me and my brothers more freedom depending on trust and responsibility. Me and my brothers would do tons of crazy stuff and my parents never told us to stop. As I got older I was allowed to go on walks with my older brothers and go to the store with them to. Now I'm allowed to go all around my neighbor hood, go in to stores alone, and go to events alone. And I'm 13. I know it's not that free range but it's free range compared to other kids my age. Free range parenting is a great idea to give kids freedom, but with some restrictions and trust of course ☺

Though child abduction may be rare it's still possible. No one ever thinks it could happen to them until it does.

Free-range parenting is on the rise, but there's backlash. Meet the 'World's Worst Mom'.

I'm latina and since i was 5 i took the bus by myself, stayed home alone until my mom and dad came from work and cooked. Nothing bad happend, i was always told by my parents not to go with anyone, if someone calls you dont reply etc...and IM ALIVE

I can relate to all the above. I was born in the 1970s. I'm in England obviously free range is the modern termology for carefree existence. I was fortunate enough to lead a carefree childhood. I grew up in a rural environment and have been very fortunate to be able to maintain my carefree spirit.

I am 13, turning 14 now. I started traveling around the city all by myself when I was 8, I mostly used trolleys and buses back then making more then 30 minute rides all by myself. I live in a huge city and I am a girl, still my parents have a lot of work, so they just let me call them whenever I need help. I first started taking walks own when I was 7, these walks were short but I was all by myself. Now I can navigate perfectly no matter where I go; neither my parents nor me consider this 《Free-range》 parenting: it is just a convenient way for us to live.

Watching this from the perspective of a German is very weird. I'm from a really big town and it's super normal for kids to ride the train/bus etc. I always used to walk to primary school (about 2 kilometers). Nobody would ever call the police about a schoolchild walking to and from school.

Too mant curtain twitchers out there calling the law .

My brother and I (he was 10 and I was 12) took a bus downtown in my city to meet my mum at her work for lunch. We got a ton of strange looks and overheard people make hushed comments as they passed us. It was absolutely ridiculous, my brother biked home from school every day and I went to school in the centre of downtown. People seem so shocked when they see ‘kids’ doing anything remotely independent

Yes! Kids need to educated of the dangers of certain situations. Teach them ways to solve their own issues. I agree with this mom! So many kids my are afraid and unable to do simple things bc they were not raised to be independent

That's the way most of us grew up. Government and these new young nannystate parents need to stay out of it.

I think black kids or children of color in general have to be careful with this sorta thing though because people could think you're getting into trouble when you're just outside playing. I dunno, but I was told to never wear a hoodie, to keep my hands out if my pockets and manage my facial expressions as I walked around the neighborhood. Just incase. My brother and I also introduced ourselves to the neighbors as needed, speaking well and remembering our manners - big ol smile on our faces. It was a predominately white area so..yeah.

suddenly remembered a friend of a friend. I met them when they were in their 20s and they still have a 'yaya' or babysitter that follow them around even as an adult. my friend told me that friend doesn't know how to use transportation at all. sad really. not allowed to move an inch without someone watching over them. that is an extreme example I know. I know a daughter that is joined to the hip to her mother and the only time they are of sight is when she is at school or grandma's house. She still feel anxious to use public transport by herself even though she is starting high school. worse her aunts scare her that something bad will happen to her if her mom is not there to there everywhere she goes. luckily her mom is letting her a bit of freedom now. Common sense and teaching our children to use good judgement is better than growing up as adult children. Unless parents are abusing and not providing for their children, strangers or non-family have no say how the parents raised their kid. Also, properly teaching children the hazard of the world is better than wrapping them in a protective wool.

I believe you should give your child the right amount of love, safety, and freedom.

I started taking the subway by myself when I was 9 and so did my sister and my friends. It’s pretty normal to start taking the subway around 9-12 in Brooklyn and that was only 8 years ago.

Children: I wanna skydive without a parachute! Mum: it's ok as long as they're learning from their mistakes

I get their point and they can have their million reasons why they chose to parent this way, but Ultimately others are just concerned for the kids safety... Like imagine hearing you let your kids wonder the streets alone I'm pretty sure your first reaction wouldn't be " wow good for them". It's not easy in a world like this. Even at age 16 I was afraid to be in the streets alone. There must be a balance for sure.

I think kids should learn to be Independent and not rely on their parents but I also think that the risk of letting them do whatever isn’t a good idea

Turn them kids loose! Let them learn and grow!

Um yeah, I watched this playout in real time. Married a woman with 2 previous kids at ages 3 and 5. She never disciplined, allowed them to do whatever, trash the house, trash everything, skip school, no set bedtime, and allowing anything to eat. Now at ages 14 and 16 they don't go to school, lay in their rooms on their phones watching inappropriate content, tell her to eff off is she asks them to do anything, and basically turned them into wastes of life and will be living at home forever. Needless to say, I walked away and never looked back.

I dont think that she is crazy tbh. My mother is a single parent and growing up, she taught us to travel, to cook, to take basic care of ourselves just in case something was to happen to her starting around 8... I think it is a healthy thing to teach your child independence... you dont know how long you would be around or able to do things so the best thing you can do is teach them basic self sufficiency

My sister and I used to walk going to school by ourselves when I was in the first grade and my sister was in 3rd. We walk about 2 and half to 3 miles to school and then back home everyday. Our parents also taught us to fix our own breakfast, dress up on our uniform and do our own homework. I think they did an awesome job! I came from Asia and this is actually a common thing.

I was 6 when my parents let me take a tram and a bus to go visit my grandparents 25km away. The first time my mother went with me to show me how to get there and from then on I was on my own. It was too early. It all went well but it has caused me quite some stress (will I get off at the right stop?). A year earlier, at 5, they let me go to the bakery in the morning to get breakfast. That was on holiday in France. 7 Streets from where we were staying and in a foreign language. Same here. I did just fine but now, 40 years later, I still remember the stress of forgetting what I was supposed to buy (4 different kinds of things). I'm not unschooled but my parents wanted me to be independant. And I am. If I would have kids I'd wait till the age of 9 or 10....

You can hardly call that lady world worst mom when in literally every other country this practice is COMPLETELY NORMAL!!

I was walking to school as a first grader. School was a quarter mile away. My Jr. High school was about 3 miles. I encountered lots of things I never mentioned to my parents. I learned to handle myself. I am now middle aged.

Ummm he’s 11 years old with his 8 year old sister , they look fine to me crossing the street 🤦🏿‍♀️

There needs to be balance. You can not be over protective, must not helicopter. But you can not let kids run wild with no supervision. When I was a child, I would go places myself, take trams and trains, but my parents also knew what not to let me do. These kids are doomed

As a child, (im 13 now), I would play outside all day and was aloud to go anywhere on our quite, dead end street. I had an amazing childhood because my parents were able to insure that I had both freedom and safty.

Yes , CPS has really got to train people better and learn all ways of parenting and not jerk kids away like that from parents...

I feel like these children will be okay in life, they get out into the world, make mistakes, and correct them. Ive seen similar cases where the kids cant do anything, and can barely speak above a first grade level. Helicopter parenting can be damaging, but so can let you kids run free wherever they want.

The parents are naïve. Yes, children getting kidnapped is a rarity. But as a parent, how can you take the risk of losing your child??

People underestimate the ability of kids. Parents have to know their kids' abilities and level of comfort in trying new things. Getting lost in a store was terrifying for me when I was 4, but I was taking the subway by myself when I was 10. It's very liberating for kids to know they can do things on their own - kind of like how a bicycle can widen a kids' ability to get around without parents. It's probably more of a problem when young kids move in a group where they can get in trouble with their dares and one-upmanship. Nowadays kids have cell phones so parents can even follow their kids with GPS.

I grew up in Silver Springs, MD in the 80s and we would walk through neighborhoods and across major highways unsupervised to get to the mall. Granted we were in groups, but us 9-12 year olds would be gone for hours, no cell phones or beepers. Thankfully we never had any trouble.

They say it’s safer and less crime now but is it “safer” because people started taking more precautions so there was less opportunity for bad things to happen so crime went down?? Genuine question.

They remind me of the children in Japan who take themselves to school like it was such a shock to see 6 yr old on a bus taking themselves to school but it's perfectly fine I do understand why she wants to encourage it

Back in the 80s all parents were free range. It was a fun time to be a kid!

My parents let me fly alone from the Philippines to Hong Kong when I was 7 as an unaccompanied minor. I grew up to be independent and turned out just fine.

I was raised to learn to look after myself and I grew up in Chicago and I am teaching my kids to be the same way...there is nothing wrong with free range parenting or letting your child take the subway alone as long as they are aware of thier surrounding and never ask someone they dont trust for help...I feel that if they are going out on their own they need to have a quick form of communication

The best parenting decision I ever made was to not be one LMFAO 😂

Dude I'm a grown woman and i don't feel safe riding the subway alone sometimes...

STRUGGLE: Personal struggles I'm HAPPY that I saw this video and that these women were/are so VERY BRAVE and lovely parents. And the supportive men are welcome!!! Thank you. I have five grown children and the biggest regret I have is "guiding them toward the safer decisions every time", to the result of making them afraid of making any choices, on their own, at all. FORTUNATELY I NOTICED this was happening, when my oldest child was about 6yrs & I took immediate steps to change my "parenting guidelines". It took me several yrs (4-5 more yrs) to make my personal changes, in these situations; it's very hard to change, EVEN when I WANTED TO & I knew it was The RIGHT THING to do!!! I want people to know "it's hard to change, so DON'T BE AFRAID, when you try to make changes and it's HARD, OR when other people MAKE IT HARD; that's NORMAL. It's ok it struggle, especially when it's towards making things better.😊😀😄🇨🇦

In the 40s/50s this happened all the time.

This all feels so normal to me lol I walked everywhere as a kid

When I was growing up, I could basically ride my bike anywhere within a certain range from my house. My mom told me streets that I couldn't go past because they were busy (but sometimes I still did) and then as I got older my grid of freedom was extended and I could go places across town like my cousin's house. Her main rule was to be back home before the streetlights came on because she didn't want me roaming around alone after dark. I feel like she was protective of me but not overly so that it made me feel too afraid of the outside world. I guess it was kind of like "limited" free range because I wasn't allowed to leave a certain area on bike, but I also didn't really have any reason to at that age. This is most likely how I will be a parent as well, giving my kids freedom within boundaries.

I was in the 6th grade when I flew from MA to CA (with a stop in NJ in between) by myself to go to my sister's wedding then flew back.

Izzy is adorable and looks like a great kid

"I played with a needle in the park, I got stung. Now I have HIV the doctor told my mom, so now I know I should not play with needles in the park."

I was a free range kid in the 60's , and I have plenty horror stories. Thank God I made it through childhood.

This was how I grew up, it was normal, I got myself into plenty of seriously dangerous situations, obviously I’m still alive, as much it would be nice to return to that, it’s hard knowing the risks. It’s good to find a balance between caring parenting and helping a child grow and develop resilience and independence. It did feel at times, that we were left to our own devices a bit too much sometimes.

no

Tbh this can go too far, like what if they get kidnapped while waking alone? IN THE DAM CITY!

Kids need to learn to be independent and this helps them become that. If you trust your children to be independent and this helps them do that. - I love that she’s sharing this with the world!

I think it's a good idea at a older age at like 10,11,12 years old especially in a city center

Kids: *Gets kidnapped* Mom: :O

This is a norm in a lot more other countries.

I agree with this up to a certain point. A kid can have opportunities to make good choices without putting them at risk for human trafficking, though

It's true.. I was playing all over the neighborhood, without my parents breathing down my neck every second. I then grew up to be a free-range parent myself. 😊

I sort of agree with them

This is what's meant by 'free range' kids? I've just realised my sister and I were very much free range. However, I've just watched a video where the 'free range' children are allowed to crawl, scream, and fight everywhere, can cook and eat what they like, do what they like, CHOOSE WHETHER TO LEARN HOW TO READ AND WRITE or not, hit their parents, stay unwashed, destroy the family possessions... meanwhile their crackpot of a mother is a spokesperson for the movement and ENCOURAGES other parents to create little savages like her own. Talk about a misnomer!

I was born in 1966.Was raised in a small town .I rode my bike to school and to home.It was a raise for me to beat the bus home .Which I always did !!!

If my parents hadn't let me roam the neighborhood, I would have seriously been completely incapacitated as an adult. It's important to take into account how society changes over time and that abductions are still an issue, but consider it with perspective. Dont just lock your kid down and never let them be independent. Supervise them during baby steps up to independence. Maybe take your kid and his friends to the mall and stay back like 100 feet given them the privacy and independence to make their own decisions, but give you the ability to observe and guide your child at the end of the trip. If your kid responds positively to the independence give him a little more independence. All these kids have to eventually be adults with common sense someday.

I know a couple like this. They were the ones who first introduced me to the term "free-range parents" a year ago or so. "Self-centered assholes" is a more accurate term.