Moms and dads question themselves about ‘free-range’ parenting

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Where do you draw the line between independence and neglect?  It’s a question many parents are asking themselves after an American couple was found guilty of unsubstantiated neglect for letting their kids walk a mile to the park by themselves.

“I think it’s been kind of chilling for people to see this response,” says Editor in Chief of Today’s Parent Magazine Sasha Emmons.

She says the court convicted the Maryland couple of neglect seems extreme.  The ruling means Child Protective Services will monitor them for the next five years, but the couple is planning to appeal the decision.

The so-called free-range parents planned and trained their kids carefully, teaching them independence and that’s something she thinks is important.

“We’re removing all of the challenges and the opportunities for risk from our kids and it can really make them have a hard time dealing with things to make them very risk-averse — that can be really bad later on in life,” adds Emmons.

The key, she explains, is finding a balance.

“I’m not saying that this would be the right decision for every parent or every family, but it certainly seems they were very, very thoughtful about this decision and it’s really a shame this charge has been brought against them.”

The children involved in this case are six and 10-years-old and it’s unclear what will happen should they get caught walking alone again.

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