

The Overprotected Kid - tokenadult
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/

======
mathattack
Very long story. I can't imagine giving my kids the freedom that I had. Some
of it is city versus suburbs, but some is just that times change and we get
more aware of the danger.

In addition to physical danger, there is significant research suggesting we
need to let our kids fail academically. Too many freshman arrive at top
schools fragile.

[http://www.livescience.com/10663-helicopter-parents-
neurotic...](http://www.livescience.com/10663-helicopter-parents-neurotic-
kids-study-suggests.html)

~~~
dalke
"Times change" indeed. It's safer now than when you or I were kids. Crime
rates have gone down. There are fewer pedestrian deaths. It's harder for kids
to get access to tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs.

Yes, it's much safer for kids now, so I can see why you would give your kids
less freedom than you had.

------
cafard
Couple of things:

1\. Where I grew up there was a good deal of intermittent, unintrusive
surveillance from adults--mothers looking out the windows from time to time.
Their daughters weren't necessarily home when the kids got home from school.
Some adults may be forgetting that level of oversight.

2\. Kids, anyway some kids, will find a way. A dozen years ago in the DC
suburbs I heard voices from an open manhole cover, and looked in. There was a
kid of about 12 down there. Being the responsible adult, I said, "Hey! You
kids shouldn't be down there." The kid said, 'Oh, we're down here a lot. We go
all the way over to the middle school." (Say three quarters of a mile.)

