Utah Can Free-Range Parent

[Guest]

http://www.good4utah.com/news/inside-utah-politics/utah-becomes-first-state-to-pass-free-range-parenting-law/1102217693

Apparently, Utah is now the first state to pass a free-range parenting bill.  It is interesting that I'm posting this shortly after my thread about homeschooling.  It is ironic that I've found most homeschooling parents (often accused of being over-protective) are the first to want their kids to be able to play unsupervised.

But thank goodness someone realized that helicopter parenting isn't in the best interests of the children.

[zil]

Holy cow.  How in the world has the planet gotten to the point where parents can be arrested for letting their kids play!?  The stuff now "allowed" by this law was called normal when I was a kid - as soon as we were allowed to go out and play, we did, and there were no parents anywhere near.

More importantly, how in the world was a parent who grew up in the world I did, for example, supposed to know when that world became illegal?  Did they send certified letters to all parents informing them of the change?  (Snarky question, in case that's not obvious.)

This world cannot end soon enough.

[anatess2]

Surely this is satire?

You need a law to ALLOW LIBERTY???  In the USA?

My kids have been free-roaming the neighborhood since they got proficient with their bikes.  Where in the law does it say you can get arrested for that?  Yes, I know your dog can be sent to the kill-pound for that.  But that's because they pee on people's yards.  Kids generally don't.

Edited April 9, 2018 by anatess2

[Just_A_Guy]

Deseret News has much better analysis:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deseretnews.com/article/900014915/an-inside-look-at-utahs-new-free-range-parenting-law-that-lets-kids-be-kids.amp

I’m posting on the fly, but to clarify:  this doesn’t change Utah’s criminal code; it simply applies to DCFS/CPS and the types of stuff we are allowed to investigate.  And really, from a DCFS standpoint I don’t see this significantly changing the way we do business.  Referrals about unsupervised kids, without more (kid barefoot in the dead of winter, or going door-to-door begging for food, or habitually playing in a road and blocking traffic, or kid unsupervised in conjunction with parental drug use or prostitution), already don’t usually get a very heavy response; at least from the regional office I work with.

But I very much like the message it sends, because some of the eastern states seem to be going absolutely bonkers.

[anatess2]

16 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

But I very much like the message it sends, because some of the eastern coastal states seem to be going absolutely bonkers.

New York - whose state gov are absolutely bonkers - have a huge group of free-range parents... even in New York City - whose city gov are also absolutely bonkers.  California - whose state gov is hopelessly bonkers - also have a huge group of free-range parents but that's just a fancy name for "I don't care where my kid is" parents whose kids are roaming the neighborhood in gangs.  And yes, this is "from the free range parent forums" and completely unsubstantiated by proper statistics.

[Just_A_Guy]

8 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

New York - whose state gov are absolutely bonkers - have a huge group of free-range parents... even in New York City - whose city gov are also absolutely bonkers.  California - whose state gov is hopelessly bonkers - also have a huge group of free-range parents but that's just a fancy name for "I don't care where my kid is" parents whose kids are roaming the neighborhood in gangs.  And yes, this is "from the free range parent forums" and completely unsubstantiated by proper statistics.

Maryland had a pretty nasty case recently too, IIRC.

[Still_Small_Voice]

I was disappointed reading stories about parents getting arrested or threatened with arrest for leaving a nine old to play at a park or letting an eight year old walk to school.  Some people think that kids are twenty five year olds that need to live in the basement and play their video games all day while they discover themselves.  We need to give children work and responsibilities so they can grow up and learn. 

I used to be gone for up to three hours plus at time playing out the fields and at a creek near where I used to live.