Topic: Kids safety

[demon78]

I've got a question for you guys, how safe is the area around you for your kids/grandkids, can you let the kids take off in the morning with a sandwich, drink and a bicycle and come back in the afternoon in time for dinner with out too much worries?
 Bill the demon.

[FunJimmy]

Every society has it's share of creeps. I think the media has made a lot of people paranoid. That's not saying kids are safe in all neighbourhoods but all kids have lost some of their independence as a result.

It's real safe and nice in my neck of the woods. My 10 year old can walk a 6 block radius as long as she's with a friend and we don't worry, but I'm not comfortable with giving her the all day freedom I grew up with.

[Retro Rocket]

Depends on their age Bill....   My area is very safe as well but kids need to have some smarts first....

[petercb750]

Some kids aren't even safe with their grandparents....saw 2 little kids today get out of a car driven by obvious grandparents....couldn't help but notice both rear tyres were dead smooth...and this was in a country town which means they probably travel at speed with the little ones on board. Disgusting.
But generally my area is pretty quiet and safe.

[demon78]

What prompted this question was my youngest is/was up this weekend and we were comparing how it was when we were growing up me, at 9-12 just home to touch base every so often but don't miss dinner or your mom would have your ears and with both daughters at that age it was pretty well the same with the usual caveat of from us because they were girls and we were wondering if people across the world could do the same (World meaning Canada, Australia, NZ, UK, States, and so on, I guess I mean any place where they are not having an actual war/civil uprising or guerrilla conflict).
I suppose that cities are a special case although I grew up in Vancouver and it wasn't that bad 60+ years ago.
Bill the demon.

[70CB750]

In our area  - rural Virginia new big city - it is safe as far as I can tell.  But public places are too far for little kids to go and play by themselves, biggest problem to get there.

Bicycles, we are letting our kids now to bike around - around 14 was the brake point.

I grew up in downtown Prague, did just that, played outside in a park all day long or hiked in the woods by myself since I was 10.  Like a different universe from today's view.

[jamesb]

We live in the country. When my son was growing up he and his friends would take off and be gone all day. They would use creeks and and pastures as there says of travel. Country living is pretty safe here but in town is a different story. You just need to teach your children the basics on not trusting strangers and the safety in numbers rule. Unfourtantley we live in a very disturbed world now not like we did when most of us where growing up.

[Bailgang]

That's a tough call to make the majority of the sick bast##ds out there from an outward appearance seem to be as normal as anyone else so they blend right in unnoticed. The neighborhood I grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago wasn't what I would call a rough neighborhood but it definitely was a rowdy one, if you were looking for trouble you could find it if you really wanted to so I knew as a kid what areas to stay away from so as long as I kept my nose out of trouble I felt safe. My old neighborhood and HS I attended has changed a LOT since then with gang issues that simply didn't exist there when I was growing up.

Where I live now I would consider safe for my kids, the town is small enough to where most people care about each other but big enough to have a good public school system. You really never can stop worrying about your kids regardless of how safe you feel the area you live is. My dad once told me that once you're a parent you'll always be a parent, you'll never ever stop worrying about your kids. That didn't really sink in until our oldest son was born.

[70CB750]

James, isn't most of the land private where you live too?

Here in VA it is private land or state parks and you just dont trespass.

[74cb750]

I have taought my kids to shoot guns since a young age. (6)
They all know how to throw knives (since 9)
Every time they go in the woods around here they carry concealed weapons
to defend themselves  (since 6 without problems).

Never had a problem with coyotes, deer, wolves, or  people they couldn't handle
in a responsible manner, (that I know of) .

like I always say,
better to be prepared than unaware.

peace,
michel