My parents are baby boomers and they said there were just kids everywhere when they grew up. Every house on the street had at least two. Kids went outside to play. Parents had real perspective on the dangers and risks in life after living through ww2 and a kid falling out of a tree was not a concern.

In the 80s/90s, I rarely had that many kids on my block but I was always outside. I had a bike and roamed ~10 mile radius around my house. So my friends and I would just meet up some place and decide where to go.

I wouldn't say the war impacted the parental decision(s), historically kids always played outside so they were just continuing what they knew, but we kids did have safety in numbers and that's why I'd say this is a perpetuating issue.

If a parent today told their kid to go outside and play, that kid would be alone and less safe. So parents just don't allow it.

More like child services would be called and the parent charged with something. That foundational law is what prevents parents from sending out their kids nowadays.

Growing up in the 90's, there were far more kids playing outside. Even in the early 2000's, I used to remark how kids aren't getting out much anymore. Now there are articles about this phenomenon that are being taken seriously, so I guess I was right.

Don't forget the depression. The way my grandpa talked about growing up in the depression, I got the impression that kids were basically independent by the age of 7-8, out of necessity. Many of them had what could be considered part time jobs for after school and were responsible for running errands which could involve walking alone many miles from home to go shopping or drop something off.

Makes me wonder how much of helicopter parenting is caused by emergency rooms becoming probibitevly expensive?

It's the same all over the West, right? But emergency rooms are free in much of it as well.

> that was how we rolled

Speaking of rolling, that's what bikes were for. Running around unsupervised in the neighborhood. I'm not sure what kids do with bikes today. Or if they even get bikes.

They sure do get scooters, at least in New York. Literally every single child over 5 has one.

Those scooters are to help the five year olds keep up with you while you walk about town for the day. The alternatives include taking more taxis or getting a stroller for your five year old. They don't exactly serve the same purpose as a bike for a 10-year-old who lives in a cul-de-sac.

Ironically, kids now have GPS trackers and cell phones. You'd think it'd be easier to let them loose.

Even if you wanted to, it's de facto illegal to do so. There's a very real risk of CPS being called on you or getting cited for child endangerment for this.

My parents live in a subdivision with several parks that are completely empty. I took my niece to one and discovered that's apparently suspicious behavior to use a public park in the middle of a weekend afternoon after a local PD officer stopped by to "have a chat."

The police also literally barricade the subdivision for Halloween. Nobody comes in or out between the hours of 7 & 9.

Your parents live in a bad neighborhood.