Mom jailed for letting 10-year-old walk alone to town

Dunno how I'd have gotten home from school or to soccer practice if I needed an adult, ffs I was staying alone overnight and cooking dinner for myself by 5th grade. How do you acquire independence and skills with someone hovering all the fucking time?

"You're guilty of leaving your child alone, therefore we're taking you away from your child."

I started walking to school when I was eight. My parents made sure I knew the way and that was that. And on our bikes we went wayyy farther than a mile unsupervised

Americans have degenerated so fast.

Imagine getting jailed unless you ground your kids 24/7. Pretty sure that used to be a punishment for kids, not a requirement.

I know this is probably not possible if I still wish to use English online, but does anybody know how to filter out news specifically form America? It's becoming less and less relevant to my life as America is becoming more and more like Russia. It's like yea, I know, the people are literal fascists, any additional details are just depressing.

Based on the safety plan including “installing a location tracking app on the child’s phone”, the kid has a phone and could easily call for help or be called if there was a concern.

Children used to ride bikes much farther then a mile without even a quarter in their pocket to pay for a phone call.

Lol. When I was 10 me and a friend would take a bus TO ANOTHER COUNTRY and hang out at the arena to wait for the teams so we could get our hockey cards autographed.

I still have that niklas lidstrom rookie card.

All of Gen-X would like a word...

That would be admitting this country ain't safe enough for a child. Doomer world

Reported to police for walking less than a mile into town on a road that was 25 - 35 mph speed limit...

Damn, I used to walk home from the bus stop that was 1/2 mile away when I was in kindergarten. These people need to calm down.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Adam_Walsh

This is what started this panic. A TV movie dramatization from 1983. At this point current parents largely weren't born yet so they don't even know how it started, they've just been raised into believing this is normal. It's not normal.

I want jail to not be the default setting in this country.

Maybe she's a shitty parent, but that's something that can be worked on. She can be taught. It's not like she's some kind of soulless paycopath going from house to house traumatizing all the kids. There is absolutely no need to lock his person up.

And now that she's locked up, the kid has no parent at all. Does anyone really think this is the best solution?

I wish my people weren't so fucking lazy. Do the work. Figure something else out. Find out how to address this individual's needs without just waving your hand and saying, put her in jail and move on.

From a very red state.

A few days later, DFCS presented Patterson with a "safety plan" for her to sign. It would require her to delegate a "safety person" to be a "knowing participant and guardian" and watch over the children whenever she leaves home. The plan would also require Patterson to download an app onto her son's phone allowing for his location to be monitored. (The day when it will be illegal not to track one's kids is rapidly approaching.)

Of course there's a grift train. I'd be very curious to know more about that company, its owners, and its financials.

Also tagging @abucci@buc.ci (can someone tell me how to do that right?). Seems like something that might interest you, re: our recent conversation.

But I thought red states were bastions of freedom?

By this logic, the movie 'Stand By Me' is kiddie porn.

When I was a kid I got kicked out of the house at 9am on the weekends with no cell phone; now walking less than a mile is grounds for parents to get arrested?

From a boring dystopia to a holy fuck that's scary dystopia.

Yeah like as if God forbids any kids run around without being continuously tracked by Life360.

What in the sweet ever loving fuck is this shit?

State mandated helicopter parenting?

He should have driven an F350 there what was she thinking!

When I was 10 i was told to be home when the street lights came on. Otherwise my parents rarely knew where I was. Kids these days aren’t going to be able to function independently when they grow up if they can’t even take a walk on their own.

When I was 10, I was riding a bicycle to school 4 miles one way. When I got home, I unlocked the empty house with my own key, took the lunch money my mom had left for me, and rode 12 tramway stops into the inner city to buy lunch at McDonalds.

I'm not saying that's what it should be like, but I loved it, and I enjoyed my autonomy.

I'm not saying this didn't happen, but I'm skeptical that it happened how it's being reported. It seems the only details are coming from the mother and her attorney, which is a red flag to me. It also sounds a lot like the self reported "discrimination" that some fundamentalist Christian influencer families have claimed, when they were indeed neglecting/abusing their children. In particular the Lott family (AmericanFamilyRoadTrip on socials) who live in a bus with their 8 children, don't get them medical attention unless forced, and recently got a "parents rights" attorney who sounded a lot like the attorney in this article.

I also find it odd that the sheriff of a town of less than 400 people would cause waves like this over an unfounded claim from a stranger. I'm curious to know what all this safety plan entails, because it could be a very reasonable plan and it's likely that DCFS just has to meet certain criteria before they can close the case.

Again, not saying it didn't happen, but the story seems like a good candidate for "missing reasons."

I'm all for protecting kids, but this goes beyond the reasonable boundaries of the nanny state.

Jeez...assuming this is a true story and not embellished..

Early 90's. Latchkey kid. Come home from school to our Acreage out of town. Get on bike and ride to the nearest corner-store, which was a highway rest-stop a couple of kilometres away. I'd have to (SHOCK) cross the highway AND a railroad track of all things to get there!

My god why weren't my parents imprisoned!!!!

Do I need to add the /s tag, or is it clear enough?

Damn...

This is reason.com, famously a libertarian propaganda mill. Safe to completely ignore.

Meanwhile in Japan

Now the 10 year old can do everything alone

Frack that Sheriff. Should lose her job, and they should investigate who called ?

My kids of 7 and 10 ride to school through the city (it's about a mile away, but my daughter went to another school 3 miles away before.
When we got to this new school, I rode with them for a month using different routes and shouting "look left", "stop here", as they weren't looking. Once they were able to lead me to school and back without complaints from mybside for a few times, I let them do it themselves. We just take turns kicking them out in the morning to ensure they're on time. It works, and they will grow into independent people.
I was cycling wherever the fuck I wanted when I was a kid. I'm fine.
For the context, we're in Denmark, and I'm originally from Russia

I rode my bike all around town when I was 10. No fone. Just friends when I got to the spot.

More and more 70s-90s SNL skits are coming to life for real.

First one I remember was when the Gillette Track 2 twin-bladed razor came out. The ads showed an animation of how the first blade pulls the whisker out slightly, then the second blade cuts it off, allowing what's left to snap back below the skin for a super-close shave. SNL made a parody ad for a triple-bladed razor where the second blade pulls it out even more and the third one cuts it. The slogan was: "the new Track 3 - because you'll believe ANYTHING!" Within a year there were actual triple-bladed razors.

Volunteered at a hospital in 10th grade for community service. Walked home 2.5 miles each time, partially along an expressway. I wasn’t allowed to have a cell phone because of the evils of screens (the Nokias had just switched to color, god forbid). It would’ve been weird not to walk home and wait hours until a parent was free when I lived that close. Shoutout to the eternally on-duty 7-11 employee Ray who sold me Gatorades.

reason #947,632 not to have children.

This post and posts like this should be taken with a big grain of salt.

There's not enough information supplied.

Sounds like Freedom©®™

Saying that, I'd jail her for those creepy teeth. Guys that's fucking weird