Were my parents naive?

[Anonymous]

Over the years child abductions have increased.

I'm my parents' only child but they actually trusted me very much. They saw as very advanced for my age. I was never overprotected. They let me cross the streets, walk to the bus stop alone and left home alone for the first time at age 8. Then at age 9, I was already walking home to school and vice versa; 30 minutes away.

Age 10; my friend and I took a public transportation to a different part of our city and mall... far from home and our curfew sometimes got extended to 8 pm. The only time our parents picked us up was after a movie finished late at 11:30 pm.

By age 12, it was my first sleepover at my friend's after a mixed party ended late. Then at age 16, I went to a beach in Cancún, México with friends (4 girls and 2 guys) for a whole week... it was spring break.

Though, nothing bad ever happened to me. But would you say my parents were naive?

Yes

No

[Vevv123]

My parents were very very overprotective, I would get walked to the bus stop when I was a teen 😆😄and I would come straight home after school, if I was a minute late they would worry, but I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too careful! We should always protect the kids. 😌Believe it or not a lot of abuse happens from people close to you or in the family, all kinds of things can happen.

[DryGermanGuy]

No, in most parts of the world this is normal. From age 3 to 6 I walked every day to my kindergarten. Age 6 to 11 I walked every day to my primary school, sometimes with a neighbor, sometimes not. Age 12 to 18 I took the bus to another town for my high school. And that was the same story for all my classmates. We had no soccer moms driving us with SUVs.

[WindAtMyBack]

Maybe they just aren't paranoid like a lot of other parents these days.

[Asker]

Yeah I don't recall ever getting treated like a little girl. They saw me as already acting mature and with enough common sense at that age.

[WindAtMyBack]

I think a lot of parents ( and teachers ) just scare kids with all the things that could happen, even if it's extremely unlikely. The news blows it all out of proportion, and makes people paranoid.

Kids are going to do things that are potentially dangerous. But parents can't be over protective to the point that kids aren't allowed to be kids. Parents just have to cringe and hope for the best.

I know I did a lot of dangerous stuff when I was a kid, and my parents knew about it. Same with all the other kids my age.