[Ditter]

I was born in 1940 and while I agree with most of this I disagree with some of it. Particularly the part about kids going out to play all day and parents not having a clue where they are. That is insane!

[weston]

I had great parents, but basically us kids were free to roam as long as we stayed within certain boundaries. We had a couple mile radius with caveats to stay away from certain peoples yards and be home when the street lights came on.
When I was 9, my folks put me and my 11 year old sister on a greyhound for a two day trip to my grandparents house. I have so many great memories of stopping in every little town and the wonderful characters who kept us entertained along the way.
Can you even imagine doing these things today? The slide into moral decay has come swiftly for America.

[RandallFlagg]

Yeah.
I get a bit paranoid about the safety of my six and nine year old Sons.

I’ve learned that if you keep a camera (or a picture taking phone) and use it frequently at parks where one’s little children are playing, the weirdos will keep away.

[wardaddy]

I grew up in an outlying neighborhood in Jackson Miss with maybe 200 homes in it surrounded by woods etc.

We were given time limits (dark thirty) but we could go anywhere but down to the store about a half mile away on the boulevard without permission....farmland, golf course etc

There were a couple of feminine boys that stayed close to home and one couple of kids whose daddy was a cop were real strict but the rest of us roamed...scores of us

[firebrand]

Mysteriously, my mother always knew where we were. A kid would show up at the empty lot where we were playing and tell us our mother wanted us to go home for supper. We were always outdoors. Loved when the seasons changed and we could go out and play after supper. (Newark, NJ)