I think that the US as a whole is pretty hard to categorize. But a lot of the big cities are unfriendly to navigate for people of all ages due to how car-dependent they are. There are parts of those cities that are also dangerous due to criminal elements, but for the most part, gun violence isn’t on every street corner. There are also people who would see kids attempting independence and call the authorities because it looks like parental negligence to them.
However, there are many smaller communities and neighborhoods across the country where kids can be independent. I grew up walking or biking to school or friends houses with my brother from around 3rd grade (about 1 mile). But we had distance and street limits that we were not allowed to cross.
These are all great! Remind me of my school years in Belgium. We also started going to school on our own in first grade with our bikes. But I don’t know why, but in the US I feel like safety is a big factor. Too many kidnappings and missing kids.
Can’t wait to hear how you navigate bringing these skills to your life back in the states.
DailyDiary 017: What My Kids Did Independently in Finland
I think that the US as a whole is pretty hard to categorize. But a lot of the big cities are unfriendly to navigate for people of all ages due to how car-dependent they are. There are parts of those cities that are also dangerous due to criminal elements, but for the most part, gun violence isn’t on every street corner. There are also people who would see kids attempting independence and call the authorities because it looks like parental negligence to them.
However, there are many smaller communities and neighborhoods across the country where kids can be independent. I grew up walking or biking to school or friends houses with my brother from around 3rd grade (about 1 mile). But we had distance and street limits that we were not allowed to cross.
These are all great! Remind me of my school years in Belgium. We also started going to school on our own in first grade with our bikes. But I don’t know why, but in the US I feel like safety is a big factor. Too many kidnappings and missing kids.
Can’t wait to hear how you navigate bringing these skills to your life back in the states.