On being a free-range vs. helicopter parent

“Mom, when can I just be by myself?”

My 8-year-old daughter asked me this question last summer as we sat by a stream near our house. I knew what she meant. She’s independent like me and would love nothing better than to leave the house and explore her environs on her own terms. And I want that for her, too. My childhood was brimming with solo adventures that are the foundation of how I still live my life. I’d like nothing better than to set her loose.

But then I think of Jessica Ridgeway, the 10-year-old Colorado girl who went missing while walking to a park three blocks from home on her way to school.

As a mom, I’ve struggled with CLICK TO READ ON

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