R. I. State Lawmakers Target Parents
ROVIDENCE, R.I. — Parents who fear the judgment of neighbors if they leave their kids alone at home or in a car may soon have more than a "tsk, tsk" to worry about in Rhode Island.
State lawmakers are debating a bill that would punish parents for leaving a child younger than 7 alone in a car. They've also proposed legislation to ban kids under 10 from being home alone and older kids from being home alone at night. Legislation could even extend to private preschools, where a bill would ban outdoor recess when the temperature drops below freezing.
Rhode Island's efforts come years after many other states implemented such measures, but have been met by counterattacks from a growing movement of parents who say enough is enough.
"You can't legislate parenting, and you can't legislate common sense," said Rema Tomka, who is raising three kids in the leafy Providence suburb of Smithfield. "I'm in one of those neighborhoods where the children run free. They all know their boundaries, and we keep an eye on them."
In some headline-grabbing cases nationwide, including one involving Maryland siblings Rafi and Dvora Meitiv, the sight of children walking to a playground or playing without supervision has triggered visits from police and neglect charges against parents. Critics say the harsh enforcement is traumatic, can tear families apart, and disproportionately hurts poor and single parents who can't afford constant child care.
"Basically we are punishing people who don't have the resources to be helicopter parents, as if helicopter parenting is essential — which it's not," said New York author and columnist Lenore Skenazy, who runs a popular blog called "Free-Range Kids."
More:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dont-leave-them-kids-alone-state-lawmakers-target-parents/ar-BBqxsjJ?li=BBnbfcL
