At Let Grow we say: That should be up to the parents.

A few years back, after the first Reasonable Childhood Independence law passed in Utah – a great day! –  we received a query from a lawmaker. He said he wanted his state to pass a similar law assuring parents that allowing their kids to play outside, stay home alone, walk to school, etc., would not be mistaken for neglect. And so, he’d drafted a bill:

Parents are not to be investigated or accused of neglect simply for letting their children, ages 10 and up, engage in independent childhood activities.

He expected us to be excited!

We were not.

In fact, as we gently explained, this was a law we could not endorse.