Comments on: Endangered at the mall

By: Robert Wright

Robert Wright — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:29:14 +0000

If I remember correctly, at age 7 I could be gone and on my own from 8AM to 8PM on any Saturday or summer’s day.

For my 15 year old son, I’ll allow him to be unsupervised for 10 minutes, max.

By: Kate

Kate — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:22:17 +0000

Bozeman’s a crunchy-granola college town, but there’s bars in that mall, and it’s not quite as upscale as all that. Kevane’s also been reported to have Aspergers, and I think that might have some bearing on this.

By: Parent2

Parent2 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:45:07 +0000

It was a self-indulgent imposition on the mall owners and the other mall customers. It was rude and inconsiderate. Even professor parents can make a mistake, and should have the grace to acknowledge it.

The two twelve year old girls were not mature enough to shepherd three children (8,7, and 3) on a visit to the mall. Period. Should it rise to the level of a criminal case? No, but the affluent and well-educated should keep in mind that they can’t expect the police and prosecutors to treat them more leniently than the local high school dropouts.

By: Interested Observer

Interested Observer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:17:29 +0000

Ridiculous! Nothing in the story gave any indication that the children were in danger.

By: momof4

momof4 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:24:35 +0000

What about the 13-year-olds with a baby of their own?

By: dkzody

dkzody — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:24:31 +0000

But see, Crimson Wife, that is where we seem to get off track…whatever happens, call the police. I laugh about all the things we did 50+ years ago that today would be probably be considered heinous, and perhaps even make for a 911 call. My friends and I wonder how we ever grew to adulthood what with no carseats or even seatbelts!

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:46:35 +0000

I started babysitting my younger brothers when I was 9 and was babysitting other families’ kids by 11.

The 12 year olds absolutely should not have left the younger ones alone (as the mom had warned them not to) but it’s ludicrous to call the cops. A simple page over the loudspeaker should’ve sufficed.

By: MTheads

MTheads — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:12:08 +0000

A dull life with little risk is also a tragedy.

By: thaprof

thaprof — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:21:19 +0000

The apron strings were cut around age 6. It was understood that we were to stay within a six-block radius of the house, but probably 95% of the time there was no overt adult supervision.

By: Tracy W

Tracy W — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:09:20 +0000

I’m younger than a baby boomer, but my brothers and I were allowed to go exploring unsupervised in the streams and forests near where we lived, or were staying on holidays. And I think my dad or mum walked me to school the first week, when I was 5, after that I walked with the neighbours’ kid, who was a year older.

I find it quite startling that my cousin’s children aren’t sent to walk to school alone. But on the other hand, two kids at my primary school were hit by a car and one killed and the other seriously injured.