I thought this was more of a spinoff.

Growing up, I played, for hours, usually with the neighbor kids but even by myself outside. We had barns. Fields. Trees. We also had a mile long, eventually paved, road that I biked to and from with the neighbor kids several times a day, especially during the summer. During the winter I would build snow forts or sometimes just lie out in the snow and watch it fall on me.

I'd like to give my children this but we live in town so no barn. And I can live with that ... I suppose. But my big concern is letting, currently my daughter, go outside without me there. We've all read such horror stories about kids being taken -- how we you over come that. And how do you protect your child?

I let her go out in the front yard the other day (big step for me) to pick flowers while her brother was napping and I was folding clothing. She had the dog (who I don't know would alert me to an intruder for sure) with her and I had all the windows on the front part of the house open to hear her. I do let her out in the back yard a bit more - it is fenced in but the front yard has the rocks that she loves to walk on.

I hate preventing my children the freedom to roam but I'm also afraid of what might be driving by as well.

Luckily we live out in the country way off the road so I have no problem with my kids going outside without me. We do keep a check on them and the way they love running in and out the house, they help us keep a check on them!

But when I'm at family or friends house, especially those that live in a subdivision, I don't let my kids go outside with me or DH. Too many people too close by that can snatch my kids plus places that my kids aren't as use to. If I lived somewhere a lot closer to the road or in a subdivision, I'd probably be way paranoid and my kids wouldn't ever go out with us with them.

I'm not overly concerned. The research shows that number of "stranger" abductions have either stayed the same or gone down in the past 20 years. We just have so much media coverage on every little thing, we think the world is out to get our children. We are always having "amber alerts" here in CA, and it's always an issue with a family member dispute, not a stranger abduction.

I live in an area that many of you would see as not safe. It is close to a city and many of the kids look tough. We lock the house at night, but I don't during the day when I'm home and I'll leave windows open when I leave. I do not lock my car in the driveway.

I let my ds (2) play outside in the side and back yards by himself. The gates are locked, not just to keep someone out, but to keep him in where it is safe for him to play. I don't want him out by the street with cars, bikes and dogs. Of course, I can see and hear him through the open door and windows and go outside to check on him often. But, as I said, it is more to see that he is playing safe, not because I think he's going to be snatched. Of course, I hold his hand in the street, but he walks to the park, I do not strap him in a stroller. He often walks 10 ft in front or behind me, but he knows his boundaries (street, corners, etc), we have taught him since he first learned to walk.

We are friendly to all people, even the weird ones, the true reality is that most people in the world are good people, very few will want to hurt you or your child. Our focus should be on protecting women and children from abusers, not freaking out about "stranger danger" and keeping our kids from experiencing life.

I do not think it is healthy to live in a culture of fear and I refuse to raise my child in one.

I've always felt that the media has built on our fears. And they've done a dang good job!

I, too, grew up spending all my time outside playing with the neighbors and riding my bike up and down the streets. Unfortunately times have changed and unless I live in a very secure area (and how do you really know if your area is secure?) my daughter won't have that. We actually looked at a house in a subdivision with a HOA and we spoke with the vicepres of the assoc. He told us about an incedent where a man was patroling the neighborhood "looking at the kids", they reported it, the man was caught and sentenced! After that one of the residents installed cameras that overlooked the entire street 24/7. Although I thought that would be nice to have, it also made me feel sad. I think if I had a fenced in backyard I would let my DD play outside by herself when she is a little older, but as far as bike riding, I will have to be outside with her.

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