Negative Space: free-time play
More Information
- Child Neglect and the “Free Range Kid” (PDF)
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“Even one generation ago, the norms were different for determining the age at which a child no longer needed a babysitter. The expected minimum age for babysitters has gone up as well, although in the few states that have legislated specific ages, the thresholds vary widely. In Illinois, it is illegal to leave a child under 14 unsupervised for an ‘unreasonable period of time’; in Maryland, in contrast, a 13-year- old is considered old enough not only to care for himself, but to babysit infants. The days when 11- and 12-year-old neighborhood kids were considered competent babysitters appear to be long gone.” (David Pimentel)
