Lenore Skenazy

And when I gave the talk, I think we had eight states had passed the reasonable childhood independence law, which says that neglect is when you put your kid in obvious and serious danger, not anytime you take your eyes off them.

And it's great for the free range parents who want their kids to be wandering around and on their bikes like strangers.

like stranger things.

But it's also great for parents living in poverty.

You know, if a mom is working two jobs and her kid comes home with the old fashioned latch key, that's not because she's a neglectful mom.

It's because she's a mom who realizes like, look, my eight year old

can get herself a glass of milk or almond milk now, I guess.

And and that's and I can save on a babysitter.

So that shouldn't be considered neglect either.

So since the talk, the law has been passed in three more states, Georgia, Florida and.

Missouri.

And now it's being considered in eight more states.

And maybe someday there will be federal legislation that says the same thing, which is that, you know, we don't want the laws right now say if you see something, say something.

And too many people don't know, like, what am I supposed to say and see?

And it's like they see a kid outside.

Sometimes they'll call 911 because they're just so unused to seeing kids outside again.

So if if the 911 operator can say, is the kid OK?

Yeah, they're fine.

They're you know, they're they're playing in the park or whatever.

that should be the end of things.