Flutterby™! : where your children are 2012-10-01 22:36:48.206402+00

where your children are

2012-10-01 22:36:48.206402+00 by Dan Lyke 5 comments

Larry and Dave both linked to NPR: Do You Know Where Your Children Are? Is That Always A Good Thing?

The map, in particular, is worth a gander.

A map of the area I grew up in. I don't remember how early I went riding on my own the 5 miles into "town" (East Chatham) or the 2 or 3 miles over the hill to the speedway, but it couldn't have been too late. I remember convincing my mom to drop me and a friend off at the intersection of County Road 9 and State Highway 295 to walk or hitchhike home because she was taking my sister off to a music lesson of some sort and we didn't want to sit there through that.

My earlier years were spent on Air Force Bases. It was the norm for the kids to have free reign in base housing. But that was the original gated community!

Once we moved off base, my mother's parenting style of "unless someone has to go to the emergency room, figure it out yourselves." But I can tell you we didn't range as widely after moving to Austin, Texas as we did in Callaway, Florida.

I lived in several communities where I had free range as a kid. Mulvane Kansas was mine by bicycle (small town).

Interesting article. Growing up in Anchorage in the 70s, my four brothers and I had, essentially, free roam of the entire city, lakes, woods, etc. At least in the summer, by bike. This was probably older than 8, though - my closest-in-age brother and I were probably 12-13. Although, if we left the house on bike at age 8, we could go as far as we were capable of going.

I've often thought that if I'd been as adventurous as that closest brother I would have developed a better sense of direction.

We also traveled alone by commercial air, usually Anchorage-Honolulu or Anchorage-Detroit to stay with grandparents. We often arrived into connecting cities in the middle of the night. Here our pattern played out the same, as I stayed close to the connecting flight's gate and my brother roamed the airport only to arrive at the very last second. I always threatened to get on the plane without him - and I think I would have, though it never happened.

Here's where my child is: (A is her new apartment, B is about where she works, C is where she bought her iPad that she carries around the city).