How children lost the right to roam in four generations — Daily Mail

It’s not really news that children no longer roam around and play in their neighborhoods like they used to, but it’s still nice to read an article about it.

The oldest member, George, was allowed to roam for six miles from home unaccompanied when he was eight.

His home was tiny and crowded and he spent most of his time outside, playing games and making dens.

Mr Thomas, who went on to become a carpenter, has never lost some of the habits picked up as a child and, aged 88, is still a keen walker.

His son-in-law, Jack Hattersley, 63, was also given freedom to roam.

He was aged eight in 1950, and was allowed to walk for about one mile on his own to the local woods. Again, he walked to school and never travelled by car.

I don’t really think you have to look back four generations to see when kids were allowed to “roam” around their neighborhood. I played in and around a creek when I was a kid, straying probably a mile around the neighborhood.

Today, her son Edward spends little time on his own outside his garden in their quiet suburban street. She takes him by car to school to ensure she gets to her part-time job as a medical librarian on time.

[…]

“It’s not just about time. Traffic is an important consideration, as is the fear of abduction, but I’m not sure whether that’s real or perceived.”

I don’t know whether it’s real or perceived, either, but there is no doubt that kids don’t play outside as much. Perception or not, it’s difficult for me to imagine letting my children go off as far (distance-wise) as I did when I was a kid.