The state of Utah just passed a bill that takes effect in May, that legalizes something called Free- Range Parenting. From what I can gather, it sounds like how my grandparents raised my own parents. It allows kids more freedom to discover the world on their own, while redefining what "neglect" means in Utah. Representatives in the state said that kids need a chance to participate in unsupervised activities without the parents being punished for it. Senator Lincoln Fillmore told ABC news,

"As a society, we’ve become too hyper about ‘protecting’ kids and then end up sheltering them from the experiences that we took for granted as we were kids.

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Obviously there are some parameters set. For example, parents are now allowed to let their children walk to school alone, or play at the park alone if they believe their child is capable of being responsible with the task. Lenore Skenazy, author of "Free Range Kids" said

 "There's no right way to parent. You have to give the parent leeway because they know best, and they love them the most."

Which makes total sense in my head. From the stories I have heard of my parents growing up, they hard little to no adult supervision and they turned out fine! They got to explore the world, get a few bumps and bruises but ultimately learned from any mistakes made. I think free-range parenting might be worth a shot again here in Minnesota!

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