‘Free-range kids’ – Do the Japanese get it right? – Watch

Most parents are too scared to let their kids roam freely. Many claim that the world isn't as safe as it used to be. But is hovering over your kids always the best way to parent?

Helicopter parenting is the parenting trend that just won't go away, but there are still some parents who are adamant about letting their kids play beyond their backyards without parental supervision. Recently in Maryland, two "free-range kids" were brought to Child Protective Services after the kids were found walking unattended a third of a mile away from home, according to Fox News. 

We personally don't see a problem with it. People say that "times have changed," but if anything crimes haven't gotten worse, only the media attention surrounding them. That kind of negative attention, especially with the implementation of Amber Alerts, naturally makes parents scared about letting their kids run off without supervision.

It's mostly a cultural phenomenon; that's even more clear when we look at Japanese culture, where it's not strange to see young children walking around by themselves to run errands for their kids. Watch this incredible video below of Japanese children going off on their own to do chores for their parents. It might just change the way you think about parenting!