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Comment by sotojuan | Hacker News Reader

I live in Brooklyn and there's kids roaming around after school all over. Unless they're toddlers they know how to not get hit by a car.

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I'm not saying kids can't handle it. My point was not that it's not entirely reasonable to expect parents of today to act in the same ways as their parents did when when they were growing up, because the world now looks a lot different from what they experienced as children. The danger could be real or perceived, but the end result is the same.

I wouldn't be surprised if our parents' generation were also considered over-protective by previous standards. This just feels like a "when I was your age" type of thing.

I think there is real difference between saying the reality is different, and the perception is different, though I agree the outcome is the same. If teh reality is different, then teh outcome may be justified. But if the perception is different (which I think is the truth), then guys like Mika Lanza are fighting the good fight, and all parents should be working to change the perception that free play is dangerous.

I completely agree. It's something I consciously try to change within myself on a regular basis as a parent. My point being, it is a struggle and an understandable one. It's not as easy as saying "You're being a helicopter! Stop being so silly." as if the parent is behaving irrationally. It's something I feel I have to actively unlearn, even though it wasn't explicitly taught to me.

And, of course, there are many degrees of protectiveness. It is a spectrum. I see some parents where their protectiveness is much greater than mine and it seems obvious to me. At the same time, I'm sure other parents look at me and say the same thing. It's not a one size fits all situation. Parenting, as a whole is, of course a matter of personal values.

I think the problem is more complex than more cars. If you have more cars but road size stays the same, after a point traffic is slower moving. I imagine the graph to be like a bell curve.

But if you widen roads and make other improvements to accommodate traffic then the graph would be more linear.

Brooklyn is one of very few places in America where kids can roam around all over. It's a highly walkable, pedestrian friendly place with excellent public transit options. Most of America is not like that at all.

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