Child safeguarding issue, or not?

[Mr. Dazzle]

I did the whole hiking to the middle of bumfuck nowhere, setting up camp etc. unsupervised when I was a boy scout aged 15 or so. Probably carrying a big ol' knife too.

As a parent I'd still worry about letting baby D do the same thing, but I can't say I wouldn't let her do it either. She's only 6 at the moment anyway

TbF adults even worry about other adults these says IME. Inevitable consequence of being available to contact all the time I suppose, if we're not contactable people assume there's a problem.

[Cousin Jack]

I did the whole hiking to the middle of bumfuck nowhere, setting up camp etc. unsupervised when I was a boy scout aged 15 or so. Probably carrying a big ol' knife too.

As a parent I'd still worry about letting baby D do the same thing, but I can't say I wouldn't let her do it either. She's only 6 at the moment anyway

TbF adults even worry about other adults these says IME. Inevitable consequence of being available to contact all the time I suppose, if we're not contactable people assume there's a problem.

Been there, done that.

At 6 we allowed our daughter to go around the corner to a friend. No road crossings, and total distance about 100 yards. Then by small steps freedom was increased, by secondary school she went to school a mile away unsupervised (in MK so via Redways).Then by 17 holiday abroad with a mate.

Small steps, demonstrate competence before being allowed to do stuff alone.

[Buckaroo]

That is the rub of being in touch all of the time. Instead of easing anxieties, it's increased them by an order of magnitude.
As a thirteen year old, I and a few mates would visit the scouting headquarters with our little book of attendance and be loaned all the gear needed for a camping escapade.
Off to the Hadhams, ask a friendly farmer for permission to camp in their land and we were all set for a week of jolly japes.
We often got fed by the farmer's wife.
My parents didn't have a clue where we were, but knew we'd be sensible and look after each other.
The nearest my kids got to this was camping in the back garden.
Mind you, when they were old enough there was no stopping their adventures!

[weeksy]

We had a funny one in Morzine last week. The boy had headed out to Chatel which is only 7 miles as the crow flies but 1hr 10 driving. So he's off with 2 mates, one is the same age as him, the other is 13... (the other lads are brothers).
We get a phone call later "we've lost Austin".... "what do you mean by 'lost'"
"well we can't find him"

Lets just say both the male parents were fairly pragmatic with "go find him, he'll be at the bottom"

The wives, they were in bits with "oh what will we do, we need to call......"

Jeez, it was mountains, there's charlifts and trails... The lifts are at the top, the trails end in a town at the bottom.

They found him 15 mins later... all was fine, he just took a wrong turn.

The world didn't end

[MrLongbeard]

I cycled to primary school and caught the bus to high school, did the camping on my tod and in a group in my early teen years.

My daughter walked to primary and high school, was given a house key and allowed by us to come home unsupervised from school at around 13 odd years old, and now at the ripe old age of 22 she's quite happy to jump a jet and piss off for a weekend.

Surely we lived in an age where people were less aware of the dangers that 'might' be around every corner, under every stone etc etc and without the social media battering that happens to anyone that is outside the 'norm'

I reckon the dangers aren't that different then to now, just reported and rammed down your throat by 24/7 news outlets and social media.

[DefTrap]

In the old days you just accepted that you weren't likely to reach adulthood because a paedo would whisk you away and kill you in the bushes after.
Not me though, none of them fancied me.

[Noggin]

Surely we lived in an age where people were less aware of the dangers that 'might' be around every corner, under every stone etc etc and without the social media battering that happens to anyone that is outside the 'norm'

I reckon the dangers aren't that different then to now, just reported and rammed down your throat by 24/7 news outlets and social media.

That’s kinda what I meant.

[Jody]

I think parents were aware if the dangers in the early 80's. I mean to say, I would walk to the park (a mile away) to hang out with my friends and come back 'whenever'. But we had it drilled into us not to talk to strangers, not to accept gifts from strangers, never get in a strangers car etc etc

My brothers and I were often left in the car in a supermarket carpark while mum went in to "grab a few bits" / get some peace!?. I suggested this to a friend some 20 years later and she fiercely replied "it's not safe"?!

I think in the OP she is getting more flack because of her fame, but not being famous does not necessarily mean you won't get scolded by social media if you get it wrong !

[Mr. Dazzle]

My mum used to leave me in the car incase the traffic/parking warden came.

What exactly she expected the 9 year old me to do about it, I'm still not sure.

[KungFooBob]

My mum used to leave me in the car incase the traffic/parking warden came.

What exactly she expected the 9 year old me to do about it, I'm still not sure.

Did you play with the cigarette lighter and burn a hole in the seat... I did.

[Noggin]

TBF, whilst all the comment on here is about the kids, I feel really sorry for the parents too as they are so restricted - even if they want to let their kids do what we did, the backlash is horrific (as per Kirstie Allsop)

Not even remotely. Kirstie is the product of her fame and this scenario is 99.9% on her. If it was a random kid, no-one would have ever been involved. The parents of the majority are not restricted in any way.

Only because people know about the trip BECAUSE she's famous.

If a kid of a 'normal' person goes missing, has an accident, does something that a journalist picks up on etc, the fall out is huge due to social media and fast moving (when it wants) news media online

[JamJar]

This story feels like she is causing all this herself. She bragged about letting her 15 year old travel around Europe unsupervised, people criticised her and she fought back so someone reported her. Social services have to investigate a complaint and she basically told them to fuck off and then complained about it on social media. She is an arrogant entitled “celebrity” that loves to laud it over people. Remember when she bragged about travelling first class and putting her kids in economy for the cabin crew to take care of?

[Yorick]

Remember when she bragged about travelling first class and putting her kids in economy for the cabin crew to take care of?

There was a couple over here.
Her, posh southern bank manager.
Him,Scottish builder.

Married 40 years but separate money.

When they flew from Heathrow to here, she flew first class, him second

[MrLongbeard]

Remember when she bragged about travelling first class and putting her kids in economy for the cabin crew to take care of?

You say that as if it's a bad thing..

[Taipan]

I'm not a parent so can't offer a subjective opinion.

But if a 15 year old was seriously injured while on an unsupervised jolly in Europe, the reaction might be different?

Plenty of kids and teens get injured on supervised jollies too. I mean what kind of kid hangs round with their parents on holiday!

[Mussels]

This story feels like she is causing all this herself. She bragged about letting her 15 year old travel around Europe unsupervised, people criticised her and she fought back so someone reported her. Social services have to investigate a complaint and she basically told them to fuck off and then complained about it on social media. She is an arrogant entitled “celebrity” that loves to laud it over people. Remember when she bragged about travelling first class and putting her kids in economy for the cabin crew to take care of?

She did cause it by broadcasting it across the net, however questionable that is I can't help wondering why the very over-stretched social services we keep hearing about didn't have something more urgent to spend their time on.

[demographic]

There was a couple over here.
Her, posh southern bank manager.
Him,Scottish builder.

Married 40 years but separate money.

When they flew from Heathrow to here, she flew first class, him second

Sometimes a bit of peace is a very valuable thing, even if you have to be marginally less comfortable to get it.

[Saga Lout]

Stepmum: Go out to play, come back at 7:30. Don't talk to strangers.
Me: How will I know what time it is?
Stepmum: Ask somebody.

[Rockburner]

My mum used to leave me in the car incase the traffic/parking warden came.

What exactly she expected the 9 year old me to do about it, I'm still not sure.

I think I remember that too. I somehow get the feeling that the idea was "if there's someone in the car, it's not parked, merely waiting"...

[Cousin Jack]

I can remember being left in the car in a pub carpark. It was OK because I had pop and crisps.