.jpg)
Jan. 23, 2023 Editor, The News-Gazette: When we lived in Northern Virginia, my wife and I joked that neighbors might call Child Protective Services on us for letting our girls play in the front yard without us. That’s a sad sort of gallows humor for simply fostering independence in our kids.
A bill in the state Senate changes that narrative to say that encouraging play and independence is a good thing. The Reasonable Childhood Independence bill, SB 1367, counters the trend of today’s kids enjoying much less freedom to grow and develop into healthy and resilient problemsolvers and community members.
I am very concerned that Virginia children see limited outdoor play and get too many signals from adults and society that discourage walking in their neighborhood or even playing outside with their friends. This bill ensures parents are on sound legal footing for letting their children do the things children should do.
Sen. Creigh Deeds cochairs the Judiciary committee, which is weighing the bill. I encourage him to help Virginia join the growing list of states that make it clear kids doing kid stuff aren’t being neglected – they’re growing. PETER LIPSETT Lexington
