Meitiv incidents
Back in 2014, two kids named Rafi and Dvora Meitiv went out by themselves to walk home from a nearby park in Maryland, USA. They were only 10 and 6 years old at the time. But someone saw them walking without an adult and called the police, who picked up the kids and brought them home.
The Meitiv parents, Danielle and Alexander, believed in a parenting style called "free-range parenting." This means they let their kids explore and have independence, with some supervision, but without being overprotective. They believed that walking home from the park was safe for their kids to do on their own.
But, the next year in 2015, the same thing happened again. Rafi and Dvora were walking home from the park when someone called 911 to report "unsupervised children." They were picked up by the police again and taken home. Then, the Maryland Child Protective Services (CPS) got involved and investigated the Meitiv family, looking into whether the parents were neglectful for letting their kids walk alone.
The Meitivs argued that they were not neglectful, and that it was important for their kids to learn independence and responsibility. However, CPS still classified the case as "unsubstantiated child neglect," meaning they couldn't prove that there was neglect, but they also couldn't prove that the parents were in the clear. The Meitivs were instructed to not let their children outside unsupervised until they were older.
This incident sparked a national conversation about how to balance independence and safety in parenting. People had different opinions on what age or level of maturity is appropriate for a child to have independence, and whether parents should be punished for letting their kids have too much freedom. Some argued that the Meitivs were being too lax and potentially putting their kids in harm's way, while others supported their parenting style and criticized the authorities for overreacting.
Overall, the Meitiv incidents showed the tensions between individual freedom and responsibility, and societal norms of what "good parenting" should look like.
The Meitiv parents, Danielle and Alexander, believed in a parenting style called "free-range parenting." This means they let their kids explore and have independence, with some supervision, but without being overprotective. They believed that walking home from the park was safe for their kids to do on their own.
But, the next year in 2015, the same thing happened again. Rafi and Dvora were walking home from the park when someone called 911 to report "unsupervised children." They were picked up by the police again and taken home. Then, the Maryland Child Protective Services (CPS) got involved and investigated the Meitiv family, looking into whether the parents were neglectful for letting their kids walk alone.
The Meitivs argued that they were not neglectful, and that it was important for their kids to learn independence and responsibility. However, CPS still classified the case as "unsubstantiated child neglect," meaning they couldn't prove that there was neglect, but they also couldn't prove that the parents were in the clear. The Meitivs were instructed to not let their children outside unsupervised until they were older.
This incident sparked a national conversation about how to balance independence and safety in parenting. People had different opinions on what age or level of maturity is appropriate for a child to have independence, and whether parents should be punished for letting their kids have too much freedom. Some argued that the Meitivs were being too lax and potentially putting their kids in harm's way, while others supported their parenting style and criticized the authorities for overreacting.
Overall, the Meitiv incidents showed the tensions between individual freedom and responsibility, and societal norms of what "good parenting" should look like.
Related topics others have asked about: