Police picked him up at 10 for walking home alone. At 21, he says free-range parenting gave him freedom.
Rafi Meitiv reflects on his 2015 experience of being detained by police for walking home alone at age 10. He argues that the incident, which led to a CPS investigation, highlights the benefits of free-range parenting in fostering independence.
Why it matters
The story highlights the ongoing cultural and legal debate regarding parental rights, child safety, and the appropriate age for children to gain independence.
In 2015, Danielle Meitiv (left) let her son Rafi (right) walk home alone with his sister, Dvora. The kids were stopped by the police, and the family was investigated by CPS. Caroline Gutman for BI Bundled in heavy coats, hats, scarves, and mittens, Rafi Meitiv and his little sister Dvora had just spent a sunny Saturday afternoon in December 2014 playing at a local playground in suburban Maryland. After an hour, the 10- and 6-year-olds began their trek home , about three-quarters of a mile. While it was their first time walking from that particular park to their house alone, they'd traced the same route in Silver Spring dozens of times with their parents and had also ventured off alone to other playgrounds in the area before.
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