I know two people to whose place police have been called by neighbors "trying to help children" when they suspected (correctly) that a 7 and a 10yo were alone at home. The parents were normal, reasonable people (not born in the US); kids were never in danger.
When I was between 7 and 9 I often came home from school and was alone for a while, warmed up food or cooked something simple (using a gas stove that required a match to light), went outside to play with friends if I wanted, etc.
It is sad the society today will jump in to protect my kids from me if it catches me letting them do anything like that.
Nothing serious. In both cases the parents were told to stop doing it. AFAIK they apologized and complied (or instructed their kids to act as if there were an adult in the house).
> or instructed their kids to act as if there were an adult in the house
So I gather that somehow these two kids were, when alone, acting in such a way that allowed the person who called the police to believe they were alone? It feels like there's some more context here. What were the kids up to? (:
I am not sure if you are serious. I assume you are -- I think the old lady, who was always bored, was tracking who was going where and when. I heard (but not sure) she even peeked into the windows from the outside to find out who was inside. Those were two separate incidents btw.
When I was between 7 and 9 I often came home from school and was alone for a while, warmed up food or cooked something simple (using a gas stove that required a match to light), went outside to play with friends if I wanted, etc.
It is sad the society today will jump in to protect my kids from me if it catches me letting them do anything like that.