Dear Abby got is wrong when she suggested,
When you take your children to a public place, they should remain under your or your husband’s supervision at all times until they are aware enough that they can’t be lured away by a stranger, and big enough to fight off a predator.
Another organization I follow, LetGrow
has an answer to that,
Of course — and obviously — when kids are 5 and 3, it makes sense to keep an eye on them, mostly because if they wander off, it is a miserable experience for all involved. But the idea that stranger danger is ever-lurking has been debunked even by the group that put the kids on the milk cartons:
"The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is now encouraging parents to steer away from using the phrase “stranger danger,” a slogan that has been taught for decades to emphasize to children the potential threat posed by strangers."
The comments section is
filled with great stories,
I read that Dear Abby out loud to my husband (who promptly rolled his eyes, prepared for the tirade I was about to unleash) when my daughter, age 5, piped up, “Mom? Who would go get the bananas when you forget them if I can’t go do that? We would never have bananas in the house. And why would I have to fight anyone? That doesn’t make sense.” Thank you, kiddo, I rest my case. (And, in my defense, the banana thing only happened once. Or twice. Maybe three times…)
To want someone else's kids assumes a set of bizarre values. Children do not poop gold and even attempting to kidnap a child can land you
5-20 years in jail, or life in some states.
