Millennials are becoming the new generation of parents, and there is a growing divide among parenting styles—perhaps most dramatically between helicopter and “free-range” parenting. Fear of abduction and abandonment has shaped hyper-protective parenting styles and shifted the collective expectation of what it means to be a “responsible, devoted parent.” Although crime has decreased in the past two decades, a recent poll found that 19% thought an unsupervised child in public might be abducted, and over 23% believed that more bad things happen today than when they were growing up. The pressure to be an ever-present parent is strong, with those who leave kids unattended facing legal ramifications and judgment. (Mashable)
