Norms are not static and based on your experiences as a child. It&#x27;s labeled &quot;free range parenting&quot; because it is no longer the norm.<p>Edit: I should have been more careful in my wording. Whether it is &quot;the norm&quot; is obviously very location dependent. The US is a large country with all sorts of different norms at the community level.<p>I happen to have grown up in a suburban Midwest community (incredibly safe) with large residential areas directly across the street from many schools. However, walking to school was prohibited. Any students caught walking were subject to suspension and the school threatened to report parents to law enforcement. Obviously my particular anecdote doesn&#x27;t apply to everyone, but there are some communities with insane policies in the US.