Spurred by our recent conversation about playground safety, Suzanne follows up with a video and probing questions for readers about the “free-range” chickens children of Decatur.

First up, the video.  It features the prof. who recently made the national news for letting her 9 year-old take the NYC subway alone.

Suzanne ties it all back to our little freedom-loving hamlet…

Probably pretty much everyone who spends a little time in Decatur will see them…. free range kids.  You see them walking in flocks from school in the afternoons… biking through neighborhoods and occasionally hanging out with friends at Dairy Queen, Greene’s or Chik-Fil-A.

It appears that we may be on the edge of a new trend and are relatively unique.   Check out [the] You Tube video on the Free Range Kid movement and also look for Lenore Skenazy’s blog and book on the topic.

…Is Decatur a free range kid utopia?  Why?  Are Decatur parents who let their kids go free range being irresponsible or are they just letting their kids live a normal and fulfilling life?

Or put the overly simplistic way:  Child leashes or MARTA cards?