Is Roaming 120 Feet from Home a Jailable Offense?

Sonya Hendren lives in a gated complex with a playground just 120 feet from her apartment door. After two neighbors saw her 4-year-old, Tomahawk Hendren, playing by himself, they told him to go home. When Tomahawk didn’t, they called the cops.

No, they didn’t do the neighborly thing and watch Tomahawk while he romped around on the slides and swings, nor did they just let the outdoorsy and independent 4-year-old do what he had done in the past, they called the authorities, who then brought in Child Protective Services.

As Yahoo reports, “while she was initially arrested for felony child endangerment and neglect, Hendren’s charges have been reduced to misdemeanors and she has been offered a reduced sentence of 30 days in jail and one year probation, but she rejected the offer and now faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and three years probation.”

Six months in jail. For allowing your child to play by himself. An incredibly necessary use of our legal system and a fitting punishment for a mother, who says of her son, “Of course I love him, I do everything for him. I breastfed for 28 months. I cloth-diapered, you know, obviously I’m avoiding helicopter parenting.”

The neighbors who reported Sonya are unsurprisingly staying anonymous in all this. They had this to say for themselves, “I just thought she would get a warning. I’m not mad she has to do things now to teach her, because what if someone did take him?”

Sure, you shouldn’t be mad that a mom could spend six months in prison for this, because I’m sure Tomahawk will receive fantastic care in the foster child system, while mom is behind bars. This worked out perfectly for everyone.

 - Vigilant Producer Alex Logan

  

What do you think of "free-range" parenting? Were you allowed to go 120 feet from home when you were a kid? Sound off below!

 

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The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC its affiliates, or its employees.

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