A Virginia mother is challenging a criminal conviction that landed her on the state’s child abuse and neglect registry after she allowed her five-year-old son to walk alone to a nearby pond. Karyann Parkinson, a resident of a gated community, permitted her son, Samuel, to walk the half-mile route on June 5 to collect goose feathers—a path she noted he was familiar with and had previously navigated alongside her.
The incident escalated when a security guard for the Ford’s Colony community intervened after a neighbor reported seeing the child walking unattended. When the guard confronted Parkinson, he suggested that if the act was not a violation of homeowner association bylaws, it was likely illegal. Shortly after, police and Child Protective Services arrived at the home. The subsequent legal proceedings resulted in a conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a six-month suspended jail sentence, and seven years of placement on the state’s child abuse and neglect registry, which prohibits her from volunteering at her son’s school.
Parkinson, who studied family science at Brigham Young University, maintains that she and her husband, Dallin, believe in fostering independence in their four children, aged 14, 12, 7, and 5. “They can do more than you think they can, and as you allow them to do that, they’re going to build all this confidence,” she stated. She emphasized the importance of providing children with opportunities for success, arguing that independence must be cultivated gradually rather than expected suddenly.
The case has become a flashpoint for the “free-range parenting” movement, which advocates for increased autonomy and limited adult intervention. While many have rallied to support Parkinson, critics have raised concerns regarding the safety of allowing a young child to walk toward a body of water unsupervised. Parkinson acknowledged the intensity of the debate, noting that regardless of one’s stance on her specific decision, the broader issue is that children today are struggling because society has moved away from allowing them to be active, independent members of their communities.
Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow and a prominent advocate for childhood independence, has defended the mother’s actions as “great parenting” that demonstrated trust in both her child and her neighborhood. Skenazy, who famously faced public scrutiny in 2008 for allowing her nine-year-old son to ride the New York City subway alone, suggests that public sentiment is finally shifting toward recognizing the value of such autonomy.
This perspective is supported by experts like psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation,” and Peter Gray, who wrote “Restoring Childhood.” They argue that a “moral panic” beginning in the 1980s led parents to become overly fearful of external threats, resulting in a decline in organic play and an increase in digital screen time. Haidt and others have long urged a return to more independent childhood experiences.
The legal landscape regarding childhood independence remains fragmented. While Virginia is one of more than a dozen states—including Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, and Kansas—that have passed “reasonable childhood independence” laws to protect parents, enforcement varies significantly. In some jurisdictions, such as Illinois, laws explicitly prohibit leaving children under 14 years old alone.
Data suggests that the trend toward supervised childhoods is widespread. A Harris Poll survey of children aged 8 to 12 found that most are not permitted in public without an adult, and over 25% are restricted from playing in their own front yards unsupervised. Furthermore, research from the Institute for Family Studies indicates that more than 60% of 17-year-olds are unable to navigate their own neighborhoods without adult supervision.
Holly Moscatiello, founder of The Balance Project, notes that the movement toward independence is still in its early stages regarding government and parental acceptance. Despite her own practice of allowing her five- and eight-year-old daughters to bike to school, she acknowledges the persistent anxiety many parents feel about potential repercussions for trusting their children’s capabilities.
Parkinson, who plans to appeal her conviction, continues to advocate for a cultural shift. She believes that the current climate of over-protection has hindered the development of children, and she hopes her case will encourage a re-evaluation of what constitutes appropriate parental supervision in modern society. The report also notes that “I just love to give my kids those chances to have a little success under their belts, and you have to build that, you can’t expect kids to suddenly be able to walk down the street on their own if you don’t give them the chance.”. The report also notes that how a walk turned into a flashpoint moment. The report also notes that “He said, ‘Well, if it’s not against the rules, then it’s against the law, and I’m going to call the police.’”. The report also notes that according to records viewed by, parkinson was eventually charged and convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The report also notes that “Everyone who’s invested in this conversation cares so much about kids,” says Parkinson. The report also notes that wherever anybody stands on whether that was a good decision or a bad decision, we need to take a look and say we can all agree that kids today are struggling, and we have abandoned what has worked really well for thousands of years, which is letting children be a part of our communities and believing that they are capable, what I did on June 5. The report also notes that the question of when a child is old enough to be alone isn’t governed by one federal standard.
