My son stayed home alone at 7 and biked across town by his tweens. I don't regret giving him so much independence.

Courtesy of Julie Royce

I wanted my kid to have many of the same freedoms I had growing up in the '80s in the country — full of tree climbing, go-cart driving, and playing outside until the lights came on. My parents were relatively carefree and let us roam with minimal supervision, as long as our chores were done.