My 13-year-old refused to share his location with me. I was annoyed — until I realized he had a point.0

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• September 21, 2026

I don’t think of myself as an overprotective parent. I began letting my kids stay home alone for short stints when they were around 10. I let them wander our neighborhood alone starting when they were 11 or 12. I don’t heavily monitor their social lives or phone usage, nor do I check their grades