I love this story. It reminds of those two books out on the market right now: The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls. I absolutely agree that the media has fuelled paranoia about the effect of crime on safe child-rearing. Really, the benefits of letting your kids be bold far outweigh the risks (well, assuming you don't get accused of child abuse...)

Quoted: A New York columnist lets her grade-schooler ride the subway alone, provoking a wave of criticism. But do kids really need more supervision than in generations past?