Couple who believe in '解放する／自由な-範囲 parenting' 乱暴／暴力を加えるd after 存在 調査／捜査するd for letting their son, 10, and daughter, six, walk a mile home from the park on their own

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When Alexander and Danielle Meitiv waved goodbye to their children at a Maryland park just before Christmas last year, they thought nothing of letting the youngsters walk a mile home on their own.

After all, Rafi, 10, and Dvora, six, had been on three trips together already, walking up to three ４半期/4分の1s of a mile from their parents' house in Montgomery 郡.

Alex and Danielle, who 述べる themselves as '解放する／自由な-範囲 parents', encouraged them to take the 旅行s to learn 責任／義務, build 信用／信任, and teach them about the outside world.?

But on this occasion the kids made it halfway home before the 警官，（賞などを）獲得するs arrived. They took the 幼児s home, Child 保護の Services were called, and Alex and Danielle were （刑事）被告 of neglect.

Danielle (pictured) says she and husband Alexander often let their children Rafi, ten, and Dvora, six, walk alone to teach them about the world - but they have now been （刑事）被告 of neglect

Alexander was asked to 調印する a form 説 he wouldn't let the children go out unsupervised and 最初 辞退するd, but was told that Rafi and Dvora could be taken away さもなければ, so he gave in.

労働者s from Montgomery 郡 Child 保護の Services (CPS) even went to their children's school and questioned the youngsters without their parents' knowledge.

Alex and Danielle have yet to learn whether any その上の 活動／戦闘 will be taken against them, but say whatever happens next, the experience has left them furious.

Danielle told the Washington 地位，任命する: 'I think what CPS considered neglect, we felt was an 必須の part of growing up and 円熟したing.?

'We feel we’re 存在 いじめ（る）d into a point of 見解（をとる） about child-後部ing that we 堅固に 同意しない with.'

The Meitivs are 支持するs of '解放する／自由な 範囲 parenting', a school of thought 始める，決める up in 対立 to いわゆる 'ヘリコプター parents', who micro-manage every element of their children's lives in an 試みる／企てる to keep them 安全な.

Danielle 主張するs that while their 手渡すs-off approach may panic some people, in fact she is just trying to give her children the same 'old-fashioned' しつけ she had.

She told WUSA-TV: 'I grew up in New York City in the '70s and nobody hesitated to let their kids walk around.?

'The world is 現実に even safer than when I was a child. The only thing that's changed between then and now is our 恐れる.

'I think it’s 絶対 批判的な for their 開発 ― to learn 責任／義務, to experience the world, to 伸び（る） 信用／信任 and competency.'

She 述べるs parenthood as 存在 'an 演習 in 危険 管理／経営' and say her and her husband spend the same 量 of time as any parent worrying about what is and isn't 安全な.

The only difference is where they decide to draw the line.

She said parents should stop worrying that their children are going to be 誘拐するd, 説 such 見えなくなるs are 'incredibly rare', and should instead 焦点（を合わせる） on more likely problems, such as road safety.

Danielle and Alex waved go odbye to their children at this park in Montgomery 郡 on December 20. The next time they saw them they were in the 支援する of a police car after 警官，（賞などを）獲得するs 選ぶd them up

She often lets the children go for walks together, around the 封鎖する, or up to the 地元の 7/11. They even carry a card which reads: 'I'm not lost, I'm a 解放する／自由な 範囲 kid.'

However, when police stopped the children on December 20 as they were walking 支援する home from Woodside Park, they didn't have the card on them.

The children told officers that they weren't doing anything wrong by walking home, but were still put into a patrol car and driven 支援する to their house.

Alexander said he was given a '緊張した' lecture by officers on the dangers of the world. But the real problem began after they left and the CPS showed up.

Even now, more than a month on, their ordeal is not over. によれば the?Meitivs the CPS tried to search their house, but they 辞退するd to answer the door.

They say they have a 会合 始める，決める for next week at CPS offices in Rockville, but don't know what the 結果 will be.

A CPS spokeswoman told the 地位，任命する that they couldn't comment on individual 事例／患者s, but pointed to 明言する／公表する 法律 which says children under eight must be left with a responsible person 老年の at least 13.

Police said they could not find （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on the 事例／患者, but a spokeswoman said that when 関心s are 報告（する）／憶測d, 'we have a 責任／義務 as part of our 義務 to check on people’s 福利事業.'