I was put on a child-abuse registry & got suspended prison sentence for letting my boy, 5, do something lots of kids do

A MUM has been convicted after allowing her five-year-old son to leave the house alone to walk to a local pond. Karyann Parkinson, a mum-of-five from Virginia, US, was given a six-month suspended jail sentence and placed on the child abuse and neglect registry for seven years. Mum-of-five Karyann Parkinson got reported after letting her five-year-old son walk to a pond to collect feathers Credit: Karyann Parkinson Her son Samuel likes to collect goose feathers, and had been taken home by a security guard when he was found alone Credit: Karyann Parkinson Karyann, 36, told how her son Samuel enjoyed collecting goose feathers, and had wanted to go to the pond, located 800 metres from their home inside a gated community. In June, she had allowed him to walk to the nature spot alone as she felt he knew the area well and that she could trust him. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Explaining her decision, she told Fox News: “I didn’t send him to play at the pond. I sent him down the path that happens to go past the pond to collect goose feathers. “I know that a lot of people have seen the headlines and seen ‘five-year-old alone at a pond.’ “And I think if I saw that in isolation, I’d probably be alarmed, too.” The young boy was stopped by a security guard, who alerted the police and Child Protective Services. Samuel had initially refused to get into his truck due to him being a stranger, so they had walked back to the house instead. Karyann had told the security guard that she hadn’t been breaking the rules of the homeowners association by allowing her son to walk alone. Most read in Fabulous Two weeks after the incident, Karyann was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The mum defended her choice to Fox News, saying: “We need to stop parenting from a place of fear and a place, you know, of obsessing over the unknown or some boogeyman who’s going to jump out from behind a bush.” Some schools have rules prohibiting children under eight walking home alone Credit: Getty Her son is said to be “pretty shaken up” by the incident, and needed reassurance that he hadn’t done anything wrong. Karyann plans to appeal in January next year. She admitted to CBS: “We just expected that as soon as this gets in front of a prosecutor actually looking at it and a judge, this is all gonna go away.” However, her currently being on the child abuse registry means she can’t volunteer for activities in her Samuel’s classroom until he reaches Year 6. While there is no legal age at which a child can walk to school or be outside on their own, the NSPCC suggests parents use their own judgement and assess their child’s maturity and confidence. Experts also suggest factoring in practical logistics like the length of the walk and the environment. However, NSPCC local campaigns manager Gail Sayles told Yahoo UK: “Typically many parents start letting their children walk to school independently around nine to 11 years old.” She also emphasised that “one size doesn’t fit all” and it is important to take into consideration the route your child will take, including busy roads and how long it will take them. It is also important to remember that some schools have rules prohibiting children under eight walking home alone without a parent or older sibling so parents will want to check regulations before proceeding with a plan. In the UK, there is also currently no law that outlines a specific age for leaving a child unsupervised at home. However, parents are reminded that it is a criminal offence if youngsters are put at risk. You can face fines or even jail if your child suffers harm due to being left alone. Child protection laws prohibit leaving a minor “in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health”. NSPCC guidance on how to keep your child safe The NSPCC has shared some handy advice for parents to follow on how to keep their children safe when walking to and from school alone. Make sure your child knows your address and telephone number by heart. That way, if they get lost, they can call you even if they don’t have a phone and can navigate their way home. Make sure they’ve charged their phone, if they have one, before leaving the house, and ensure they have your contact numbers saved – this could include your work number. It’s also a good idea to have another trusted adult’s number, such as a close friend or family member. Talk to them about road safety, including paying attention when they’re crossing the road rather than looking at their phone, for example. Tell them never to accept a lift from someone they don’t know – or someone they do know if it’s not been arranged with you first. Remind them they can call you or a trusted adult if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any time when they’re walking home. Make sure they know how to call 999 straight away and ask for the police if they ever feel like they’re in immediate danger. Source: NSPCC Comment now