How often does it really happen that CPS or the police are involved when a kid walks alone to grandma's or builds a tree-house? These are rare, shocking cases that get into the news and are discussed on the internet.
Please be careful to not fall into the fear trap. Safety-nuts are afraid about rare "worst case" scenarios where a child is harmed. And then safety-nut-critics get themselves scared about rare cases where CPS or police are called a child playing alone.
I do, and I agree, that it is statistically very rare indeed. Living in Maryland (where we've seen much of these CPS shenanigans taking place) perhaps invokes my lizard brain paranoia even more, but just as I have coerced my daughter into the ocean because it is statistically safe, I have also coerced myself into letting her play, unattended, because while my irrational brain tells me that CPS is a potential threat, I have no problems forcing my rational brain to make decisions in spite of it.
Please be careful to not fall into the fear trap. Safety-nuts are afraid about rare "worst case" scenarios where a child is harmed. And then safety-nut-critics get themselves scared about rare cases where CPS or police are called a child playing alone.
Just go ahead and let your kid be a kid.