When you hear the term “free-range,” it’s likely that chickens come to mind. But what about parenting? The free-range parent advocates for their children to explore and discover independently and the movement is on the rise after a Maryland couple was cited by protective services in early March for letting their 10 and 6 year old children walk to a park just a mile from the family’s home. The public’s response has raised the question of freedom and how much autonomy parents should or shouldn’t be allowing their children. While “free-range” might seem like a new trend in parenting, odds are if you grew up in the ’60s or ‘70s you remember being governed only by the emergence of street lights or a firm 6 p.m. dinner time. This got us thinking about trends in parenting and what impact “free-range” or other styles are having on today’s kids. With us now are clinical psychologist Dr. Wendy Mogel and author Mei-Ling Hopgood. (Flickr/lydia_x_liu)