Does your town have a kids curfew?
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
United States
February 10, 2007 4:39pm CST
Recently our city of 150,000 decided to instill a kids curfew. Anyone under 18 cannot be out weeknights, Sunday through Thursday past 10pm and weekends past midnight. While at first glance it was sort of like "well no big deal, kids don't need to be out that late anyways", after truly experiencing our regular lifestyle I can say it's a pain in the butt for anyone who DOES care about their kids. Here's why. Weekends my son in particular usually sleeps between his best friends house and our house.. depending on what they're doing. Our houses are about 4 city blocks apart. There are times when the boys will want to run home, together, and grab something at the house, etc. and I have no issues with it as I'm a late night person and they call when they leave and when they get back. It's safe basically. But now, every time the kids want to perhaps run to the all night convenience store and get soda or just snacks, etc. I have to write them a freaking note saying they're allowed out past curfew. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it gets tired after a few times. You have to stop and think about it and remember or the kids can face fines (basically the parents face them) which increase time after time until they hit a "jail sentence" for the parents.
While I understand the reasoning behind the curfew, let's face it.. it doesn't make it any easier on the parents who DO keep track of their kids and the ones that they really wanted to keep off the streets are still out there and just running and hiding, etc. or don't care.
Does your town have a curfew for kids?
8 people like this
27 responses
@vmoore709 (1101)
• United States
11 Feb 07
We have a curfew where I live as well and it sounds like it's the same as yours. I am fine with it. My kids don't need to be out that late. I must say, you're a brave soul to let your kids run back and forth to the different homes and an all night store. There are too many crazy people out there these days for me to allow my kids to do that.
2 people like this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
11 Feb 07
We really rarely have crime issues except for in the "high crime" areas. I feel quite comfy myself walking the streets at night here and it's well lit. They generally walk no more than a couple blocks to a friends or 3 blocks to the store. Not a daily thing but I don't mind it and they always call when they get there. I suppose if I lived in a much larger city I'd think twice but because of a fairly low crime rate I feel ok with it. And since I'm just a late night person anyways, 1am doesn't sound so "late" to me. Now 7am sounds dang early! LOL Actually, I'm up by 6:30am... but I nap again later! hahahaha
1 person likes this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
10 Feb 07
We have one here as well. However ours doesn't have a note exception for it. If they are working they are allowed to work that late and then drive home but they cannot be out otherwise after 10pm. It usually isn't enforced here though. Only if the cops see it and want to deal with it. Usually they just ignore it unless there is a problem.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
11 Feb 07
I'm thinking that here, the note exception was provided because technically it could really be fought as unconstitutional. The parent has the right to have their children do as they see fit as long as it is not something obviously wrong, like killing or something. The parent says you CAN go someplace and the local government says you can't.. then who are they? So I think that's why they did the note exception for it. Not sure though.
1 person likes this
@lesterdsa (1638)
• India
11 Feb 07
Yes in my city there was a kidi curfew just a few days back because of the cyberage computers there were in all about 2500 kids who blocked the roads a stopped the roads for 3 hrs they were later all caught and thrown in jail for few hrs
@butterpecan (688)
• United States
11 Feb 07
The town that I live is so small it would be a waste of time setting a curfew for kids cause everybody knows each others kids anyway so I don't have that problem yet no way.
@samtaylorskykierajen (7977)
• Canada
10 Feb 07
Wow where I live they only have a curfew on one night of the year and that is Halloween and even that I thought was kind of a pain . I rememeber one year we were coming home from a friends house and the children were in the car and they had their costumes on and when the cop went by he saw us and shook his finger at me as if I had done something wrong .
I can see how in some ways it would be good but like you said for those of us that actaully watch our children it would be more of a pain then anything else .
2 people like this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
11 Feb 07
At first I was like "hey, no problem the bad apples will be kept off the streets" but the end result has been seriously, cops following my kids as they walk home from the store to see if they make it home by 12 or 10 or whatever the time limit. It's ridiculous. Talk about having nothing better to do! And my kids have NEVER been in trouble, so it's not like they're all gangsta looking and just smell of trouble! LOL
I think it's a real pain and in the summer is truly going to suck. We are always up late and the kids' friends' parents let the kids hang here because I don't work outside of the home and we will stay up and light a fire or just sit out back on the swing, etc. and chill til like 2am and then walk home, call when they get there. It's literally a matter of 3 city blocks at most in a decent area so we don't fear. Now, this can still happen but only if we write daily notes saying they're allowed. Pain!
1 person likes this
@flagbabygirl (891)
• United States
11 Feb 07
I used to live in Phoenix AZ and they had a curfew, But in Flastafrf they donnot at least I don't think they do!
2 people like this
@cyrux004 (948)
• India
11 Feb 07
Curfew for what,though not a curfew we do have deadlines,i think a cell is enough to keep track of them.My city does not have this but still has some rules.They have a right to stay late especially on weekends.All the wild parties,group movies,they will miss out some good time.I was a party guy,the party begins at midnight and you people have given that a deadline.Well as all know when young we dont play by the rules-say rebels.Dont you trust your kiddos.
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
11 Feb 07
Yes now we do..It has been such a lovely quiet town..and all of a sudden, the kids are gone ape crap..fighting,,and breaking in schools and such..it has been nutts here!! soo as of last month..It was in the local paper the law enforcements have made a curfew, it 11 weeknights and 12 weekends..and weekends,.and oif they are caught ..they parents get a fine??! I think its total BS.,because I know how sneaky Teens can be..soo im sleeping and he sneaks out.?? i think that the children need to do to community work or soemthing since they broke the curfew..but yet i see the side of some parents that just dont care and should be punished as well..but i have a ways to worry abotu that//Skys only 4 lol..
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
11 Feb 07
What an excellent scheme, I wish the UK would follow suit and take the same stance with kids who hang around in gangs terrorizing people and creating a nuisance to people. If these kids were given a curfew then old people wouldn't feel so scared to go out at nights and our streets would be a lot safer. Yes I would be a pro curfew and I hope they have the sense to adopt this scheme. Something has to be done as the kids in this country just stick two fingers up at the law because they know nothing can be done about them! Stronger deterrants is desperately needed.
1 person likes this
@beckyomg1 (6756)
• United States
10 Feb 07
yes our town does, even though we live in the country, the town itself has a 1030 curfew, pretty hard to enforce it out on the country roads though. my kids however do not go out late.
2 people like this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
11 Feb 07
I can kind of see the reasoning behind a curfew, but I'm sorry I just find the idea totally scary!!! This world really is on a fast downhill slope towards 'Big Brother'! Either Big Brother or a kind of 'Nanny' government! Yuck! I think that in the first instance it is a violation of human rights, and secondly it's another intance of governments taking away childrearing rights and decisions from parents. Scary in my opinion!
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
11 Feb 07
See, I tend to agree with you. I understand the reasoning behind it and I don't argue that there are a group of bad kids out there that do bad things. BUT.. there are bad adults out there... how long before they put curfews on adults because crime happens? It just seems that they're not right in being allowed to do this and it's a step in the wrong direction if you ask me.
@annettenasser (2992)
• Kuwait
11 Feb 07
in our country, we have curfew for not just for the kids but for foreigner also and even citizen here, depend on what is the situation on the roads.
@venshida (4836)
• United States
11 Feb 07
My town does not. I use to live in a town a few years ago and the curfew were 11:oo Clock or esle the parents got in trouble. I kind of like that rule. I see a lot of kids hanging out late and I don't think that's a good thing at all.
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
11 Feb 07
The town I used to live in, out in the country, put a curfew in place about a year ago. There was a lot of trouble with vandalism on the main street and business owners were at their wits end. So, they decided on a curfew. As someone else mentioned, though, it's a lot harder to enforce a curfew on country roads. Mainly, the only benefit in this particular town is to keep the kids away from the businesses. Outside of that, they can't really "hang around" much anyway because it takes a car ride to get anywhere... even from house to house, unless you live right in the "core" of the town.
1 person likes this
@makamania20 (274)
• India
11 Feb 07
this is really a unique governance but still its better for parents of night roamer kids tht atleast they'll b safe inside home during nit! in our town kids dnt come out late no need of curfew !
1 person likes this
