A Fall River mother says a trip to Kennedy Park with her two-year-old turned into an unsettling encounter with a group of unsupervised children, sparking a heated debate in a local Facebook group about parenting, safety and how much freedom kids should have in the city.
The woman, who posts under the name GenuineBlueberry6110, said she was at the playground when a boy she estimated to be around nine years old, part of a larger group of older kids, began using offensive language and made a crude joke toward another child.
When she asked where his parents were, she said the boy responded dismissively and refused to answer. She said the behavior stopped only after she warned him she would contact authorities if it continued.
In her post, she argued that any child younger than high school age should not be out in public without adult supervision, calling it something parents in the city need to take seriously.
Commenters Split on Whether Age Is the Real Issue
The post quickly drew dozens of comments, many disagreeing over whether the problem was really about age or about parenting in general.
BeautifulHamster5474 pushed back early, writing that kids have been saying inappropriate things on playgrounds for decades and that this was not a new development tied to today’s youth.
Fred Pereira disagreed with the original poster’s high school age cutoff specifically, pointing out that fourteen-year-olds are often trusted to babysit younger children and should reasonably be allowed to be out on their own.
Ashlee A. Silveira Gardiner added that fourteen typically marks the start of high school anyway, suggesting the age line being debated was not far off from the original poster’s own standard.
Ashley Leigh took a middle position, acknowledging that poor parenting exists everywhere but maintaining that most middle school-aged children are capable of being given some independence without constant supervision.
Bobby Feren and GenuineBlueberry6110 found common ground in a different direction, both saying they would rather avoid certain parts of the city altogether, with Feren stating he would not let his child roam Fall River streets and the original poster replying that she feels the same way for herself.
Frustration Over Behavior, Not Just Freedom
Several commenters shifted the focus away from independence and toward discipline. Tanya Arruda said children who speak to adults disrespectfully or use foul language typically are not being raised properly, pointing to behavior learned at home.
Debbie Amaral was more blunt, suggesting the children’s parents themselves were at fault for the situation.
Some lighter moments broke up the debate. Johnny Fíve briefly responded to Arruda with a casual aside, while KindRaspberry5193 jokingly misread the word foul as fowl, poking fun at the typo.
ElegantSloth8376 and Ana Carolina Medeiros both said they have started avoiding city parks altogether, opting instead to take their children outside Fall River for a better experience. GenuineBlueberry6110 explained that her family normally does the same, but a car breakdown left them without another option that day.
The exchange highlights an ongoing tension among Fall River parents over supervision, safety, and how much freedom is appropriate for children at different ages.
