Mark, yes, bike helmets are a must. It seems like most parents in our town feel the same way, so at least there's nothing embarrassing about it to the kids. They're all in the same boat. But when it comes to other freedoms and other safety precautions, I'm sure we'll find more and more disparities between our approach and that of their friends' parents. That's the hard thing to explain to kids, isn't it? Why some parents see things one way and other parents see them a different way. It's also funny that you bring up how much freedom we all had as kids growing up in the 70s and 80s. Jason and I were talking about that, and I planned to include it in this post but felt like it would quickly become too long and complex (sort of like my response to you!).