The Mom Memo
Learning after the Loss of Leiby Kletzky
The abduction and murder of Leiby Kletzky raised questions of balancing childhood independence with the need to protect our children.
As parents, we don’t need another reminder that the world isn’t safe. But to any parent who is still holding onto the belief that daylight hours and “safe” neighborhoods make any sort of difference in crime statistics, the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky served as yet another grim wake-up call. The murder shocked New York communities and the world. Beyond the shock, the fear, and the horror came the reverberating ramifications and the ever-burning question stuck on the tip of every parent’s tongue: “Is it ever safe to let a child walk alone?” Seven blocks stood between Leiby and his home. But he never made it. One wrong turn changed everything. The line between overprotection and allowing childhood independence is a gray …
