SCOUT· 61%22m·2026-09-18·RelationshipsHer 5-year-old took a walk alone. Now she's a criminal
Kary-Ann Parkinson let her 5-year-old son Sam walk half a mile alone to a pond in their Williamsburg, Virginia, gated community. Now she's a convicted criminal, placed on Virginia's Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry for 7 years for trusting her own kid. Dr. Phil breaks down the case, dividing parents: is this…
Scout bees are checking it out — divided opinions, the swarm hasn't committed.
- Platform
- 50%
- Community
- 75%
- Value
- no read yet
Buzzmeter says it's buzzing across platforms — the Hive Vote says whether the people who actually listened liked it.
Rate this episode
Add your vote to the Hive — listeners rate every episode after they finish.
- No reviews yet — be the first.
What people are saying
“Dr Phil, it all depends where we live! I live in South Africa. There is NO WAY we would send our children anywhere on their own. Ever!”
“My son used to walk to kindergarten 2 blocks in the late 80’s. I walked 4 blocks to kindergarten in the 60’s. I would not let a child out of my sight today.”
“At 5 let them make a bowl of cereal, not walk alone headed to a body of water!”
“I walked a mile to school back in the 70s. I wouldn't do it nowadays. The world is too violent now. Smh”
Similar episodes from other shows
More like The Dr. Phil Podcast →
Your Kids Don’t Need More Achievement. They Need More Freedom | Dr. Peter Gray - EP 826
32%Episode 586: Raising Resilient Kids in the Age of Smartphones and Overprotective Parenting
178. Do Kids Need More Independence?
62%Caller: “Is My Relationship With My Kids Unhealthy?”
One great episode in your inbox, daily — free.
One email a day, unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.