The Roam-Free Childhood

At what age were you allowed to walk up to 5 miles from home alone? According to a recent Slate survey, this depends on your generation. Most people born in the 1940s say second to third grade. By the 1980s, that figure had aged up to fourth and fifth grade—and by the 1990s, it had turned into middle school. A similar trend was observed for several othe…