The Ongoing Parental Debate: What freedoms/responsibilities are age-appropriate for our kids?

I was watching Today one morning, and one story in particular caught my attention. Apparently, a mom in the Chicago area was surprised to find police officers and child services at her front door all due to the fact that she allowed her eight year-old daughter walk their dog around the neighborhood all by herself. A concerned neighbor had called the police and alerted child services because she believed the child was too young and could be in danger. As a mother of four boys ranging in age from thirteen to three, this got me thinking…