I'm an American raising 2 kids in Switzerland. They started walking to school without me when they were in kindergarten. The author's kids walk to school alone. Courtesy of the author Though I'm from the US, I've adopted a Swiss-style approach to raising my kids' independence. Even in elementary school, they build confidence via solo play and errands. I wish everyone had this — Switzerland's social trust is exceptional. I was a 90's kid in San Diego . That meant playing outside or at the park alone, walking our dog around the neighborhood, and going to the nearby store to buy snacks and treats when our mom was at work. While we weren't exactly latchkey kids , we certainly had the freedom to run around and explore our neighborhood. I even began babysitting when I was only 11. Since those days, things have shifted significantly. It feels like that era is long gone, and were I still living in the US as a parent, I don't know that I'd ever let my children out of my sight.…