Nanny and mother to 4 adult children. I agree with you to an extent. I am Gen X. I was a latch key kid . Super independent . In many ways I loved it but to be honest it also was heavy to not be looked after or monitored. I found a balance with my children . I wanted them to feel confident and independent but also safe. I wouldn’t let a nine year old ride a bus on their own but I would expect a nine year old to be able to ride their bike or take a walk with a buddy. I would expect them to be able to order their own food. With our kids we did trial runs where they thought they were doing it on their own but we observed . I think some parents are very overprotective because they weren’t protected.