Mom writes 'permission slip' for kids to climb trees

Playing outside is a normal pastime that many children love to indulge in. But when a neighbor tried to rob a Pennsylvania mother's kids of this joy she was forced to take matters into her own hands.

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Julie Holcombe's twin sons, Ryan and Patrick were hanging out after school one day climbing trees and playing football when a man they didn't know scolded them, according to TODAY Parents.

The man told the two 6th-graders, "I've been watching you climb this tree after school for a while, and even sent a security guard over to talk to you, but you were being evasive of the officer," Ryan told TODAY Parents.

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He even asked the boys for their names and school so he could report them to their principal.

"He told us, 'I don't want you kids climbing, because if you fall and get hurt, the school would be responsible and could get sued,'" Ryan said. "He said, 'You aren't in trouble, but if you do it again, I'm going to contact your principal.'"

When Ryan and Patrick told their mother about the incident she was baffled that her kids were being discouraged from "being kids."

So she decided to draft a "permission slip" to give to the man or any other adult that tried to stop them from playing after school.

"My children have permission to climb any tree they so desire," wrote Holcombe. "I encourage it, whenever they can, for as long as they both shall live."

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While Holcombe admitted the man's intentions may have been good they weren't necessarily justified or warranted.

"It seems like too many of us who are responsible in some way for our children's development — parents, teachers, school administrators, coaches — have gotten so focused on preventing something bad that it's come at the expense of fostering something good," she said.

Looks like this man won't go barking up the wrong tree again anytime soon.