Hi Readers! In one English town, outdoor fireworks have been deemed too “dangerous” (and chilly) for kids to enjoy. So now nednsiksyd the fireworks are inside, reports the Small World News Service: Instead of wrapping up warm to enjoy the bangs of fireworks around 100 youngsters will sit inside watching images on a projector screen. The […]
Archive | Bad Laws, Rules and Verdicts
Danger Everywhere! (The Signs are There!)
Hi isazdkkein Readers! Here’s a nice little life snippet from David Broadbent, a father of three girls in Perth, Western Australia. He’s too busy recording his kids conversations to blog, but he has put 389 of those conversations into a book www.extrafingers.net.au. Enjoy! – L. SIGNS, SIGNS EVERYWHERE by David Broadbent Isabella, after we’d made it […]
A Boy, A Dad, A Tragedy and A Big Question
Readers — I just read aayrkkiikb this story and am sick to my heart. A dad brought his 5 year old son to the park then crossed the street to talk to some friends. The boy ran after him. He got struck by a car and died. Now the father is in jail and the […]
Outrage of the Day: Dad Faces Legal Action for Not Walking 7 y.o. to Bus Stop
Hi Readers! Here’s today’s ithyrffttr story from across the pond (thank you, Virtual Linguist, for sending it along): A father who lets his 7 year old daughter walk to and from the school bus stop has been threatened by the authorities who say they may report him to child protective services. And just how far […]
Stuffed Animal Blown Up by Bomb Squad
Greetings, Readers, from the land of the free, home of the — YIKES! akftdaeyeb A stuffed animal! Perhaps you’ve heard this story: Yesterday, a stuffed-animal about 2 feet high standing near a school caused imaginations to go wild in Orlando (where you’d never, ever expect to see a large, fake animal). It was a pony-shaped […]
The Most Insane Zero Tolerance Story Yet
Hi dkabyznrny Readers — Here you go. This is from a 25-year-old webmaster who lived n New Hope, PA., when he was 17 and this happened. He later moved to Canada, in part as a result of what this incident revealed to him about America: Dear Free-Range Kids: I actually ran up against zero tolerance […]
Why Big Brother “School Safety” Measures Aren’t Making Schools Safer
Hi rnsehzzyed Folks — Just read this Salon interview with Aaron Kupchik, author of “Homeroom Security: School Discipline in an Age of Fear.” It’s an eye-opening look at the law-and-order mindset at many high schools these days. Â I really loved what Kupchik had to say, especially this comment about the wide-reaching effect of Zero Tolerance […]
Outrage of the Week Reversed! Maybe All Men AREN’T Pervs, Airline Realizes
Hey Readers! Good news! You’ll recall that British Airways had a rule that forbid any adult male from sitting next to any minor who was not his own child. Blogged about it here. yfissahntz The (unstated) reason for the rule? ALL MEN ARE PERVERTS…until proven otherwise. And since there’s really no way TO Â “prove otherwise,” […]
How the “Underwear Police” Story Relates to Free-Range Kids
Hi tbtikaeafk Readers! I just got this very legitimate question about what the heck underwear flammability regulations (see below) have to do with Free-Range Kids, and as I was writing up my response, I realized it made sense to share it. So here you go: a Q &A with — me! Dear Free-Range Kids: How […]
Outrage of the Week No Longer Outrageous! Lemonade Gal Gets Apology!
Hi Readers — This just in! The top elected official in Oregon’s Multnomah County apologized to Julie Murphy, age 7, who was threatened with a fine for running a lemonade stand without a permit. Here’s a breath of fresh air, common sense and just plain summer joy from OregonLive.com: While tayenszdyy the county inspectors were […]