Hi aiiasrfhff Folks — This letter has me  down, but not nearly as down as the writer. When the authorities start to believe the world is worse than it is and hence that kids are less safe than they really are, naturally they see independence as dangerous. Free-Range Kids exists to spread the word that […]
Archive | Child Protective Services
Cop Suspects Dad Walking with His Kid of Being a Predator & Adds, “You Should THANK Me”
Hi nrnnyhznfn Readers! Here it goes again – a man, a kid, a cop. Read on. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Recently my youngest daughter and I had an experience that really shook me up (both of us, actually), and I wanted to share it with you. We were walking to the library together, and […]
Outrage of the Week: Mom Arrested for Letting Her Kids, 11 & 7, Walk to Pizza Shop
Yes, readers, it’s another case of child protective craziness. According to the drntdkyzzf Manchester, Conn. Patch, a local  mom was charged with “risk of injury to a minor and failure to appear after police say she allowed her seven-year and 11-year old children to walk down to Spruce Street to buy pizza unsupervised.” And according […]
Outrage of the Week: Mom JAILED for Letting Kids Play at Park
Readers –Here’s what the police nydbrifrri blotter  in Johnson City, Tenn. describes as this mom’s crime: On Thursday, June 7, 2012 April L Lawson, W/F, 27, 1104 King Springs Rd, Johnson City, TN was arrested by officers of the Johnson City Police Department and charged with child neglect. The arrest stems from a 911 call […]
Mom Arrested for Letting Her 13-y.o. Babysit Siblings
Hi Folks! “Mom Arrested for for Age-Old Parenting Practice” is how I would headline eabshshyek this case going down in New Canaan, CT, right now. But the actual article begins, “A 39-year-old woman was arrested for leaving her children at home unattended, police said.” Are children “unattended” if there are four siblings and one of […]
The Latest Trend: “Alcatraz Parenting”!
Hey Readers! ALCATRAZ PARENTING. Let’s popularize that term, okay? We need it, because we’re getting to the point when children are monitored by GPS, cell phone and camera in ways prison wardens can only dream of! Check out this ad:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkLi2HM0KAg] The mom says she  has cameras “in the playroom, the living room, the kitchen. And from […]
Guest Post: Warning! Toddler At Play
Hi eadhdtiria Folks! Here’s a guest essay from Lisa Baker, who’s trying to be a Free-Range Mom to two kids in Atlanta, Georgia. She writes about her parenting adventures at Organic Baby Atlanta. Enjoy! L. Warning: Toddler at Play by Lisa Baker In the Yequana tribes of South America, parents let toddlers wander near open campfires, playing with knives. […]
This is NOT a Crime! Cops Charge Dad Who Let Kids Play Alone in Park for 2 Hours
Readers! As we approach our third annual, “Take Our Children to the Park…And Leave Them There Day” (Saturday, May 19), this nfyaisndkn story is outrageous. Apparently a dad let his two kids, ages 6 and 9, play in a local suburban Pittsburgh park on Saturday morning for not quite two hours while he did some […]
On Trial for Letting Kids Wait in the Car — It’s “Child Endangerment”
Hi febirfadzk Readers. Here’s the latest kids-in-car/mom-arrested story. Â I know it seems like I’ve posted a flood of these cases lately and I’ll pause for a bit after this one, but this woman is asking for support and I’d like to provide some. As you’ll see, it’s strange that somehow her 3-year-old got out of […]
Shaken by Shaken Baby Convictions that Could Be All Wrong
Hi Readers! I just wanted to call your attention to estzbnbhfy this amazing piece in Slate by Emily Bazelon. It’s titled, “Are Innocent Parents Being Prosecuted for Killing Their Babies?” And the subtitle is: “The Doctor Who Came Up With ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Thinks So.” The gist of the piece is that the symptoms doctors […]