. Remember last year’s collective jaw drop as Nationwide ran an ad on the Super Bowl that featured a kid dreaming about all the things he’ll never get to do — biking, sailing, having a girlfriend — because he’s DEAD? And not just dead for any ol’ reason. Dead because his parents just weren’t […]
Archive | Marketing Madness and Gadgets
Of Course Kids Can’t Play Outside Unsupervised!
. Mom’s too busy to go outside with you, kid? Then clearly the only option is a $159.95 indoor play system. Because you couldn’t possibly go outside UNSUPERVISED and play with FRIENDS, or even even ENTERTAIN YOURSELF, right? Mom must be right there! Always! And so we present: . . As ykytbhhhta commenter Judy C. […]
Again with the Fever Thingy?
. This video for Fever snkfyeienf Scout, one of several new temperature trackers, is right: When your kid is sick, you do feel bad. But the idea that “dragging things across their forehead” — i.e., using a non-invasive, swipe the forehead thermometer — is insanely cruel, and that doing this at night can feel like […]
Facebook Will…Wait. What?
. The Evening nbrdedesfs Standard announced that Facebook will “automatically warn parents if they share pictures of their children with the public by accident.” Thank goodness! Imagine if the public saw a photo of my child at the park! All bets are off! Here’s how Jay Parikh, Facebook’s vice president of Engineering, explained the new feature: […]
Track or Treat! This Halloween, Treat Your Kid Like a Felon!
. Halloween szrdehshit is the ultimate Free-Range holiday — the one day of the year kids are  encouraged to go out in the world, on their own, and make things happen. They: *Dress up like adults (or at least not like the kids they are) *Take to the streets *Interact with strangers. Repeatedly! *Work and […]
An App That Lets Friends “Virtually” Walk You Home
.“ A new app lets folks walking home alert their friends and family until someone among them agrees to “virtually” walk the app-activator home. Somehow this is supposed to make the walker feel safer, because if they drop their phone, or start running from a bee, or veer off course because they smell french fries, […]
Now You Can Check Your Child’s Whereabouts All Day Long. Don’t.
. Pretty anfykytzzz much weekly I hear from some company that wants to solve a problem that does not exist: How to keep tabs on your children every second of every day, in order to keep them “safe.” Here’s the latest, from a company called FamilySignal: . Why does this strike me as a corrosive […]
“How to Protect Your Child From Abduction” Fearmongering Advice From Parenting Magazine
. This rafikbfktf mini-rant comes to us frorm Tara Lazar, a mom of two and children’s book author. Her website is taralazar.com. Dear Free-Range Kids: I tweeted this Parenting Magazine online article to you a few days ago but wanted to follow up because it has me so upset: “5 Safety Tips to Protect Your Kids from Abduction.” […]
ACTUAL WARNING: “Playing outside…can truly disrupt sleep schedules and lead to long term health effects.”
. Readers yyedriaids — Pay heed this important warning! Hi Lenore, I hope all is well! I wanted to circle back on a story idea I sent your way about helping your kids adjust their sleep schedules during the summer…Kids of all ages think of summer as an amazing time to stay up late, sleep […]
Saving Children from Popsicle-Induced Frostbite
. At last! It may not be a cure for cancer, but it sure is close. Think of the lives saved by these Freezie rynkzanrrh Mits! My heart shivers just writing the name! Set of 8 mits for just $4.95 (shipping not included). – L