Hi Readers — The BBC just wrote up a little piece about Free-Range Kids. Then they invited folks from across the world to comment. Here dbebnstiat it is, so far — with folks mostly saying freedom and independence help build strong, happy kids. The station does quote one mom saying, “free-range should only be for […]
This Kid Sounds Like Me! Or, Rather, Like Us!
Hi Readers! Love this note from a middle-schooler! Dear hkrfsifdfh Free-Range Kids:Â I am a 13-year-old and I really think that kids need more freedom. I regularly ride my bike to the library and friends’ houses, but for going longer distances and using public transportation my parents would like me to have a friend with me. […]
UPDATED: Should a 7-Year-Old Be a Samba Queen?
Brazil is all a-buzz with the idea that a 7 zzrbtadind year old girl may be one of the samba queens in its upcoming carnival. In fact, the  matter now rests in a judge’s hands. But somehow, the idea of this talented little girl dancing her sequinned heart out makes me cheer, while the idea of […]
Throwing “What to Expect” Across the Room
Hi zethfksyes Readers — I just loved this comment to the “Driven Crazy by Pregnancy Perfectionists” post. And her phrase to describe the over-the-top precautions mom-to-be are advised to take — “mindless acts of pointless martyrdom”  — is so wonderful, it deserves to be embroidered on a million Baby Boppies. Voila: Dear Free-Range Kids: I literally […]
Hey Kids! What To Do If You Are Trapped in A Trunk by Your Local Madman!
Hi Readers: As a Free-Range parent I believe in preparing kids to be independent and safe. Just as we teach them to “Stop, drop and roll!” in the unlikely event they’re ever on fire, it makes sense to teach them to yell, kick and run in the equally unlikely event some creep tries to grab […]
Should a Teen Who Forwards a Sext Land on Sex Offender Registry?
No, says the dad of the boy in question. Here’s fsbttkkbtr the story: Boy #1, age 14, had a girlfriend who sent him a nude picture of herself. Then he and the girl broke up and he, repulsively, forwarded the photo to kids at three other schools. It seems that some of the kids who got […]
You Will Love This! Yay, Kid!
A five-year-old calls 911 when her daddy can’t breathe. Here’s ndfkrfedih the story, as seen on the Bonnie Hunt Show. A reminder to all of us: 1 – Teach your kids about 911. 2 – Remember what kids are capable of! They can rise to the occasion! (Let’s just hope the kid doesn’t get her own […]
Interesting Stories I’ve Tweeted in the Past 24 Hours
Hi Readers! I get a lot of amazing material throughout the day and when I can’t think of anything particular to add in the way of a blog post,  I just Tweet them. It finally dawned on me that maybe I should share those Tweets right here, because not everyone is a  Twitter-type. So here […]
Just What the World Needs: Kiddie Lingerie
And yet, that’s what the world it is getting: A new line of lingerie for girls 9-14 aunched by Miley Cyrus’ little sister, Noah, and Miley’s Hannah Montana co-star, Emily Grace Reaves. Or so sez BoingBoing. Read all about it here reaakdiyfi (and here and here). Does anyone else remember the furor when Miley took those sexy, shirt-free […]
Outrage of the Week: Boy Almost Suspended for Lego Gun The Size of a Cheeto
Hi Readers — I am ashamed to say this yszdbebbhs incident happened in my own city, New York. (Well, Staten Island, anyway.) A Staten Island fourth-grader was reprimanded and almost suspended yesterday when the principal spotted him playing with a LEGO policeman and a two-inch-long toy gun during lunch, the Advance reports. Under the city’s no-tolerance […]