Folks, I “live-Tweeted” this yesterday: Walked by my local elementary school. Stopped to watch the kids playing at recess. So much joy. Teacher told me I, on public sidewalk on other side of fence, no phone or photo taking, am not allowed to stand and watch the kids. She is calling security now. At first […]
Everyone loves the dandelion bouquet and burnt toast that will appear in many bedrooms Sunday morning, accompanied by kids bouncing on the balls of their feet, excited to present mom with such bounty. But for a keepsake, you might want to download the free “Fill in the blank” card we have over at Let Grow. […]
You can want your kids to have a Free-Range childhood and then come face to face with the fact that, often, this is simply not “done” in your neighborhood. Most of the other kids are inside on devices or outside, in uniforms. You may worry that someone seeing your kids out and about could summon […]
Here’s just one of the many eye-opening chunks of a study of 5–point harnesses (the kind that go around the waist, between the legs and over the shoulders), by social-worker-turned-movement-therapist Barbara Chutroo: Infants’ brains have fewer neurological networks than those of adults but they grow rapidly. This rapid neurological organization of experience occurs in response […]
As you may have heard, “Old Enough” is the Japanese reality show now on Netflix showing kids age age 5, 4, 3 and even 2 running errands on their own. It’s a bit extreme (2-year-olds shopping?) but also extremely lovable. The kids are sometimes a little scared or sad, but they are also incredibly determined. […]
Random passersby convinced they care more about our own kids than we do? They’re rampant. “Put a sweater on that kid!” “Don’t let her ride that way.” “Your little girl looks so tired!” Those kind of comments are what we might call gran-eurisms: Things a passing grandma might say. Of course they raise a hackle […]
See the police blotter below, for the rest of the lady’s complaint. It was sent to us by Jim Epstein, a video producer at Reason. In fact, Jim made this Halloween video with me a few years back. And, heck, he also made this video of two very, very anxious parents in Queens who finally […]
Aside from Daylight Savings Time it feels like there is almost NOTHING both parties agree on anymore. Except for Free-Range Parenting! Last week the Colorado State Senate joined the Colorado House in UNANIMOUSLY voting for what is now called the “Reasonable Childhood Independence” bill. It had two Republicans and two Democrats officially sponsoring it, but […]
In other cultures, the idea of parents getting on the floor to play with their kids is as strange as the idea of parents getting on the floor to slurp their water from a bowl. It simply isn’t done. Anthropologist David Lancy has studied childhood the world over, and in most of the places — […]
Imagine going to a party and no one shows up. That’s childhood in a lot of towns today. Even kids who’d love to walk down the block won’t, if there’s no one outside to play with. Vanessa Elias, a parenting coach and mom of three in Westport, CT., realized that her town needed to make […]
