“….Once upon a time, decades ago, mothers were able to let their elementary-aged children roam free and alone. “While many, including us, look upon this halcyon time with fondness and a longing for its return, the fact remains that things are different now. The days of Andy Griffith’s Mayberry and “Leave it to Beaver” are […]
Archive | 2009
Susan Boyle (is not mentioned here, except in the headline)
April 19, 2009
I like her, too. But this post is about THE Post. The New York Post. I’ve got a column in there today about Free-Range parenting, and here fiskhirbre  it is. Enjoy! — L.
Lessons From a Pine Cone (and, okay, a blog)
April 18, 2009
My kids have never gone to overnight/sleepaway camp, but I really like this blog bradnhbyfi from a camp out west. The camp director (or someone!) sent it to me thinking the “Top 10 Things I’ve Learned as a Summer Camp Professional that Make Me a Better Parent” entry would be right up my alley. It […]
Kid Slipped Away From You? Share Your Story!
April 17, 2009
So much is made of any time a child goes missing – including those statistics you hear about hundreds of kids disappearing each day – that it is good to remember that 99.999% of the time they pop right back up.
Boy Rides Subway Alone, Makes News — And He’s Not Mine!
April 15, 2009
Gotta admit, this boy has mine beat. A 5-year-old bzskrtdyik hopped on the New York City subway yesterday and rode it 34 stops, emerging, according to the cops who found him, happy – even ecstatic. (His mom, whom he’d slipped away from, was, of course, hysterical. THEN happy, even ecstatic. )Â I started this whole […]
Are Most of Us “Bad Parents?”
April 14, 2009
…”bad” parents are the ones who parent the way OUR parents did – loving and encouraging us, but not hovering over every outing and stressing over every issue.
Learning The Wrong Lessons from Sandra Cantu’s Death
April 11, 2009
It’s front page news out here in San Francisco where I’m visiting, but it’s probably front page news out by you, too: The tragic story of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was abducted and murdered last week in California. Today’s front page story is as inevitable as the media attention: “Case Forces Parents to take Tougher […]
Would You Like Some Cyber-Candy, Little Girl?
April 8, 2009
NEW STUDY SHOWS HUGE INCREASE IN ARRESTS OF ON-LINE PREDATORS!!!!! I can guarantee you, that is the headline you are about to hear on TV and read in the papers. And, terrified for your children, you will keep watching or reading, which serves the media darn well. They have lured you in and are holding […]
Up With Recess! (And Down with Homework)
April 7, 2009
In case you had a sneaking suspicion that when schools chip away at recess time, they are doing their students no service, along comes this nice little study to say: You’re right. And while we’re at it: Grrrrrr. Thanks to No Child With A #2 Pencil Left Behind, more and more schools are sucking time […]
What Happens When Kids Can’t Play
April 7, 2009
Hello, Readers! We have another guest post today, this one from developmental psychologist Dr. Helene Guldberg, a founder of the wonderful, British, on-line current affairs blog, Spiked (www.spiked-online.com). fidhntthnf She’s also author of Reclaiming Childhood: Freedom and Play in an Age of Fear. The thing I found most shocking in this post is that you […]