Hi Readers — This rtfenyrbbi is an inspiring column by Peter White, an English broadcaster who’s blind. It reminds me that our job as parents is to believe in our kids — to believe they can rise to a challenge. On the road (and as I film my reality show), I hear from a lot […]
Archive | 2011
“Times Have Changed!” Shriek Parents Afraid to Let Their Kids Outside. But…
Hi Readers — We have all heard from parents who would LIKE to let their kids have the kind of stay-out-till-the-streetlights-come-on childhoods they themselves enjoyed. BUT, say those parents, “Times have changed. It feels so much more dangerous now!” “Feels” is the operative word. In this sshyfhihza essay by Steven Pinker, we learn that we […]
The Sex Offender Down the Street (Is My Son)
Hi kfbytkythz Readers — This is a candid letter from the mom of a sex offender who is on the registry for life. Read it and see if our sex offender laws are doing the job they were intended to do: keep our kids safe from predators. — Lenore Dear Free-Range Kids: My son was […]
Help Needed: A Friendly Kid, a Scolding Neighbor
Hi syifsesrzi Readers! Can you help this mom? L. Dear Free-Range Kids: I’ve been reading your blog and readers’ comments for better than a year now. Never really thought I’d have an experience similar to the ones I read about on your blog, but yesterday it happened. My children are nearly-5 (boy) and 3.5 (girl). […]
Outrage of the Week: School Bans Soccer Balls
Hi Folks! At a school for 7- to 11-year-olds in England, says hdseythfnz the BBC, they’ve banned leather footballs (that is, soccer balls) Â at what sounds like recess and perhaps before and after school. Leather balls can be for “football club” and “specific” P.E. lessons. But otherwise, all regulation balls will be replaced by balls […]
If a 6-y.o. Can Really Walk Around the Neighborhood…
Hi sbykdtefay Readers! I gathered together a few of the 341 responses to  the other day’s post, “As Recently as 1979 a First Grader Could…,”to remind us of what kids are capable of (when we don’t give in to the fear-mongering media). Enjoy! – L Jackie: When I lived in Panama, 6 year olds would scale […]
Safety Tip? “Children Under Five Don’t Ride Bikes”
Hi sidadfkers Readers!  Lisa, the mother of a 3-year-old, who lives in Atlanta and blogs at Organic Baby Atlanta found this “tip” at safekids.org when she was researching bike safety for toddlers: “Because they are not ready to ride bicycles, children under the age of five ride tricycles. “ Notes Lisa: . Wow. What a blanket statement. So there’s never been […]
The Difference Between a “Cut” and “Cutting”
Hi ffentkfkdd Readers — Got this note yesterday and it really resonated, mostly because it shows another instance of the authorities being deliberately dense, “for the sake of the children.” The case reminds me of the Zero Tolerance laws, when schools deliberately refuse to acknowledge the difference between a Lego gun and a Glock, or […]
Guest Post: Home of the “Brave”?
Hi Readers! — Some thoughts on how easily we criminalize erstwhile normal behavior. These are brought to us by Ann Sattley, a stay-at-home mother of two boys and author of the book Technically, nteykztzss That’s Illegal: An Experiment in Following the Rules and the blog of the same name,where she questions the efficacy of many laws. The […]
How to Host a School Picnic (With Almost Zero Planning)
Hi taesydknbe Readers! As you know, one of the things that I believe makes folks feel safer and more ready to Free-Range their kids is COMMUNITY. The more connected we are, the less threatening the “world out there” seems, since “out there” is now familiar, even friendly. That’s why I love the idea of block […]