Readers — This is one of the most fantastic editorials I’ve ever read. It’s in Canada’s National Post. The only think I don’t agree with is blaming a particular party for over-reacting to remote childhood dangers. Our entire culture is tied up in knots about danger, unable or unwilling to understand that risk is inevitable — it doesn’t represent negligence, it’s just part of life. — L A new school year began on Tuesday, and Toronto’s often hysteria-prone news crews were geared up for the scare stories that always get served up by nervous parents this time of year. It…
Author: lskenazy
Readers — In the blizzard of back to school hoo-ha that comes to me daily as a “Mommy Blogger,” I just got a list of five tips for back-to-school health. They are: Tip One — Start the Day with a Protein Rich Breakfast Tip Two — Balance Blood Sugar with Complex Carbohydrates Tip Three — Shop for Health: Create a Back-to-School Grocery List that Promotes Wellness Tip 4 — Offer Your Kids Food Rich in Antioxidants Tip 5 — Be Sure Your Kids Get Enough Sleep Why would any sane person object to these? Because they sound like a list…
On the road again — in the motorhome our family is borrowing from Go RVing, as we cross New England on a tour of colleges for our 17-year-old son. Last night we stopped at the Sturbridge RV Resort, which had a lodge complete with rough-hewn rocking chairs on the rough-hewn porch. Inside the lodge were rough-hewn videogames — arcade classics (and non-classics) of late ’90s vintage, including one that was simply a car chase through Tokyo: You’re the police chasing a bad guy who gets a head start, but your car is faster. Our 15-year-old son and his friend took…
Readers — A few confessions: 1 – I have never been camping. That’s right. Free-Range through and through, I never slept in a tent, camper or RV. (And for all I know, a camper IS an RV.) 2 – I never had any desire, but Go RVing offered me a free camper for a week, and when I told my family they said, “YES!!!!!!” which meant my meek and measly, “Really? Aren’t they big and tacky and gas guzzling and…” was drowned out by enthusiasm. Fast forward to here at the Melville Pond Campground in Portsmouth, RI, where we just…
Readers — Here’s a fantastic essay from BabyCenter. Kristina Sauerwein (cool name!) writes that her third grader announced she’s not allowed to play “chase” anymore: Apparently, some schools think the random running is dangerous or provokes teasing, hurt feelings and other self-esteem crushers. I thought this sounded silly and overboard. Who among us didn’t grow up running, chasing and tagging one another? And besides, childhood obesity is serious issue that has been in the news for more than a decade, even soaring to the top of First Lady Michelle Obama’s priorities. How can you tell kids it’s important to be…
Readers — This is a new development and a big one. A school district in California has hired a firm to monitor the public postings of its 13,500 students. It will analyze the students’ content on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and some other sites, looking for hints of “cyber-bullying, harm, hate, despair, substance abuse, vandalism and truancy,” according to this story by Kelly Corrigan in the Glendale News Press. I can totally understand why this would appeal to parents. Who among us hasn’t worried about what’s happening in our kids’ lives at some point? And the company claims that in a…
Hi Folks — Here’s a little (edited) interview I did with the Globe & Mail about when kids can start walking to school. I love the fact I helped the interview retrieve a “repressed memory” of her own childhood. (A good one! We talked a lot about it, but tit didn’t end up in the piece.) And how about you? How are your kids getting school, and at what age? Just curious! – L.
Readers — The story is the same as the headline A 10-year-old Houston girl was playing doctor with a group of kids in the courtyard of their apartment complex. Here’s the TV story, and here’s a write up that’s a little more succinct. Long story short: The girl was arrested, allegedly questioned without her mom present, and sent to a juvenile detention facility for four days. She will go to court in October on the charge of aggravated sexual assault. Two things are disturbing about this. First is the obvious: Kids play doctor. Always have. In our overly sensitized era…
Hey Readers — Remember: If you ever need to get some perspective on how skittish we’ve become, look to another country or, today, another era. – L Dear Free-Range Kids: I heard this episode of Engines of our Ingenuity on NPR today. Even though the point of the episode was how much better homemade toys turned out to be, what really grabbed my attention was the list of materials he had at his disposal to create things with. The 1930s often found me walking aisles looking for toys. But they were aisles ofhardware and drug stores. That’s where I spent…
Folks — Here’s a news story of one mom’s fear with the usual missing link: analysis and commentary from someone who can explain whether the fear is justified. The story from WAVY: Gina Brannon wants the Virginia Beach School District to move her daughter’s bus stop so the 10-year-old doesn’t have to walk past a registered sex offender’s home. “Its like dangling a carrot in front of a hungry animal,” she told WAVY.com. Brannon asked the her daughter’s school to change the stop, but her request was denied. And here’s a response from Shana Rowan, Executive Director of USA Families…