Readers — Here’s a feisty comment that came in response to the post about a reader’s YMCA that requires kids who haven’t passed the swim test to stand not more than an arm’s length away from their parents in the shallow end, and also to wear life jackets — virtually ensuring that the children can NOT learn to swim, because they don’t get a chance to practice. It comes to us from reader Emily. She was responding to “Jill,” who opined in favor of the measure. And then we’ll see things from the Y’s point of view: Jill — Maybe…
Author: lskenazy
Readers: I just got a note about a class in Pennsylvania that sounded so good — and anachronistic — I wrote back immediately. Here’s what the teacher wrote back: Dear Free-Range Kids: Thanks for being gracious enough to help get the word out about the program. I’m calling it “Sharp Kids – Outdoor knife skills for responsible girls and boys ages 8-12.” Here’s the link to a regional events calendar for the full listing. And provided that I can get enough kids registered, it will be held as two separate classes on Sunday, October 5, 2013, right…
Readers — Here’s the rub. Some schools in Texas are no longer allowing parents to walk their kids directly to their classrooms, as a result of Sandy Hook. On the one hand, that’s great! Since when do kids need to be hand-delivered like registered mail? One mom in this article by the Dallas Fort Worth CBS affiliate says of the new rules: “They may have security, but I want to know where my kid is going at all times.” Now she’ll learn that this level of supervision is not only unnecessary, it’s no longer even allowed. On the other hand,…
Readers: An Aussie mom presents us with a new school development — or at least one I hadn’t heard about. I feel bad for the immune deficient kids, but being out in the world means they will be faced with germs everywhere. What if they take a city bus to school? No one sick is allowed on the bus? And what about staffers: Are teachers allowed — or forced — to leave if they have a tickle in their throat? What a can of germs this opens up! – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: I have another bee in…
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…
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…