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…
Author: lskenazy
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…
Hi Folks — The site has been having technical problems for the last week or so, which is why it now looks different. the big question is: Are any of you still having problems loading the site? (I realize that anyone who can’t load it at ALL will not be here, but the problems do seem intermittent.) Before I undergo a massive overhaul, I’d really like to know if things are already better, thanks to the steps we’ve been taking. Thanks for your feedback. – L.
Folks — A find about a find, sent to us by Kim H: A couple went bike riding and lost a cell phone. It was found by some kids. They posted an instagram video telling the owner that they had found the phone and to call it. When he did they told him where they were – and the adults went over and picked up the phone. Here’s the story. Kids playing together without an adult find something expensive, figure out how to contact the owner, and meet with strangers to return the phone – and all survive. — Kimberly
Hi Folks — This study is totally fascinating. As if Detroit didn’t have enough worries, now, according to the WNYC blog Transportation Nation: Young people aren’t lining up to drive like they used to. Year over year, fewer 16 to 24 year-olds are getting driver’s licenses according to a new study released today by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. Take 16 year-olds: In 2008, 31 percent of them got driver’s licenses. In 2010 it fell to 28 percent. That’s part of a steady trend the researchers track back to 1983. That’s when…