Readers, get set to scientifically analyze your baby’s diaper every single change. You don’t want to just flush that data down the diaper genie! Only the most lazy parent assumes that if the kid seems fine the kid is fine. That’s like those parents who don’t have an infra-red baby monitor. They just assume if the baby’s not crying he’s probably okay. PLEASE. Don’t you be so naive. Your job is not to worry, it’s to worry MORE! Worry constantly! And with the possible advent of “Smart Diapers,”* you’ll be able to worry with every diaper change! I always…
Author: lskenazy
Readers — Safety is good. Excess safety can actually undermine itself, as it seems to be doing at this Y, in Philadelphia: Dear Free-Range Kids: The YMCA where my family has a membership has recently made a change to its free swim policy that made me instantly think of you. The more I think about it, the more I’m hoping you can help me figure out how to deal with it. The new policy is that all children under age 11 who do not pass a swim test (swimming unaccompanied above water for the length of half the pool) must…
Giving “summer escapism” a whole new meaning, a new camp in Jefferson, AL, will include a session for kids on what to do if they encounter an active shooter. According to this piece by Carol Robinson on the blog AL.com, the five-day camp “Prepared, Not Scared” will be run by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office. Fifth- through seventh-graders will learn some traditional skills — how to make a fire, build a shelter — along with the more modern day skills of what to do when shot at, and how to escape a rampaging madman. The post quotes one instructor…
Hi Readers — This essay made sense to me! It’s from Jona Jone (great name!) who was raised in Philly and is now living in the Philippines. — L Why Two Cultures is better than One When Raising Your Kids to Become Independent Giving your children the “best of both worlds” can really help them in becoming more independent. Having my children grow up in a bi-racial family (I am a sassy American who married a Filipino hunk) lets them engage in multicultural traditions and diverse environments:
Readers — When 63-year-old Lego-lovin’ John St-Onge made the 3-hour drive to Toronto’s Legoland Discovery Centre, he was looking forward to seeing the fantastic displays. Instead, he became one: A perfect display of our society’s Predator Panic. Arriving without any young kids in tow (though accompanied by his grown daughter), he was barred from entering. That’s the rule. As a spokeswoman later explained: “It is a child attraction so we do have this in place to protect the families and children that visit.” So…if adults are there on their own, children are automatically at risk? The assumption being that even…
Dear Readers: To this note from a local school I would add, “And parents, please consider a lobotomy for your children so they are not inclined to move or talk much. This will make the bus stop a safe experience for all!” – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: While I sometimes disagree with you quite strongly, I also find your ideas very helpful in shaking up my parenting, and you have prompted me to reflect, “Am I being overprotective/over-controlling/ridiculous?” before making decisions about my kids’ activities. So when I saw this bus safety handout (below), I thought of you immediately. Yes,…
Readers — In our desperation to create “smarter” kids, we have practically pinned them to their desks. Now educators are realizing this may be just the opposite of what is best for kids — including those with special needs, as Andrea Gordon writes in Toronto’s TheStar.com (a paper run by my favorite editor-in-chief from back when he and I were at the NY Daily News, Michael Cooke). – L. It was a crisp March day outside Blaydon Public School when teachers discovered that 4-year-old Alex Wong could spell his name. There were no pencils or paper in sight. Everyone was…
Hi Readers! For Americans, this is a holiday weekend when we celebrate freedom, so here’s a nice little note that celebrates exactly that: Freedom…from fear. It comes to us from Hannah Zuniga in Reno, NV, who thanks both me and you! – L DearFree-Range Kids: I’ve always had a macabre interest in serial killers. I read many books about them in high school and college and watched hours of true crime TV shows. When I became pregnant with my first I had to stop, but the damage was already done. I had nightmares and “daymares” about these terrible things happening…
Folks — Be very, very, very scared of everything that exists on earth that is not the size of a bouncy house. (And then be afraid of them, too.) Because, of course, your child could choke on it. Hence, this recent recall of the Stride Rite “Joanna” sandal, whose metal flower COULD become detached and hence COULD become a choking hazard. More hazardous than, say, EVERY SINGLE COIN in America? Every acorn? Every severed toe? (Uh…sorry about that one. Let’s sub in: “Every toy that ever came out of a gumball machine?”) As Ben Miller, my go-to voice of reason…
Readers — The fear of kidnapping is so huge, it is overwhelming a lot of parents. How can they possibly put it in perspective? Here’s some help — from you! Both comments appeared on the faisnashbn post below this one, about a mom who lets her son ride his bike around town: …I’d like to know how deal with the worry of something happening on the way to and from these activities? I honestly think it’s a great idea (I have a 2 year old so I’m far from this age but am always reading about every age group) but…