Hi Readers — Today I’m posting on Common Good about school safety…or what passes for it. Common Good believes in a common sense, non-hysterical approach to policy, and I’m thrilled to be blogging there. Here’s how the piece begins: Dear Lenore: I took my kids to Sunday school a few weeks ago and the door we usually go in had a sign on it saying that we could no longer enter there. Everyone needs to go in the door on the other side of the building. Never mind that to get there, people now have to walk their children through…
Author: lskenazy
Hi Folks! This wise essay comes to us from Ernie Allison, who describes himself as a “bird nerd” since he was a kid. He loves contributing to conservation efforts and spreading awareness about bird issues and nature in general. Writing for birdfeeders.com has given him “the opportunity to spread awareness as well as learn about hummingbird migration patterns.” He says he spends his days trying to get his grandchildren outside, writing, and watching his hummingbird feeders. Sounds extremely pleasant! – L. Helping Kids Embrace Nature The other day I was visiting my grown daughter and 5-year-old granddaughter. It was…
Hi Readers — Paxton, a small town in Illinois, where the land is flat as flat can be, is about to lose its only sledding hill to the Abominable Insurance Man. So says Esquire: …The Paxton Park District’s insurance provider ruled that its sledding hill is too risky. “The insurance would have skyrocketed if someone was hurt,” a parks board member told The Champaign News-Gazette. Bad as that sounds, here’s the Orwellian worst: “I can imagine that the first couple of times it snows, they’ll think about the hill and come out and see it’s not there and be disappointed,”…
Hi Folks — This piece about child friendship is fascinating to me. I’d love you to ponder what to me is the main point: Isn’t it easier to make a friend while working on something together (especially something big), than while simply talking about friendship? A parallel thought: If you’ve ever taken a class on writing novels, plays, or anything dramatic (for me it was musicals), you know the credo: “Show, don’t tell!” Don’t have Romeo just yammering about how much he loves Juliet and wants to spend his life with her and how really sorry he’d feel if anything…
Hi Readers! A couple of you sent in this provocative piece, “Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids…And How to Correct Them.” It’s by Tim Elmore, a writer/speaker specializing in leadership. His philosophy about what kids require to become confident, competent and, well, leaders dovetails remarkably with Free-Range Kids’. After warning parents that children need more risk and less mindless reward (like constantly being told they’re great for doing ordinary things), he writes: This may sound harsh, but rescuing and over-indulging our children is one of the most insidious forms of child abuse. It’s “parenting for the short-term” and it…
Hi Readers —How I love being an “online influencer.” It means I get a ton of press releases from folks seeking publicity, including one that just came in suggesting I interview a particular “socialmedia expert” regarding “How to Protect Your Family from Social Media.” I guess if this were a generation or two earlier she would have been offering advice on “How to Protect Your Family from The Telephone,” and before that, “How to Protect Your Family from the Telegraph,” or maybe cave drawings. Because, clearly, people communicating with each other is something inherently dangerous. The expert’s expertise includes, according…
Hi Readers — Here’s a piece of mine that ran in The Wall Street Journal. Woof! (Doggie for, “Enjoy!”) – L. Helicopter Parents — Meet Helicopter Pet-Owning by Lenore Skenazy If you’re considering getting a pet at this time of year, as many folks do, you may find the rescue shelters a little pickier than you’d expect. Perhaps a little pickier than the royal family choosing a governess. Here are the requirements on one pet-rescue website: “All dogs must be constantly supervised in their yards for their safety. Dogs of any size can scale fences within minutes of an owner’s…
Readers — As we continue to document the infantilization of young people, including how and why this trend began, here’s a bright trail to one of the culprits: The insurance industry. Remember, insurance has nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking all freedom and responsibility away from minors. If kids were all in cages, unable to walk to school, ride a bike, play outside or, in this case, let themselves into the house, the insurance world would rejoice, because the chances of anything “bad” happening to them would be even lower than they are now. Of course, so…
Hey Readers — Hadn’t realized there was a tempest in a toy robbery going on in England, where the media are reporting anger at Playmobil’s age-old cops and robbers set: Wearing dark glasses, the blonde dolly points her pistol at the smiley bank manager as he happily hands over the cash. It’s just one of the fun blags four-year-old kids can act out in Playmobil’s Bank and Safe set — and it is getting anti-gun campaigners all fired up, the Sunday People reports. Other scenarios include a gold bullion raid and cash machine heist. An anti-violence activist is then quoted…
Readers — I don’t like hopping on every new study that supposedly “proves” something about parenting, especially when I believe that parents are only one part of the many, MANY influences that shape a life. (Especially by college age!) Still, this study might interest some parents reconsidering the heap of “help” they believe their kids need. So I present it to you much not so much as news, but as a nugget to chew on when you’re wondering if maybe it’s time to take a step back. It’s also a little ammo for when someone wonders why aren’t you watching…