Author: lskenazy

Hey Folks — This was written in response to the post a few down from here, about a Girl Scout troop where the girls are making s’mores with marshmallow fluff instead of toasted marshmallows, presumably so no one gets hurt. One of the big-time tenets of Free-Range Kids is that kids are safer than our culture gives them credit for. In fact, the more responsibility we give them, the SAFER they become because they’re more resourceful and prepared!  Here’s what they are capable of, when we train and trust them. – L Dear Free-Range Kids: Please… here are some of…

Hi folks. Let’s give this mom some ammo! – L Dear Free-Range Kids: My son’s school district has just instituted a no running policy during recess. I am, of course, appalled by this, feeling that the kids need to be able to blow off a little steam during those 10 minutes of their day. Plus, kids need more exercise, not less. What’s next, no running for soccer/baseball/lacrosse practice? Every other parent I have spoke to in our district about this is also opposed to the policy. I am ready to organize a fight to get our kids running again. I…

Hi Folks! A new development on the safety front to  ponder o’er the weekend! – L Dear Free-Range Kids: A few weeks ago, my daughter’s girl scout troop was invited to a sing-a-long with other troops, and they would have s’mores. There was a bubble on the form telling parents not to worry… the s’mores will be campfire-free and made with graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow fluff. Really?!?! She’s in third grade. I remember in first grade making sit-upons (and roasting my own marshmallow), second grade the rolled newspaper and wax fire starters (and roasting my own marshmallow) and third…

Hi Readers! My favorite quote from college was, “Action breaks the cycle.” You can think and think and think, but when you finally TAKE ACTION, things change. Here’s a story of just that, sent to us by Aimée Lafrenière Turner, who Tweets @AimeeLTurner and blogs at The Maine Page Turner. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: When my son was in the 2

Hi Folks — Here’s a nice story from Leslie in Georgia, and a response from her friend that has me shaking my head. Is NOTHING safe enough? NOTHING? Not the most normal, delightful, sane, sweet  slice of childhood, as dangerous as a daisy? To many Americans, the answer is simply nope, nothing IS safe enough. Next question please. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Wanted to share a quick Free Range victory… Background: we live in a gated “country club” community, on a quiet street off the main avenue. There are very few kids on our street for my six-year-old to…

Hi Folks — It constantly stuns me how much we don’t believe in our kids, convinced they will be hurt, frustrated, killed or bored without our constant ministrations. But to see this standard of supervision extended to dogs is fairly knock-me-down-with-a-chew-toy shocking. There’s something about our society that CLAIMS it is for all-natural this and that, but it is for the most unnatural ideals of parenting people and pets EVER. – L Dear Free-Range Kids: This came across my Facebook page from an East Coast friend who’s another Free-Ranger. She and I adopted rescue dogs about the same time, and…

Hi Folks — Here’s a totally fascinating topic that I didn’t realize was quite so widespread: The daily, sometimes hourly, online updates about our children’s grades. My sons’ schools both have programs like the one described below, but I don’t have them on my phone so I don’t check them very much. It seems to be the schools’ assumption, however, that I should. As such, they are demanding a kind of two-fer: The kid AND parent, as a team. It reminds me of the way “arrival” and “dismissal” morphed into “drop off” and “pick up.” The assumption is that OF…

Hi Folks! As you have probably figured out by now, I actually LOVE safety. Helmets, car seats, seat belts — all get a thumbs up from me. But when we start re-defining EVERY activity as high-risk and requiring special safety gear (or when the marketplace tries to convince us it does, so it can sell us more stuff), independence starts to seem too daunting.  A case in point: Dear Free-Range Kids: I thought of you just now because I was driving through Watertown, Mass., a more hip and urban suburb than mine, and saw a mom with 3-4 preschool kids…

Hi Readers! Here’s a cool observation and a request for more, by way of Dawn Siff, a New York City  producer, blogger and vlogger who tweets @momlandia. – L Dear Free-Range Kids:  I love the show “Parenthood,” which is produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. It’s a sappy hour-long drama that very loosely follows the premise of a movie by the same name, which came out in 1989 and starred Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen. I never miss an episode. I think it’s wonderful and even pretty realistic in its dialogue and depiction of family dynamics. I have noticed,…

Hi Readers. Have a great weekend. Here’s to letting our kids go out in the neighborhood.- L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Well here in N.J., Halloween, as per governor’s orders, is postponed till Monday and on Halloween itself I told my kids, who took the news with amazing grace.   Our friends had lost their homes, so losing Halloween was small by comparison. My soon to be 8-year-old  decided that people needed a reason to smile though, and put on her costume convinced her brother to do the same, leashed the dogs (we are hurricane sitting), grabbed the candy bowl and…