Hi Folks — Here it is again. The creeping idea that anytime our kids are outside without us they are in DANGER, thus it is CRIME to take our eyes off them. The writer of the note below, from Western Maryland, also pens this blog. Here’s what’s happening out by her: Dear Free-Range Kids: Our kids have always been “Free -Range.” Unfortunately, today, someone called the police because of the “unsupervised children” running around the neighborhood. My son is six (seven in September), and we allow him to ride his bike to friend’s houses up the street (we live…
Author: lskenazy
Hi Readers: The headline on this story says it all — almost: Women Ticketed for Eating Donuts in a Brooklyn Park. The REASON these women were ticketed was not the donuts, it was the lack of children with them. Local law — that is, the law in my insane city — says no adults are allowed on playgrounds unless they are accompanied by kids. In other words, my city officially believes there is absolutely no decent reason any adult would or should ever want to be around frolicking kids. (Or swings. Or jungle gyms.) If that reminds you of segregation,…
Hi Readers — Last summer I spent a day with Mary Duval, her son Ricky, and Ricky’s wife. Mary and Ricky were in town to appear on a John Stossel show about the country’s sex offender laws, mostly because Ricky had ended up on the sex offender registry at age 16. He’d met a girl at a club, had sex with her twice, and only later learned she’d been 13, not the 15 or so she’d told him she was. Anyway, the whole, harrowing story is here and I’ve written about it before. What brought Mary to Stossel’s attention is…
Dear Readers: One of you dreamed this up and I lost your name!. Claim it if it’s yours! Meantime, maybe everyone can enjoy — or even organize — something like this for the local kids to get to know the nabe and each other! Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt A tree with pink flowers A black car A squirrel (don’t get too close!) A pink house A cat A robin A scooter Tulips Forsythia! A bicycle A bug A big dog A small dog A friend A fire hydrant A person walking a dog A truck A green house A lawn…
Hi Readers — Sorry my computer has been on the fritz and it was hard to update the blog. But now: An upbeat start to the weekend! Dear Free-Range Kids: I admit, when I saw the initial reports of your son’s adventure on the subway, I was a naysayer and a name caller. Oh, the things I called you (apologies!). I admit, I brought baggage to my parenting. Two neighborhood girls had been lured from their backyards when one was in 2nd grade, and one in 4th. They were missing for a day and then found dead.…
Hi Readers — A long, sad and infuriating story. Here goes: Dear Free-Range Kids: I noticed you sometimes talk about Child Protective Services (CPS) or other official intervention and Free-Range children. I have to admit, I did always wonder if I’d get in trouble for being the only mom who doesn’t wait at the bus stop each morning or overbook my kids with extracurriculars, but intellectually I knew I wasn’t breaking any laws or even engaging in any overly questionable parenting. However, it seems the school disagreed, and they compiled a pretty extensive (if weak) case against me with CPS…
Howdy readers! If any of you are in or around New York City this weekend, I’m giving a free talk/Q&A on Saturday. Voila: PLACE: Old First Reformed Church, 729 Carroll Street in Park Slope. Directions here. TIME: Noon – 2. KIDDIE CARE: Free! COOKIES: A distinct possibility! TV: My reality show is going to be filming it. ME: Hoping to meet you! Say hi! Ask questions! Eat free cookies, if they materialize! And, of course, take the subway! RSVP (not required, but what the hey): Jgillespie@cineflix.com And if you can, please spread the word. Thanks!– L.
Hi Readers — It’s nice to hear of sanity taking root! Dear Free-Range Kids: I just had my first child 6 months ago and I never thought I’d even have to worry about Free-Range Kid topics until he was at LEAST 3 years old, but I was wrong. I posted an adorable picture of my son on my facebook page 2 days ago of him having tummy time on a towel; diaper free. Lo and behold, this morning in my message box on Facebook I have a concerned ex-co-worker warning me about the dangers of putting naked pictures of my…
Hi Readers — Last week I was on a radio show where the host wondered how I could endorse the idea of kids playing outside, now that we KNOW we are surrounded by “sexual predators.” I replied that Sex Offender Registry is confusing because some people on it really do (or at least did) prey on children, but many of them don’t or won’t, and we can’t always tell which is which. I didn’t get a chance to say this, but a study by the Georgia Sex Offender Registration Review Board — Georgia! Not a state wussy on crime —…
Hi Readers! I’m preparing a new speech — as opposed to my beloved tried and true one — which I’ll be giving it from noon to 2 on Saturday, June 4, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’ll also be filmed for my show. (Address: The Old First Reform Church, 778 Carroll St. Directions here. If you want to, feel free to RSVP to Jgillespie@cineflix.com, but it’s not required.) Anyway, what I realized I could use are some stories of great childhood failures. By that I mean, stories from your youth when you goofed something up — and ended up being glad…