Hi Readers: Just got this note. Read on! Dear Free-Range Kids: I swear, I could just cry at the stranger-danger hysteria these days. I have the good fortune to be self-employed. As such, I can work whenever and wherever I want, so today I chose to work at the mall. (I know, right?) Did a little shopping, had a little lunch, now I’m ensconced in the bookstore cafe, latte in one hand, mouse in the other, waiting for my husband to get off work so we can go home together. I am not a conventional looking woman, I guess, which makes…
Author: lskenazy
Hi Readers — Another day, another lawsuit, another childhood institution crushed. In this case, back in 2001 a Scout troop in England was playing a game where everyone had to grab a block from a pile in the middle of the room. Get there last and there’s no block left for you. Sounds like musical chairs. Anyway, to make it more fun, the troop decided to turn the lights out and play by the glow of the “Exit” signs and guess what? A 13-year-old kid hurt his shoulder. Not so much that he could not go on and play rugby…
Hi Readers — As a week of no school looms, here are some ideas for outdoor fun from Heidi Ahrens, a Colorado mom of two very active Free-Range girls. Heidi runs the website and social network community OutdoorBabyNetwork. You may also find traces of Heidi on NYC streets where she once played. Me? I love Idea #4: How fun would it be to give out hot cider on a cold day? Fun! — L Top Six Holiday fun Outdoor Activities by Heidi Ahrens Don’t stay cooped up inside during the holiday season. Get some fresh air, play with the kids…
Hi Readers: We interrupt this well-focused blog to bring you my Year in Carols. I write ’em every year — can’t help myself. Sing ’em, share ’em, post ’em on YouTube if you can’ keep a tune. (I can’t!) We’ll be back to Free-Range issues very soon. But meantime: Enjoy! — L. THE YEAR IN CAROLS By LENORE SKENAZY FROSTY THE TRAVELER (TO “FROSTY THE SNOWMAN”) Frosty the Traveler was a snowman on the go With a corn-cob pipe and a carry-on And a book by Scott Turrow. . Frosty the Traveler, had a plane to catch that day So…
Hi Readers — When I go around giving my Free-Range Kids lectures, at some point I hold up a pair of little knit things that look like mini sweat bands and I ask the audience, “What are these?” And when I finally inform them, “Baby knee pads,” they shriek in disbelief. (At least, the ones who aren’t shrieking, “My mother-in-law just gave us those!”) Since when do kids need knee pads to crawl safely? Aren’t babies born with built-in knee pads called “baby fat”? Isn’t that why their knees adorably dimple? Well, now it turns out that knee pads aren’t…
Hey Readers! As you know, one of the things I talk about a lot is not only that kids are SAFER than we think, but they’re also more COMPETENT than pop culture leads us to believe. Here to remind us just how clever kids can be is this story, of 8-year-olds who studied whether bees can learn patterns and colors. Then they got their research published in a peer-reviewed journal. That’s the buzz for this morning. Enjoy! — L.
Hi Readers! So many folks sent in this story today, I present it to you in all its insanity, even though it struck me as a little too bizarre and garbled to be 100% accurate. For instance, the crazy accusations were reported to the press only by one of the accused. Ho ho hmm. Still, Christmas is a time for stories so — enjoy. But first, keep your children safe! Lock up the candy canes! — L.
Readers: Once in a while, I have to go off Free-Range topic for a sec. Like now. This video had me sobbing. My shirt is actually WET. So I had to share it. It does seem appropriate for the season! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIa563ltg5U] And here’s the link for how to sign up to be a bone marrow donor. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! — L.
Hi Readers! In case you have some friends who still think you are IMAGINING a huge sea-change in our culture, a veritable tsunami of distrust in our kids, their competence and our communities, we present two Sesame Street clips. Same story line. Different era. Can you spot the difference? OLDEN DAYS MODERN (ISH) ERA
FREE-RANGE KIDS PRESENTS THE 2010 GOLDEN HELICOPTER PARENTING AWARDS FOR GREAT MOMENTS IN OVER-PARENTING And Media Fear-mongering About Kids PRESENTED BY LENORE SKENAZY, FOUNDER OF “FREE-RANGE KIDS” (www.freerangekids.com) Free-Range Kids is the book, blog and movement dedicated to giving kids back the fun and freedom of childhood — the kind of childhood that makes kids sunny and self-reliant. We fight the pop culture tape-loop that says children are in constant danger and incapable of doing much more than sitting in the back of the minivan, eating Pop-Tarts and being driven the three blocks to school. How wacky was 2010 when…