Hi Readers — I am so sick of the endless, misguided, helping-no-one suspicion going on these days that I can barely write about this story, that was just in The Washington Post. Suffice to say a National Guard soldier in Afghanistan finds himself facing a possible 10 years in prison on charges of possession of kiddie porn. What he actually seems to be in possession of are pictures of his friend’s 4-year-old daughter taken at the girl’s birthday party, at which she was wearing a bathing suit. The soldier became close to the girl when her dad was in training…
Author: lskenazy
Dear Readers: Here’s a nice story — and an ice story, too: Real boys build real igloo. I know — it’s too bad that this kind of this is so rare it merited a write-up. But that snow reason not to celebrate (with bad puns)! — Lenore
Dear Readers: Businessman Mirko Fischer is disgusted with British Airways for treating all men as perverts and I hope he sues their pants off (as it were). Here’s the deal: The airline’s policy states that a grown male is not allowed to sit next to any child he doesn’t know. It doesn’t matter if the kid’s parents are elsewhere on the plane, the revolting pervert…er…possessor of a Y chromosome MUST change his seat or the plane will not take off. I am so on Fischer’s side! His suit arises from a trip he and his 6-months-pregnant wife were taking. His…
Dear Readers: OMG, as I rarely say, because I am over 22. Here’s the latest crazy thing, according to the San Diego Union Tribune: An 11-year-old boy did a science project on his own (tsk tsk!) and brought the results to show his buddies at Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School. Yes, a school DEVOTED to nurturing tech-loving kids. The project was a Gatorade bottle filled with wires and when the vice principal spied it, he immediately did what any sensible adult would do: He asked, “Son, what is that?” Oh wait. No he didn’t. Or at least there’s no indication…
Hi Readers! After all the discussion a week or two ago about schools cancelling recess in the (less-than-bone-chilling) cold, another mom sent in her school’s policy. I like it! Voila: Dear Parent: Even in the cold winter months, we believe outdoor recess is an important and valuable part of the student’s day in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District elementary schools. With that in mind, we ask that you consider the temperature and weather conditions when assisting your child with clothing for the day. There may be times when the weather is deemed too cold for outdoor recess. We make…
Hi Readers — We talk (a lot!) about raising Free-Range Kids. Ever wonder what it feels like to BE one in this day and age? Or if there even ARE any in this day and age? Read on! Dear Free-Range Kids: Well, I am actually 17, and for some strange reason, found this blog and I check it every day. I definitely agree with the idea of Free-Range Parenting and am happy to say that I had a Free-Range childhood (in the 90’s-00’s! gasp!) and will be raising my kids that way. That being said, in my old neighborhood we…
Here’s a story to cheer us all up! Who says 8-year-olds are too young to do anything “real”? And by the way, with all the talk about how to protect our kids — isn’t one of the best things we can do: Teach them to swim? — L.
Hi Readers and yowza. I hope this letter is a prank. If it’s not, how sad, how icky and how nuts. And for once I pretty much agree with Dear “Start Worrying NOW!” Abby. DEAR ABBY: I’m a 15-year-old girl whose parents treat me like an 8-year-old. They not only refuse to let me see any movie that isn’t G-rated, but they still cut my meat for me! Once a week we go to the park, and they still push me on the swings. I don’t want to tell them it’s embarrassing because I’m afraid I’ll hurt their feelings. Please…
Hi Readers — Here’s today’s yelp for help from the frontiers of modern parenting. Got any great ideas? Share ’em! Meantime, as to her plea, “How can I find other Free-Range parents in the neighborhood?” I really do hope to be revamping this site soon, with a feature to help like-minded folks connect where they live. Give me another week or two. Hopefully it’ll be worth waiting for! — Lenore Dear Free-Range Kids: We moved to a different state recently. We never lived in a “subdivision” before. I thought that having all the kids around would be good for my…
Here’s what Gertrude Stein had to say even BEFORE the Internet and parenting books and product warning labels and cable news. Even before Twitter! “Everybody ndidedztbe gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” True that!