Hi Readers — Yes, I know, most of us congregate here because we believe that kids don’t need quite as much bubblewrap as our society deems fit. But if you or someone you know believes that to let your children walk to school, or wait in the car while you get a gallon of milk, or sell Girl Scout cookies door to door means you will probably never see them again, a TV producer is waiting! Mostly, she wants someone to be the yin to my yang. If you’re interested, or know someone who is, email me at Lskenazy@gmail.com…
Author: lskenazy
Just a reminder: All across the country (and world!) tomorrow, parents will be encouraging their kids to try a strange ancient practice called, “walking to school.” Perhaps it is time to reach back in into the hazy mists of time and try it in your neighborhood, too!
This ad gives me chills AND the creeps. Here’s what it says, in urgent, caring, chiding tones: You take the family to the food court. Your wife and Pete head for tacos. You and Danny want Chinese. You look up at the menu. You look down to see what Danny wants . But you don’t see Danny. Every parent knows that feeling. IMAGINE if he were actually abducted. To receieve free Amber Alerts on your cell phone go to wirelessamberalerts.com A child is calling for help. A child is calling to CHILL! This scenario — a child snatched from a…
Hi Readers! Ever wonder why we parents are so scared all the time? Maybe it has to do with the incessant din of marketers predicting DOOM unless we buy something. Something they just happen to be selling! Take a look at this blog post by Carolyn Graham, editor of L.A. Parent, and you’ll see the kiddie safety industrial complex in all its glory. This is an excerpt from Carolyn’s blog, “I Don’t Have Time for This.” WHO’S AFRAID? By CAROLYN GRAHAM Then today, I got to work and opened my email. It’s scary, and not just because there’s so many…
Dear Readers: Use your imagination to conjure up the deepest, most Moviefone-ish voice in your head and now hear it intoning this: “In a world, where the school day is 10 hours long. In a world, where there is no summer vacation. In a world where recess is shortened to make time for test prep and teachers cannot hug a second grader who has collapsed under the weight of her 28-pound backpack, comes the unthinkable: No bake sales.” It’s enough to make Jerry Bruckheimer hide under his desk, but in my own little burg, New York City, the powers that…
Hi Free-Rangers — Speaking of our growing terror of anyone with a Y chromosome, read this: My husband, who taught kindergarten Sunday School, is no longer allowed to help out with the preschoolers. At all. Why? A child fell down and hurt herself, and while comforting her he gave her a kiss. On the forehead. And apparently another parent saw this and assumed he was some sort of sicko. A month earlier he had a child in his class pass out napkins before snack and she went home and told her parents that she was the special helper in Mr.…
Hi Readers — I got this note yesterday and so many points resonated for me, I thought I’d share it. I think the writer makes a great point about hindsight — that just because, when looking back, we can see how most ills could have been prevented doesn’t mean that if we only plan hard enough, we can avoid every single possible bad outcome. When we think we CAN avoid any and all problems, we end up believing that when something does go wrong, SOMEONE is to blame. This is paralyzing for parents, and rotten for communities, too. So, before…
I hate hand sanitizers, but are kids really DRINKING them? Or setting them ON FIRE?? Or are we just coming up with more bizarre worries? (Yes, I know. Another rhetorical question. Did I mention we just MOVED? Hard to blog and unpack! ) — Lenore
Hi Readers — On the bus going across town today my husband and I sat behind a girl of about 13. No one sat next to her, even though a couple of folks were standing. This reminded me of my long-ago trip to Turkey. When I was there in the 1980s, at least, men were not allowed to take an empty seat next to a woman. I don’t know if this was law or custom, but the thinking seemed to be that men are too rude, easily excited or perverse to sit next to women. In other words:…
Hi Readers — You’ve probably seen this story, closely mirroring the one in England where the two moms sharing a job TRIED to share babysitting duty, too — and found out this was against the law. Here in the States, a Michigan mom takes in the kids of three friends each morning before the bus comes. Suddenly, the mom — Lisa Snyder — was informed this is illegal, as she is not a licensed day care operator. Amazingly, she did not go to jail. The case got the attention of no less than the governor, who immediately instructed the child…