Hi Readers! Remember the post from the other day, “Mom & Kid Bike to School, State Trooper Awaits”? Here it is. A Saratoga, N.Y. mom and her son rode their bikes to school only to be chastised by a trooper who informed them that this is verboten. But now, check out this article from the Times Union: Things are looking up! Okay, not perfectly up. The school district that had strictly FORBIDDEN kids to ride their bikes or walk to school is now considering letting kids MAYBE bike to school with a guardian. That still seems somewhat obsessive. But…
Author: lskenazy
Hi Readers! Worrying that American students are falling behind their international counterparts, President Obama is floating the idea of longer school days and shorter vacations. This is about as uncreative a solution as a man all about “change” could possibly have come up with. “Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas,” the president has said. “Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom.” Really? Who’s to say American kids are lagging because they aren’t…
Hi Readers! This coming Weds., Oct. 6 is Walk to School Day. I know, I know — it’s sad we have to actually PLAN what should be an everyday occurence. What next, Brush Your Teeth Day? Put The Toilet Seat Down Day? (Though come to think of it…) But anyway, here’s the official link to the Day, sponsored by Safe Routes to School, and here are their tips on gearing up: Plan a Walk to School event in 7 days Walk to School Day events draw attention to the benefits of walking and any changes needed to make it safer…
Hi Readers — This is not spot-on a Free-Range issue, as far as I can tell, but it sure struck a nerve with me and, it seems, a lot of Canada. A woman and her 20-month-old daughter were riding a bus in Vancouver. The kid kept crying, “No! No! No!” and when the mom couldn’t calm her down, the bus driver ordered them to get out. The mom protested. She had three bags, a screaming kid and no stroller! Tough, said the driver. And that was that. Mom and kid were on the curb. The mom wrote a note…
Howdy, Readers. This just in: Hi all! Thought you might get a laugh out of the latest rule that’s been enacted at the daycare where my children go. Whenever a child has medicine they need to take during the day, a parent has to fill out an authorization form that lists the medicine, amount needed, and the time the child is supposed to take it. That makes sense, making it easier for the daycare staff to keep straight who gets what when. But yesterday, one of the teachers in the infant room told me that from now on I’ll have…
Remember the Outrage of the Weekend? Two moms sharing a job were trading off taking care of each other’s kids. Or at least they were until this was declared illegal because they are not licensed day care workers. Well it looks like the authorities over there in jolly ol’ England are realizing this may actually be one of mankind’s stupider ideas. Take heart! Here’s the piece — a lovely essay in The Guardian. Note at the end: “Unsurprisingly, given the debate this case has generated, the children’s minister has now ordered a review of the ‘babysitting ban.'” Huzzah huzzah! —…
What’s the difference between a 17-year-old who touches a 13-year-old’s breast and a 34 year old creep who likes little girls? Nothing. At least, not on the Sex Offender Registry. The other night I was a guest on the blog radio show, “American’s Reality Check,”a show mostly devoted to sex offender registry issues. A guy called in who is on the list for fondling a 13-year-old when he was 17. Now he’s 34 but next to his name and current age it states his offense: “Indecency with a child.” As if that’s still what he’s doing today. So to the…
Hey Folks! Grab some confetti, stand up and throw it in the air. We are getting somewhere! Read on! Dear Lenore — I watched Penn & Teller’s “Bullsh*t” episode featuring you and your son, Izzy, which led me to your web site and, subsequently, the recent purchase of your book, “Free-Range Kids.” I’m loving the book. I am the over-protective mother at whom you are aiming. I keep a blog about what I’m reading — flabbybrain.com — and I wanted to share with you my post about the Free-Range baby step I took on Friday. Here it is: I’ve been…
A reader writes: Lenore, I am a free range parent. My kids are (almost) 15 and 12. I don’t own a cell phone. I was leaving them home alone to attend our high school’s pto meeting while my husband was out of town. As I was heading out the door I told them I’d be at the school. My daughter, the 12 year old, asked what the phone number was. In my best serious voice I said, “9-1-1.” They both laughed and I went (guilt-free) out the door. Robin in New Jersey See readers? Sometimes, you can…
Hi Readers! Glad a few of you sent this one in. I’m not sure it has to do with Free-Ranging exactly — it sounds more like regulations gone wild. Moreover, I bet it’ll be rectified soon. But in the meantime, let’s hear it for neighbors helping neighbors (rather than neighbors turning IN neighbors). Here is the article in its entirety from WZZM, the ABC TV station in West Michigan: MIDDLEVILLE WOMAN THREATENED WITH FINES FOR WATCHING NEIGHBORS’ KIDS A West Michigan woman says the state is threatening her with fines and possibly jail time for babysitting her neighbors’ children.…