Hi Readers — This letter, received today, made me cheer. For the mom, for the kids, for the movement! From a mom named Mia: I do very much wish to thank you for writing and sharing this blog. It is changing my life and that of my children and I suppose you could call me a convert of sorts. It feels like such a relief, a weight lifted from my shoulders, a permission of sorts to be the kind of parent I feel comfortable being. And that kind of parent is not one who approaches child-rearing with fear and quilt,…
Author: lskenazy
Four teachers in ten said that some field trips had been “toned down or cancelled” because they just weren’t safe enough.
This wonderful Huffington Post essay by Holly Robinson describes her 6th grade son’s misery in school. It sounds so much like my fifth grade son’s misery, it made me realize that maybe his “school = lethal injection minus the yummy last meal” attitude just may be generic. Having been a girl all my life, I didn’t realize boys could be so out of synch with the whole classroom thing. I thought everyone aspired to to Teacher’s Pet-for-Life. Guess not. Anyway, the part that really gets me — in my son’s life and in Ms.…
This is the kind of letter Free-Range Kids loves to see! It comes from a mom in New Mexico. Voila: You know what I noticed in my neighborhood which really makes me so happy? We’ve been here for 6 years and in the summer, there was one (and I mean that) one kid that would be outside playing alone. Well, my kids finally hit 7 and 8 and I finally grew some common sense, and let them hit the street. For a good month they were the only kids outside. They were neighborly, too – chatting it up…
Hi Readers! We’ll return to our regularly scheduled rants — and deep thoughts — in the next post. But first, I just had to reprint this lovely review of Free-Range Kids that ran on Britain’s Spiked Online, a news and commentary site that is similar to America’s Slate. It’s by Nancy McDermott, a mom of two who lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn — a location locally famous for its fiercely dedicated (or sometimes just fierce) moms. Voila: JOIN THE MOVEMENT FOR FREE-RANGE KIDS By NANCY MCDERMOTT Over the long Memorial Day weekend, I let my sons stay up past their…
Here’s a wild New York Times piece about a mom who is fighting mad about her kid’s school sometimes serving junk food. While the school lunches are nutritious, the mom is livid that some party treats, like cupcakes, are not. Quote the mom: “I thought I was sending my kid to P.S. 9, not Chuck E. Cheese.” Now, not that I am pro-junk food (said your blogger, popping another M&M thoughtfully). But I don’t think we are poisoning our children when they get to eat something sugary at a school birthday party. Or any birthday party. Feed…
This one comes from blogger Denise Gonzalez-Walker. It’s the rules for getting to school in a district near Seattle. Please note the bolded words: Bicycles Students in grades 4,5 and 6 may ride bikes, roller blades, skateboards and non-motor scooters to school. According to Highline District policy, a protective helmet must be worn when riding a bike, skateboard, scooter or roller blades to school. District policy also prohibits the riding of bicycles to and from school by children in grades K-3, even when accompanied by an adult (policy #3424). That’s right. Parents are forbidden to bike with their…
Hi Readers! After hearing me on NPR on Tuesday talking about the fact that the crime rate is lower now than in the 1970s and ’80s when many of us parents were playing outside, a couple of commenters to this blog said: That’s because we’re keeping our kids inside now! They even suggested that I was editing out their comments. No, actually I welcome them (I only edit out obscenities), because I know a lot of people are wondering if what they’re suggesting is true. It’s not. The fact is that ALL crime is down since the early ‘90s, not…
From the SafeKids.org page of advice to parents of kids ages 5-9: “Never leave your child alone in a car, even for a minute.” A minute? Lenore
And here and now it is, with host Robin Young! (And if that doesn’t work, try this: http://www.hereandnow.org/) — Lenore