Folks — I can’t tell if I’m overly trusting or if the world is the opposite, so please weigh in: The story is that a man, 64, shopping with his wife at a Florida Walmart, grabbed a 4-year-old’s wrist and attempted to kidnap him. Here’s the video: The man supposedly told the child, “Let’s go.” . The sheriff is quoted as saying: “I never want anyone in Lee County to feel unsafe, especially going on a simple shopping trip. My team will stop at NOTHING to ensure criminals like this face the consequences of their actions.” . My real question(s):…
Author: lskenazy
Roll your eyes, shake your head, scream “That stinks!” and go to bed. Or, if you prefer, read on: NON-EXISTENT DANGER IN AISLE 3 A University of Michigan survey of parents of children age 9-11 found that half will not let their kids go to another aisle at the store to get a few items. Too dangerous! ALL YIKES, ALL THE TIME “Gen Z perceives more dangers in life than previous generations,” according to a study presented at the 2023 Society for Risk Analysis conference. Gee, I wonder why young people think everything is dangerous. MOM AND POP AND POTTY…
This seasonal post comes from Kobi Nelson, a high school teacher in Denver with a Ph.D. in Education. Kobi enjoys life with her husband, two kids, and cat named Bear. Uncertainty and Growth in “The Story of Holly and Ivy” The first time I encountered The Story of Holly and Ivy was when my Great-Aunt gave me the book in the 1980s. Six-year-old-me was enamored with the story. My dad read it to me every Christmas. When I became a parent, I wanted to continue this tradition. However, reading this to my son and daughter was like reading science fiction to someone who only…
And you probably guessed what that thing is: INDEPENDENCE! Kids need more of it! It’s an anxiety buster! Regine Galanti, PhD is a clinical psychologist and founder of Long Island Behavioral Psychology, a private practice in Nassau County. She’s also the author of many books on anxiety, most recently, Parenting Anxious Kids: Understanding Child Anxiety by Age and Stage (available for pre-order!). She lives on Long Island with her husband and three daughters, who mostly put up with being pushed to do hard things. Instagram: @regine.galanti , TikTok: @dr.galanti Why Kids Need a Gentle Push Outside Their Comfort Zone, by Regine…
A childcare worker in Texas dropped a line with a story — and a request: Dear Let Grow: You helped me a few years ago when the state wanted me to get rid of my rope swing, which the kids in my childcare program love. I also run an after-school care program at my local elementary school, which abuts a park. I allow the kids to play in the park independently. Recently one of them, a 7-year-old, walked away from the park, toward the school campus. No road was crossed. A substitute teacher who works with a program at the…
Michael Hynes is superintendent of the Port Washington, Long Island School District, just outside New York City. He’s also a Fulbright Specialist, TEDx speaker, author of “Staying Grounded: 12 Principles to Transform School Leader Effectiveness” — and a big part of the documentary “Chasing Childhood.” Please Note: Hynes graduated in the bottom 10% of his high school class, so he knows a bit about kids who are checked out. Play Club is a Silver Bullet for A Whole Lot of Students, by Michael Hynes I’ve been sharing the benefits of children and play in our schools for well over eight…
Doonesbury sums up a whole lot of our themes — and gives us a name check — in today’s funny pages! In case it’s too small to read, here’s what it says: Alex Doonesbury (born Nov. 30, 1988, daughter of Mike and J.J.) is at her computer. It’s dinner time and she’s wondering where her twins, Danny and Eli, are. “They better not still be out at the quarry!” Then she gets a phone call from Danny and demands, “Where ARE you two? It’s after six! You guys want unsupervised play after school, you have to hold up your end…
Remember (or not!) the classic Allan Sherman song, “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah,” the letter from an unhappy camper? Today’s post involves something remarkably similar — except it’s updated. And it’s real. It comes to us from James Frank’s Wild Nature Adventure blog. “Ranger James” started and runs the Lure of the Wild Nature Camps in Catonsville, Maryland. Smart Devices are Hurting Smart Kids, by Ranger James As our camp’s Director my job is all about communication. To keep things running smoothly and safely I make a point to check in with our counselors and their campers as often as I can each…
As we approach the holiday of gratitude, here’s a little reminder that “stranger-danger” gets it wrong, and we should be grateful for all the humans looking out for kids. This video (click here) was sent to Let Grow by Rosalie Witt, an early childhood instructor, consultant, and coach in Connecticut who helped us pass that state’s “Reasonable Childhood Independence” bill this year! It shows a little boy sitting down next to a bunch of different strangers — and what happens next. Clearly it was not filmed in the U.S. (It seems to be from a publication called Fabiosa, out of Cyprus.)…
Today’s pithy comment comes in response to yesterday’s post about a mom sick with fear because a man (!!!) was in the vicinity of her daughter. Nothing happened. And yet – because the press is so eager for any story of a child in peril – it reported the “incident” with the gravity usually reserved for a plane crash. (Remember Lenore’s dictum: If something is an “incident” it means NOTHING HAPPENED.) In fact, it was just a mom whose fear of predators got the best of her — in part, I’m sure, because of news reports like the one about…