It is not a new observation that today’s kids are increasingly in adult-run classes, clubs, sports. Or they’re inside, online, instead of riding bikes, or collecting rocks, or talking to some rando. “While there could be many reasons our kids are suffering, what if the problem was simply this: Kids are growing up so over-protected that they’re scared of the world? “If so, the solution would be simple, too: Start letting them do more things on their own.” That’s what Long Island University Psychology Prof. Camilo Ortiz and I suggest in our essay in today’s New York Times titled, “This Simple Fix Could…
Author: lskenazy
The town of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, has shut down one of its playgrounds due to an extremely serious issue: a mouse on the property. (Eek!) WTMJ-TV reports that the Imagination Station Playground was closed until further notice as the city dealt with this crisis. The municipality explained its vexing problem in a Facebook post. “The environment around the Imagination Station is wooded and typically wet,” wrote the city. “This environment, along with any food left on the ground can attract mice. Since its construction, this is the first time a burrow has been located in the playground.” Unsqueakable danger But you know what they…
Seems like there are big changes underway in about a third of Houston’s public schools. The particular change that play activist Rusty Keeler brought to our attention involves what many of us remember as the best part of the school day — and maybe our childhoods. Recess. Wait — what? When the parents who run the advocacy group “Free Play Houston” looked at the curriculum for the upcoming school year at 85 of Houston’s approximately 300 schools, they were shocked to find something missing: Recess for the 5th graders. The group campaigned to get it reinstated — and it worked!…
Over at our Raising Independent Kids Facebook group (join here), parents find a non-blaming/shaming/shrieking/freaking/911-calling environment to ask questions about all sorts of childhood independence issues. Here’s one that probably resonates. Feel free to answer below, or join the group! by Katya Syrochkina Apologies if this has been asked before…how to deal with INTENSE helicopter parents on a playground? I live outside of NYC, and the local playground is helicopter central. Basically, parents here go the extreme of micromanaging how their–and others’–kids use a slide. Yes. Children are heckled to proceed in a stately manner and God forbid anyone rushes or such.…
To be a kid today means to grow up in a culture constantly underestimating your creativity, resilience, gumption, and especially: your curiosity. The hallmark of this era is the assumption that all kids are dullards who would otherwise do and notice NOTHING, if adults weren’t there busily pointing things out every step of the way. Teach, teach, teach. Hence the term, “Teachable Moment.” As if kids don’t learn anything unless we are right there, making sure they squeeze every last educational drop from any everyday activity. If a kid falls in the forest, did they really learn anything? Not if…
Readers — Over at Let Grow we are working to create a list of camps (day camps and overnight) that do not allow phones. If you know of any, please write the camp name/city/state in the comments here, or send it to to us at Camp@LetGrow.org. Meantime, read this story about a camp that gradually allowed phones. The author asked us not to use her name because she still loves her camp — but her heart is sore. Phones were banned at camp. At first. Dear Let Grow: I worked in New England at an all girls camp for years, as well…
Ever feel terrible for being so busy you have to “neglect” your kids? Read on! This story comes to us from Krista Whipple, who lives with her husband and three children in Southern Utah. She is a Montessori theatre teacher and graduate student working on her Master’s in School Counseling. She’s also an artist, writer, nature lover, and Free-Range parent: Zoom was eating my life. I’m proud to have considered myself a Free-Range/Let Grow parent from the very beginning. My kids have been helping in the kitchen since they were toddlers, and by second grade they could all do basic…
WE KEEP HEARING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY DEPRESSED AND ANXIOUS. THERE AREN’T ENOUGH THERAPISTS IN THE WORLD TO DEAL WITH IT. SO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING FASTER, EASIER AND CHEAPER. HERE IT IS! FREE, UNSUPERVISED, UNSTRUCTURED PLAY TIME! A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that “Physical activity can help alleviate depressive symptoms in teens, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.” How much physical activity do the kids need? “10 to 15 sessions of physical activity per month were linked to the greatest mental health benefits.” What kind of…
In 2018, Vanessa Elias launched Big Block Party Weekend in her hometown of Wilton, Connecticut. Her mission was to “build community one block at a time.” That inaugural weekend brought together more than 1,200 residents for approximately 40 block parties. The joy and benefits could be felt immediately and continue to grow. Wilton’s block parties are now a beloved annual tradition. Now Vanessa — a longtime friend, a proponent of play, a parenting coach at Thrive with a Guide — has released a free Block Party USA Guide to help us all organize block parties in our neighborhoods — starting…
The Surgeon General is right: Loneliness is a massive problem. It’s not just sad, it’s unhealthy. So let’s look at the quickest, easiest way to solve it, at least among kids. Get them playing. Really playing — organizing games, working through arguments, sometimes yelling, sometimes laughing — without an adult fast-forwarding through all of that. Playing is the most organic way to make a friend. As Let Grow co-founder Peter Gray points out: Almost by definition, when you’re a kid: a friend is someone you play with. Why the pricier option wins. But since play has been pretty much replaced by adult-run activities (and…