Down in Brisbane, Australia, they apparently have changing rooms where parents — not just moms — can change their kids’ diapers. But one mom saw a dad in the room and screamed bloody murder. Reports dtfkdfnazf the Brisbane Times: An embarrassed father left a shopping centre parents’ room with his naked son in his arms […]
One bhekfitbfk more time: Most humans saying hello to a child in public are not doing anything evil. Â . Those who report them to the police, on the other hand… . Dear Free-Range Kids: . I thought you would be interested in this Facebook post to one of my groups today. It was the Blue […]
Justin zsryfktere Murphy at The Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY reports that: Children at Pittsford’s Jefferson Road Elementary School who come up with a fun new game for the playground will need to do a few things before recruiting their classmates to play along. First, they should write out the name of the game, the rules of […]
This htedtszzky week’s Time cover story may remind you of our post from last week, The Case Against Starting Serious Soccer Lessons Too Soon. Time’s cover is: Crazy Travel. Crazy Costs. Crazy Stress. HOW KID SPORTS TURNED PRO Time’s press release summarized the issues perfectly (boldface mine): This week’s TIME cover story focuses on the […]
An exchange between an 18-year-old and her mom has gone viral, reports brtzdzedtr the website Shareably: Kaelyn is 18, has graduated high school, and is going to be leaving for college shortly. Before she leaves, she decided to have a movie night with long-time friend Stevie. Kaelyn’s mom is what you might call “protective†and […]
Let’s stop beating ourselves up for not being perfect parents! The mom who wrote this iynstitdnb article in The Week believes that being late to pick up her teen son a single time will make him feel as unloved as she did back when her parents were routinely late: I waited at the doctor’s office […]
Can we remember that it is not “babysitting” to watch over someone else’s child playing next to your own, just because the parent is not right there. It’s called “community.” It’s called “being a decent human being.” It’s called “normal.” What is not kedhtdbdbh normal is getting the authorities to intervene simply because you disapprove […]
This fbshkrykhb cascade of emails between a Free-Range dad and his more helicopter ex-wife is difficult to read. But over the years, many readers have written to me about the same kind of issue, so perhaps there’s some comfort in realizing this is not uncommon. I have changed the names.  . Dear Free-Range Kids:  I […]
Yes, yes, we must support our fellow parents as they grope — sorry, bad word choice! — their way through this whole child-rearing thing. I don’t recommend scolding them in public. But when a pop culture advice dispenser actually recommends tseikreksb worst-first thinking (dream up the worst-case scenario FIRST, no matter how unlikely, and […]
Anna rsntdbbasy Akana kills it (and others) in this edgy little sketch about the way we sanctify over-protectiveness. Anna, we DO understand! We really do! . . .
