Readers — Have you heard of this program? Is there  a way to counter its draconian decrees? Dear zhnihyhbhz Free-Range Kids: I have been a volunteer for many years at my church, but now we have a new pastor, and he brought with him this child care worker training program called “MinistrySafe.” While it is just […]
Archive | Eek! A Male! (and Stranger Danger)
Man Handing Out Teddy Bears Terrifies Town
. A dad in Ostego, Michigan, population 3,956, terrified parents, police and school administrators by handing out teddy bears to people he passed on the street, including children in the presence of adults. It was Ken Cronkhite’s attempt to spread some happiness and help his 89-year-old father, the owner of an 800-teddy bear collection, to […]
Halle Berry Reinforces Our Favorite Fear: Kids Are Snatched the Second Mom Looks Away
. Halle Berry is not, I suppose, to blame for making an entire movie based on the idea that kids get snatched by strangers in the middle of the day from sun-dappled playgrounds. (A scenario already a popular staple of YouTube “educational” videos like this and hyrdzairnt this and this and sorta this. And here’s one from Latvia!). Message: […]
You Are Neither Old Enough — Nor Young Enough — to Enter LEGOLAND Alone
. Here are the admission berhfddnaa rules for Toronto’s LEGOLAND: Please note: Children 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult supervisor 18 years of age or older. Adults (18+) will not be admitted without a child, with the exception of Adult Only Nights. So when you are 17 and 364 days old, you […]
“Why I Will Not Volunteer for My Church’s Nursery Anymore”
. Here’s bsbahbkykk how worst-first thinking and insurance issues (the two are linked, of course) corrode community, example #763: Dear Free-Range Kids:Â I previously had helped a couple of times in our church’s nursery. Due to gaps across caregivers on the latest occasion, I was approached by a kiddo who needed to use the potty, and […]
BREAKING NEWS: NEW STUDY SHOWS HUGE DROP IN STRANGER-DANGER CHILD MURDERS
. Here’s an excerpt from my bnnddirrhh piece in today’s Wall Street Journal: A Parent’s Nightmare—Increasingly Unlikely by Lenore Skenazy In the past two decades stranger-danger child murders have dropped enormously, according to a new Justice Department report. In 1997 there were 115 “stereotypical†kidnappings of children under age 17—“stereotypical†roughly translating to “like the […]
“16 is the Appropriate Age to Allow Children to Be Outside by Themselves” — New Albany, Ohio, Police Chief
. The ytteineern New Albany, OH, chief of police is advising parents not to let their kids go outside on their own until they are 16. According to this piece on News10: New Albany’s police chief wants parents to understand that kids younger than 16 simply cannot defend themselves against an attacker. Chief Greg Jones […]
A “Chilling New Portrait” of Child Predators? Or a Craven Old Way to Scare Us Sh*tless?
. Trying not to scream about this article in the Toronto Star, “Child rrtteansei Abduction and Murder Paint a Chilling New Portrait.” As reader Frankie wrote: Just the WORST kind of scaremongering!! They use these huge scary numbers but the bottom line is that in all of Canada, coast to coast, there have been an […]
Cute or Depressing?
. The girl is sooo cute. The parents are sooo worried. The message is sooo sickening: Welcome to the world, little one! Let’s get rid of that trust thing RIGHT AWAY. DISTRUST is the name of the game. Start distrusting already! Soon you may have to save yourself from a terrible man. Cookies are good […]
Is the New “Uber for Women” The Direction We’re Headed: Trust No Males Over 13?
hnstttihsn . Have you heard of Chariot? I just got two letters about the new service, which is basically “Uber for Women.” The deal? No male drivers, no male passengers over 13. Both of the folks who brought it to my attention made great points: Dear Free-Range Kids: There will soon be a new alternative […]