Readers hrznndyyat — This surprising story of parental reversal comes to us from Jody Allard, a single mom of seven in Seattle. Why Stalking Your Kids Isn’t Okay, by Jody Allard Earlier tonight, one of my teenage sons came home from his first date. He plopped down on the couch, kicked off his shoes, and […]
Readers — As I write on the Reason blog today, Scotland is beginning to assign every child, from birth to 18, a “named person” — that is, a state-appointed guardian. The program will be nationwide by 2016. Each “named person” will be privy to the child’s health, school and other records. If they don’t like what […]
Readers: nrfirydbif Remember, whenever considering any childhood activity, no matter how innocuous, first think about how TERRIBLE you’d feel if it ended up a tragedy from which your children (if they survive) NEVER RECOVER. Then go ahead and decide if you think they should do it. Here’s a lovely example of that worst-first thinking, below. It’s from […]
Readers ftyrsbztek — If you wonder why kids aren’t outside as much anymore, maybe it’s time to consider all the helpful safety tips we get.  Here are some from the New Jersey’s Star Ledger’s “46 Ways to Have a Safer NJ Summer.” (For more, see my piece at Reason.) “If you see a bear while out […]
Worth iathinkith reading, and even bringing to your next PTA meeting: Dear Free-Range Kids: I felt compelled to write you a little note, today, as I have a confession to make. For the past two years, I’ve been in charge of the picnic at my son’s school, here in Winnipeg. Last year, I followed the […]
From nhznntzihs my inbox: Hey Lenore! I came across a product the other day in my Facebook feed and I was curious about your opinion and your readers’. It’s basically a wearable GPS device for tracking your kids. My first impression was a big eye roll. But then we had a situation this weekend that […]
Readers nddhntrdhs — This is a plea for standing back and letting childhood happen. When care about our children’s safety and success, but do not obsess to the point where we can’t magine either happening without our immediate and constant intervention, we free up both generations. What can our kids do with that free time not spent […]
Readers — Many of you have sent this btttarsyta story about Hawaii dad Robert Demond who made his son walk home a mile and was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child. For this he was put on one year’s probation, and forced to taking a parenting class and pay a fine. Demond told […]
From my idrnykhtzs “Let’s totally not believe in our kids” file comes this press release. I say “not believe” because it is only fear that would make anyone think that literacy must be shoved into a 2-year-old — fear that playing and exploring are not enough, fear that a child’s brain is already atrophying, or missing […]
Readers rbyzyzattt — This is part of a “rant” from over at BabyCenter. It struck a chord (and not just because it’s partly about piano recitals). As you may know, I am smitten with the work of Peter Gray about how playing (i.e., doing something “just” for fun) is the key to learning. I also […]
