Hi ksethyitba Readers! This is from the mom of four in Canada who wrote about the fear of “dry drowning” last week. Today, a new peeve that peeves me, too. Dear Free-Range Kids: As seen around Facebook lately, sales of the ProTecht BodyGuard blanket have, in the words of the manufacturer, already “far exceeded our wildest […]
Archive | Marketing Madness and Gadgets
Does a GPS Device Give Kids Freedom?
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 […]
Track Your Child Like a Felon!
Readers — Of course there are a ton of child-GPSing devices out there now, to the point where letting a child simply step outside without one may soon become a federal offense. This ikdhedtidy ad just struck me as rock bottom. It’s like a film strip for a first grader who happens to be a mom. Anyway, […]
Will Future Parents Feed Their Kids “Ingestible” Stomach Sensors?
Folks — I have a aderttytet piece that just went on up Quartz about the future of childhood. Some of the issues and items I discuss you’ve read about here already, but not this one: …By 2024, it’s possible that letting kids do anything on their own will be considered completely irresponsible, or even insane. […]
When Adults Take Over Children’s Fun
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 […]
A Remote Control Brake for Your Kid’s Bike?
Readers — Add this to ykkybyzynr the ever-longer list of items that start from the assumption that kids are in constant danger so parents must be in constant control: \ \ Needless to say (perhaps) I am dismayed by this device, not only because it gives kids the wrong impression — “I don’t have to learn […]
New School Bus Comes with “Predator Finder”
Readers aritzekhez — It’s weird enough when we are warned that our bumper stickers are busy attracting predators. Now there is a new line of school bus that videos the cars behind it, on the bizarre assumption that these may be driven by predators so unsure of where else to find a child that they […]
Pretending to Sell SIDS Prevention
Readers — rhhynzaafs This is a wonderful and well-researched piece on Slate by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, who seems to have written articles on everything that interests and outrages me, including Satanic panic (a FANTASTIC and oh-so-disturbing story), and how junk science can put innocent people behind bars for a very long time. But this time she’s […]
Treating Your Healthy Baby Like She’s in Intensive Care
Hey hryzezfifh Readers – Here’s a piece I wrote for the Wall Street Journal a little while back that I can now legally reprint here! Bringing Up Baby and Fretting About Vital Signs New gadgets, like diapers that monitor kidney function, are turning baby nurseries into ICUs. By LENORE SKENAZY Almost anything you can put on […]
More Snow = More Cyberbullying?!?
From ekkszbrbbb my mailbox, ever-filled with flacks seeking publicity: Hi there – Hope you’re well. Wanted to reach out quickly with an interesting snow storm related story idea: with kids stuck at home with a snow day, they are more likely to be on their smartphones/computers, increasing the chances of them cyberbullying someone or getting […]