Readers: Perhaps this ad is an elaborate parody of stay-in-school scare tactics. If so, bravo! If not? Yowza. Anyone who thinks the only way to influence kids is to make them think that the second they are not supervised they are in GRAVE DANGER has been watching too much media aimed at their parents.- L […]
Archive | Miscellaneous
What New Thing Will We Find Harmful to Children Next?
Readers, zteffnrsef I am really enjoying the new book Kevin C. Pyle and Scott Cunningham, “Bad For You: Exposing the War on Fun!” It’s a comic book…er…graphic depiction of everything from products for panicked parents (like the Thudguard helmet for toddlers), to the rise of plastic playgrounds, to the “danger” of Dungeons and Dragons. (And […]
Giving Men the Benefit of the (Predator) Doubt
Readers tiesyfhbfe — I love this article from The Daily Telegraph by radio broadcaster Jason Morrison and hope that it’ll clear something up: While it is good to be aware of the possibility of horrors like abuse and kidnapping, it is sickening (and statistically ridiculous) to jump to these assumptions IMMEDIATELY upon simply seeing a […]
“Why Are You Doing That to Your Child???” (I.e., Making Her Walk)
Hey hfnnberyey Readers — I’m sorry this visitor experienced America as a nation of buttinskis convinced that kids are in constant peril of snatching or (God forbid) fatigue.  Maybe by the time she comes back, the country  will have changed! – L Dear Free-Range Kids: I am Australian and last year I went on a big […]
Would You DARE to Play with This Toy?
Hi Readers! This photo comes to us from blogger ffiksyikze Tarja Kelly in Australia. Those are the pages and pages of warnings that came with a  Monsters U toy. The kids thought it was a book! Heck, maybe we SHOULD read all this fine print aloud to our kids as a cautionary tale of what […]
Ban Backyard Pools to Prevent Drownings?
Readers — This yizyykkryy is a post from Australia’s iVillage about a true concern: Death by backyard pool. There as here, drowning is one of the leading causes of child death. Heartbreaking. Nonetheless, banning pools seems like a bad idea. How come? Well I read through some of the comments to find one that articulated my […]
“Strangers in the Schools” Video Contest Winner!
Readers — To keep children “safe” from all those strangers who slither in on Election Day, some trfsrsehiy schools no longer want to serve as polling places. This prompted me to write the song “Strangers in the Schools” to  Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night.” I asked you to send in video versions for a contest. The winner […]
The Year the Super Bowl Hooker-Palooza Myth Died
Hi Readers — Here’s my dzbtsnszik piece in the Huffington Post about yet another moral panic: hordes of hookers descending on the Super Bowl. For insight, I interviewed Maggie McNeill, who blogs at The Honest Cortesan and wrote this terrific piece for Reason on the same topic. Here’s what she told me: …unlike trade shows, […]
Student w/ Prosthetic Legs Banned from Ballgames Due to “Safety Concerns”
Readers — Sometimes I am ready to jump out of my skin when I read about child “protections” put in place that do nothing but stymie kids’ development. Like srrhnykrff this case, about  a basketball player sidelined for “safety’s” sake. The standout quote? “The state high school organization made the tough call that Bailey’s prosthetic legs complicate […]
“Can Your 5-year-old Go to the Store?” Asks a Surprising Document
Readers, my Facebook friend Ali Bergstrom recently showed me a child development form filled out for her son. This is to assess 5-year-old with disabilities: In case this is too hard to read, the benchmarks are: Child may play safely at home without being watched constantly. Goes about familiar environment outside of home with only […]