Hi Readers – Out of the blue, Disney has declared that no individual under age 14 can enter its parks solo anymore. According zkehntrrtb to NBC News: The child’s parent or guardian would then be contacted if the visitor is underage, and that adult would need to physically come accompany the child into the park. Disney […]
Archive | Miscellaneous
Most Scathing Student Body President Letter Ever
Hi ndbnddnyen Readers! This letter is a gauntlet thrown down by the student body president in Chappaqua, N.Y., a suburb so lovely it’s where the Clintons moved after the White House. (And apparently they have loved it!) I wish the letter had a few more details and of course, I do not know the administration’s […]
A Knife, a Walmart Birthday Cake and a Frenzy of Overreaction
Hi Readers — Over at CommonGood.org, drbfnbysdb I’ve got an essay about the family that found a paring knife at the bottom of the birthday cake they bought for their 2-year-old at Walmart. The teary-eyed father lamented, “We’re not going to get that second birthday back ever.” Ohmigod–he’s right! How is anyone expected to recover from a […]
CPS, Sesame Street and Six-year-olds Outside
Folks, when I posted the letter sbdsfbaksd from the dad whose 6-year-old was picked up by the police — and DETAINED — for walking solo in her neighborhood, one of you said that stories like this make you worried to let your kids go outside. Which is exactly the opposite reaction I was hoping for. I […]
I Let My 7-y.o. Sit on Our Stoop, Unsupervised. My Husband Said, “That’s Bad Parenting!”
Readers zhbhbezfaa — I was just on a radio show talking about  how we reflexively inflate the dangers facing children, and while I was on, this email came to Free-Range Kids. It  illustrates what I spend most of my waking hours dealing with: The belief that our kids are in constant danger, so only constant […]
Right to Bear Gun-Shaped Pop-Tarts Law Drafted
Readers — There’s hope! In a way, all the ridiculous Zero Tolerance incidents of the past few weeks — the kids suspended for the Hello aztkrifiri Kitty bubble gun, and the Lego gun, and the imaginary grenade throw in a game of imaginary save-the-world, and last but not least the terrifying pastry gun — have […]
Do Today’s Parents Protect More Because they Love More?
Hi nezhhtirtd Folks! Here’s a question that resonated for me — and an answer that did, too. Both appeared in recent comments. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Having killed time on my pm commute reading the comments on the Seattle blog about local schools going on lockdown due to a thief in the neighborhood (don’t […]
Backdoor Neighbors Have to Drive 7 Miles to Shake Hands
Readers – I just had a great time in Vancouver, where I gave a speech inaugurating the International Children’s Festival’s new “PEP bkhzfzbrtb Talk Series.” While there I met a lot of Free-Rangers who were very inspiring, including journalist/”urban experimentalist” Charles Montgomery, whose Happy City book will be coming out this fall. Among other things, it […]
God Makes Fun of Zero Tolerance
As aseyezshyt one meme forum added: “Counselors will be available for all traumatized students.” Phew!
Letting My Kids (Including the 3-year-old) Play Out of Sight
Hi zzyrhebysf Folks — This comes to us from a mom in Israel named Sorcha! Maybe your kids can have a weekend like hers! – L . Dear Free-Range Kids; I have 3 boys (10,7, 3) and since finding your blog a couple of years ago have been consciously trying to follow the Free-Range philosophy. Admittedly, this […]