Readers — This ztbniktybr story is so strange, it’s almost like watching a sci-fi army come marching out of the TV. (Does anyone remember TV? It’s like a computer, but you can’t ask it questions.) Anyway, the piece is by a dad named Paul Wallich who begins this way: On school-day mornings, I walk my […]
Archive | Miscellaneous
“Don’t Bother Abducting Me — I’m a Pain in the Ass” T-shirts, and More!
Hey Readers! Kindly allow me to interrupt this blog to advertise for a moment. It’s gift-giving season, so why not think Free-Range, ksyteksrrn as in the book itself, just .53! Lots of laughs, tips and a look at how we got so scared. It’s got a 4.6 outta 5 rating in 118 reviews on Amazon. […]
“ROBBERIES SOARING!” A Media Lesson from Me, A Former Tabloid Journalist
Hi Readers! Did you know I spent 14 years on staff at the New York Daily News? Sure did — and loved it. I was a features writer then promoted to a columnist on the oped page. That was wonderful, too. (Till the day I was let go. But that’s another story.) Anyway, point is, […]
SUBMISSIONS NEEDED: Your Best or Worst Free-Range Moments of the Year!
Hi Folks! This being the round-up time of year, I’m wondering if maybe we shouldn’t be doing a round-up of our own. To that end, I’d love you to submit, below, any Free-Range moment that warmed your heart…or any incident of totally unnecessary worrying/warning/coddling/chiding/CYA-ing or waiver-writing that you witnessed or had to deal with when […]
The Most Important Free-Range Kids Post So Far
Hi dbkbdbziyh Readers — This note arrived about three years ago and I was saving it for some reason. It almost became my sacred creed. Now I want to run it. Â It needs no intro except: She’s right. — L. Dear Lenore, We spend a lot of time trying to control for risks in the […]
How to Stop Overspending On Child Safety
Hi nsbhfiktzb Folks! I was interviewed for this article on the site PTMoney. Turns out it is one of the most cogent things I’ve ever read about the Kiddie Safety Industrial Complex, in this case, how parents end up overspending on safety for their kids, even though their kids would be extremely safe even at […]
No Liquid Soap Allowed in Pre-School Bathroom: Children Might Drink It
Readers rkekerbeir — What can I say? It’s as if our country — its administrators, regulators, insurance execs and many everyday folks — are in competition with each other. The game is, “Can you think of a way that X or Y Â is dangerous?” If you can’t, well, clearly you don’t care enough about safety. […]
“Do Not Give Into Fear” says Police Chief…After a Child Abduction!
Hi inybtyassy Folks! Recently a 9-year-old in New Zealand was abducted on his way home from school and found 90 minutes later, abandoned on a bridge. This piece of reporting from the Timaru Herald AND the reactions of everyone in it, including police and principals, remind me there is sanity out there, if only we choose to hang […]
Art Class is Considered a “Medium Danger” in School. (Gee, Not HIGH RISK?)
Hi Readers — Remember the Military-Industrial Complex? You should, because it’s still around. But now it’s time to consider a new one: the Hysteria-Bureaucracy Complex, whereby any and every potential danger triggers hysteria and bureaucratic intervention, especially when that “danger” has to do with children. To illustrate this, allow me to introduce an article from the […]
Free-Rangers: Your Children Should be Taken From You! (Signed) A Fed-Up Librarian
Hi ndtyhknhay Readers! The librarian who wrote the letter below is very angry at us, thanks to a couple of misconceptions about what it means to raise a Free-Range Kid. Note to Librarian: We’re with you! We don’t want ill-behaved kids driving you crazy and putting themselves in danger. Thankfully, “Free-Range” does not mean neglect. […]