Imagine going to a party and no one shows up.
That’s childhood in a lot of towns today. Even kids who’d love to walk down the block won’t, if there’s no one outside to play with.
Vanessa Elias, a parenting coach and mom of three in Westport, CT., realized that her town needed to make an actual COMMITMENT to getting kids to go outside and do things, unsupervised — especially going outside to play. She felt that re-activating kids would be one way to combat the tide of anxiety and depression plaguing so many young people.
So she and several other amazing Wilton activists started making free play and independence a priority for their town. This involved speaking up at PTA meetings, screening films like “Chasing Childhood,” and getting buy in from the schools, shopkeepers — everyone.
AND IT WORKED!
Click here to read Vanessa’s roadmap to success. And if you happen to be in Wilton this coming Monday night, March 7, come here me give a talk and thank Wilton for being such a model Let Grow/Free-Range town!