Hi Readers — I’m working on a project that may (or, alas, may not) involve me interacting with real world moms and dads and kids, giving some Free-Range tips and having fun (and drinking their coffee and eating their cookies). And guess what? The try-out phase is FRIDAY! Yes indeed, this Friday afternoon.
So if you’d like me to come over for an hour or so to chat with you about what you’d like your kid to maybe start doing on his/her own, whether that’s cutting a sandwich, making a playdate, sitting in the playpen while you take a shower, playing on his own or (well, I need help with this one, too) doing their own homework, invite me over and we’ll see if we can’t make that happen. Yes, your kid should be there, too!
You can respond to this request at Lskenazy@gmail.com . Thanks! Do it soon! — Lenore
Oh Lenore.
I adore you, your philosophy, this site and your book. I really really do. But this post makes it sound like you’re about to charge to Free-Range other peoples’ kids. Which sounds so eerily similar to professional babyproofers and friendship coaches, even if on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Please tell me I’m misunderstanding this post. Pretty please?
No thanks. But on that note, have you seen this article? http://nymag.com/news/features/67024/
What is your travel radius?
Hmm… I’m with mountcool.
I know you mean well, but seriously, isn’t this whole site, this whole philosophy, supposed to be anti-expert? Do you really want to set yourself up as an expert-free expert?
I realize there are people out there who won’t try anything (in parenting or otherwise) without someone telling them how to do it. I just don’t see how the free-range method can be any good FOR THE PARENT if they are told how to do it. I thought this was about trusting ourselves? I’m not saying never ask for advice, but…
This just worries me is all. You might be thinking of it as a “chat” but to me it feels like another way of telling parents that they don’t know how to parent. I guess I think if the parent feels like they need a consultant… They don’t really get it, and “when to let Jonny cut off his own crusts” is not really the chat that needs to happen.
I may be misunderstanding what you’re going for. Best of luck at any rate.
On a completely unrelated topic, I STRONGLY urge you to change your email adress listed above to the spelled out Lskenazy at gmail.com. Unless I’ve missed some huge leap in email technology you are about to get massively spammed, beyond google’s blocking capacity.
i disagree w/ all you naysayers… i read this, and my mind jumped to thinking she was up to a “nanny 911” type show. maybe even a “nanny 911” meets “what not to wear” type idea — where Lenore could do interventions! I have someone I’d recommend (won’t let his 12 year old son stand in line at a concession stand alone… within eyesight of dad, mind you)
I’ve got to agree with mvb. I think the intentions are all good here. We’ve got negativity coming at us from all directions these days, telling us how bad the world is and if we let our children out of our sight we’re crazy. It would be nice to have a real live person in my home to encourage me. I’m just going to add this to my list of Reasons I Really Want To Live In NYC.
I don’t think by offering herself as a person who’s thought through this and made some of the changes herself, Lenore is claiming to be an “expert” or someone who can tell a parent how to be free-range. It sounds more like she wants to fill the role of a friend with some helpful advice. Yes, free-range is ultimately about knowing your family and doing what you think best for them, but if we all woke up in the morning knowing exactly what that was 1) Lenore wouldn’t have had to write a book and 2) people wouldn’t come here to ask (one another, more than Lenore) “what would you do in this situation?”
Anyone can benefit from advice from someone who’s “been there” and makes a good sounding board, coming from a place of agreeing with you on the overall goal. That’s not expertism, that’s,,,well….community!
I have mixed emotions about Lenore’s possible endeavor. If we all aren’t reading too much into it, that is.
On one hand I feel we are bombarded with too many opinions (via tv talk shows, reality shows, parenting books…). I’m with ya Mountcool on the idea of another baby-proofer professional, friendship coach and all those other titles that make my skin crawl.
On the other hand, I would sure tune in if Free Range was going to get a reality show of its own! Couldn’t it only help parents out there? Hmmm.
how come i can’t figure out how to email questions to this blog?? anyone?