Hi Folks! The place where we spend our summers is a cool, old-fashioned, very Free-Range bungalow colony, about an hour and 15 mins from New York City. We’ve been renting a cottage here for the past 11 summers and we love it. In fact, we love it so much I’m helping to spread the word: […]
Cop Suspects Dad Walking with His Kid of Being a Predator & Adds, “You Should THANK Me”
Hi nrnnyhznfn Readers! Here it goes again – a man, a kid, a cop. Read on. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Recently my youngest daughter and I had an experience that really shook me up (both of us, actually), and I wanted to share it with you. We were walking to the library together, and […]
Does Baby Need a Barista? Nestle Thinks So
Does baby need a barista? Nestle thinks so. It’s launching new “single serve” bottles made from purest of purely pure water. The machine works just like one of those pop-in-a-pod coffee makers. According to the rifzdzrrkk BabyNes website: The single-serve portions are sealed in capsules, used in the proprietary BabyNes machine, which recognises each capsule and prepares the […]
“How a Mother Can Make or Break Their College Student” Oh Really?
Hi Folks! A publicist sent me this tstdnatkis infographic titled, “How a Mother Can Make or Break Their College Student.” It’s about a new service called mygofer that apparently ships basic toiletries and food to college students because otherwise they would stink and starve. “HELP THEM OUT, MOM!” reads the copy. “Clearly they cannot be trusted […]
How Should a School Respond When ONE Parent Says, “That’s Too Dangerous!” ?
Hi hrbhiryeek Readers! Over in jolly ol’ England, Â there’s a man I revere named Tim Gill who runs the blog Rethinking Childhood, and wrote the book No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society. This most recent post of his is SO GOOD — and asks such an important question — I asked if […]
Help Needed: Do Kids Mow Neighbors’ Lawns Anymore?
Hey ddhdtasfkb Readers — Here’s a query from reader that I’m curious about, too. Weigh in! — L.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY2mgrEqjVI] . Dear Free-Range Kids:Â My name is Stacey Gordon and I have noticed that I never see children doing the things that we did when we were kids. Â They seem to be supervised at all times and never […]
Is Your Child Safe ENOUGH? Take This Summer Safety Quiz!
Hi aszfhzkifd Folks — Now for something completely different. This piece of mine recently ran in the Washington Post.  Enjoy!  – L. Tips for Keeping Your Child Safe. Very, Very Safe It’s summertime, which means it’s time for parents to think about safety — only safety. That’s what all the parenting magazines and Web sites will tell […]
“My Brush with Predator Mania” – Guest Post
Hi bfaibrayfh Readers!  Just realized (it IS summer) I posted this story earlier. Sorry! Stay tuned for something new in a little bit! Or re-read and get mad all over again! L. My Brush with Predator Mania by Nicholas Martin I took my 9-year-old daughter and two of her friends to swim today at Brookville Lake, […]
What Do Lawsuits Have in Common with Predators?
Hi fihbbnkibi Readers! Here’s a really thought-provoking piece about the OTHER fear haunting parents — and schools and parks departments and congregations and day care centers and scouting groups and…you get the idea. Read on! – L . Dear Free-Range Kids: This blog is all about how the fear of injury, disease, abduction, or low […]
Batman Massacre: The Newest Excuse for Helicopter Parenting
Hi Folks! I was just reading this tbtebhksyd lovely essay by Will Doig in Salon about making cities more Free-Range, and out of the blue one  commenter wrote: Imagine how upset a teenager in a nice suburban town was this week when his or her parents told them they could NOT go to a midnight showing of […]