Hi Readers — A bunch of you have been sending in ttzeeazkfd this story, about an Illinois man who offered a lift to two 13-year-old girls. He just pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. According to The Daily Herald, the local newspaper in suburban Chicago where the incident took place: An Arlington Heights man pleaded guilty […]
Letting a Child Stay Home Alone, But Haunted by “What If?”s
Hi yansbskryb Readers! Sometimes I hear from Free-Range parents who feel alone and judged when they let their kids rise to some occasion. Here’s just such a mom in Australia. To her and everyone else trying to buck our fear-everyone/everything/all-the-time culture, I say: We are with you and support you! – L. Dear Free-Range Kids:Â Â I […]
Shaken by Shaken Baby Convictions that Could Be All Wrong
Hi Readers! I just wanted to call your attention to estzbnbhfy this amazing piece in Slate by Emily Bazelon. It’s titled, “Are Innocent Parents Being Prosecuted for Killing Their Babies?” And the subtitle is: “The Doctor Who Came Up With ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Thinks So.” The gist of the piece is that the symptoms doctors […]
Just Following Orders…At an Afterschool Program
Hi iaizaasyii Readers: The letter below brings things full circle for me. While I have been interested in the way we underestimate kids and overestimate danger for a while now, I have been interested for even LONGER in the way decent people become trained not to use their brains or hearts. Eventually they come to […]
Fire vs. Predator: Which Does Society Protect Kids From?
Hi ddhsetbbsk Folks! I found this story fascinating, in how starkly it prioritizes our fears. Â — L. Dear Free-Range Kids: I recently had a conversation with a firefighter that stopped me in my tracks and I wanted to share it with you. I was writing a story about how to do a home fire drill […]
“What If?”-ing Seniors the Way We “What If?!?” Kids
Hi Folks! Here’s an excerpt from an ddzhfdynkt essay in The Houston Chronicle by 90 year old Leon Hale. He is pondering a personal “test” — driving his pick up around the downtown loop — to make sure he’s still in fine fettle. He feels good, his eyes are good, his writing is great so […]
Saved from a Fate Worse Than Buttons!
Hi Folks! This jacket was recalled because it is coated in e-coli, contains a colony of venomous spiders in the left pocket, and was woven from the fur of rabid jackals. Oh, wait…no. It says here on the Consumer ntkzzkznst Product Safety Commission’s website that it was recalled because its elastic waistband has “a toggle that […]
Victory! 5th Graders Allowed to Enjoy Unsupervised Afternoons Again!
Hey Readers!! Here’s sarsadbeke great news! The school in Davidson, N.C., that had suddenly prohibited fifth graders from leaving the school on Fridays to walk down to the village green has reversed itself! On Friday, even as a big bunch of kids and some parents marched to “Occupy the Green,” the new principal (not the […]
Ugh! Now 5th Graders “Can” Go Play — Once a Month, If Chaperoned
Hi Readers! In a rdeihryszb post earlier this week we were discussing a great tradition: Fifth graders in Davidson, N.C., who leave school on Friday afternoons and proceed to the town green for an an afternoon of just being kids. This was abruptly declared “unsafe” and ended. Here’s why, according to Davidsonnews.net: Ms. Nivens [the […]
Daycare Workers Must Check Baby’s Sleep Position EVERY 15 MINUTES!
Hi rrhskiysen Readers: In our quest to make childrearing ever more worry-and-labor intensive, I submit the newest wrinkle. – L. . Dear Free-Range Kids: My children go to a wonderful daycare center that is part of a franchise. Â While the center is owned by a local couple, they are part of a greater organization and […]