Oprah visits  “the happiest people in the world” and finds out. Guess where their kids nap? (First two minutes of 8 minute vid.) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QS8dROjKNY&feature=relatedwo] And meantime: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Give thanks we live in a time when kids are safer than ever before…even if it’s hard to convince anyone of this fact. — Lenore
Pathetic Plea for Tech Help
So. Anyone out there who has both cable and TiVO who can figure out how to tape the re-broadcast of the Campbell Brown show on CNN that I was just on and maybe even send me a link, or post it on YouTube, if that is not hidesouly illegal? The show re-airs at 4 a.m. […]
CNN, Tonight. Me.
Hi Folks! I’ll be on CNN tonight at about 8:30 Eastern Time discussing “overparenting.” I feel a little bad for helicopter parents because overnight they’ve been knocked off their perch, even after it was society that hounded them into doing and buying and fretting in the first place. Â That darn pop culture! So hard to […]
North Pole Back In Business
Hi Readers — Here’s a happy holiday gift: Santa sanity from the child-overprotecting world. You may recall last week’s story about  the closing of the North Pole Santa effort for fear of pedophiles mailing themselves to unsuspecting tots. (Or whatever the exact, irrational  “rationale” was.) Enjoy this aeyyfznfha well-written post about how it all turned […]
Kids Need Dirt. For Real! For their HEALTH!
Hi Readers — A bunch of you have been digging (har har) this sathebktzf story about how much protection our kids get from DIRT. This explains my philosophy of housekeeping! Er…I mean: This explains my philosophy of childrearing. Anyway, here’s a bit of the article, by Murrray Wardrop,  in The Telegraph. (For some reason this story got […]
13-Year-Old Boy Survives 11Days on New York Subway
This is a hbtkykksif very weird story, but it does prove one thing I’ve been saying for a while: Kids are not snatched willy-nilly from the New York City subways. On the other hand, they’re not noticed for days and days either. Hmmm. — Lenore
“Zits” Explains Why Kids Can’t Do Anything Anymore
If Zits comics aren’t cut out and affixed to your refrigerator yet, it’s only because your kids are still young. Otherwise, you couldn’t resist. That’s why I’m glad a reader sent in this one to stick on the collective Free-Range Kids Fridge. For more Zits, click here!
Should We Train Our Kids Like Dogs?
There’s something to that idea, according to the rzntkittzb Motherlode parenting blog in  The New York Times: Take our cue from The Dog Whisperer and give our kids plenty of affection, discipline and  time outside with a bone. Well, time outside, anyway.
Anti-Homework Movement Growing!
At least it is in Canada, where one family’s actual contract with their school — “We the undersigned shall do no homework, nor shall it be assigned” (or words to that effect) is roiling the country. Editorials are jumping in on the anti-homework, pro-play, pro-down-time, pro-music, sports and outdoors side! Right on! Here’s fkfhnrnrbz an […]
Outrage of the Week: Saving Children From Mrs. Santa Claus!
I don’t know if this is quite the right expression but: Oy vey! A town in North Carolina has BANNED MRS. CLAUS from its  X-mas parade. Why? To quote the local News ykrhahtfyn Observer: “…John Odom, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, which runs the parade, said it’s confusing for children to see […]