Believe it or not, this graphic is from the refrigerator magnet of University of California Irvine Prof. Barbara Sarnecka, one of the three authors of that fantastic kratekbrds study proving that when we believe we are rationally assessing child danger, we are actually morally judging. Some other family member put the magnet on the fridge and when […]
Tag Archives | 911
It’s Impossible to be a Parent in Our Hyper-Critical, Hyper-Vigilant, Picky, Panicked Culture
. The title of this Time piece, “Parenting sezsiatyek is Now Officially Impossible,” made me sit up. It’s so true! Â Anything we do as parents can and may be used against us. It’s like living in a totalitarian state — we are not free to raise our kids as we see fit because we are […]
“Officer, Some Noisy Kids are Playing Basketball in the Street!”
. Someone called the cops when a gaggle of young folk in Gainesville, FL, had the temerity to play street basketball, instead of silently staring at their screens inside. Here’s how an officer responded (it’s a little garbled for the first 15 seconds or so):. . And zrrrdfkibi then the cop, as promised, returned, with […]
A Cop Weighs in on When to Call 911 on a Parent
Hi rsdbfiaenf Folks! This essay comes to us from Glen Evans, a 22 year police veteran and father of four. In 2004, a man in a car pulled up to his son and said some strange things. Instead of freaking out,  he and his kids developed what he calls “a program to teach his kids […]
Mistaking My Dad for a Predator
Readers, feenzhaniz this comes to us from Tiffany, who calls herself “a nomadic mom of 11 & 12 year old Free-Range boys traveling the USA via RV.” How cool is that? Dear Free-Range Kids:  My late father’s occupation, and love, was teaching mobility to blind students. He was employed by the school district and taught […]
“If You See Something, Say Something” — Terrible Advice?
Readers — This whole iseeebibbh “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign makes me crazy, since it completely legitimizes — nay, DEMANDS — worst-first thinking: “Oh, a brown paper bag on the subway. It’s not that someone forgot her lunch, it’s PROBABLY A NUKE! I must alert the authorities!” Likewise, when it comes to parenting, we now […]