Hi Readers — Over at CommonGood.org, drbfnbysdb I’ve got an essay about the family that found a paring knife at the bottom of the birthday cake they bought for their 2-year-old at Walmart. The teary-eyed father lamented, “We’re not going to get that second birthday back ever.” Ohmigod–he’s right! How is anyone expected to recover from a […]
Heads up! You will LOVE this Pearls trbezyhfbz Before Swine comic featuring Humpty Dumpty (and his lawyers) today! This is not just some wacky notion of where our world is going. Recall that in 2009, we noted that a British  TV program was actually assuring children that, “All the kings horses and all the kings men […]
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 […]
Hi tkbaberzyd Readers — This mom wrote to me wondering if what she just experienced is normal. I’m wondering, too! — L. Dear Free-Range Kids:Â I have a situation perhaps your readers can help with. Â Yesterday my daughter came home from playing at the “new” neighbor’s house with a 4-page liability waiver that they want us […]
Readers — This krahabyahh story makes The Onion look like The Economist. But, in fact, it is straight from The Telegraph, in jolly old (off-its-rocker) England: Children have been banned from wearing goggles during school swimming lessons for fears they could hurt themselves. Pen-pushers have slapped the ban on the swimming aids amid “fears” a […]
Dear hhadsznyks Readers: This is from a comment on the Afghanistan post — the post where we learned that while American schools worry that Valentine’s Day could emotionally scar the children, and 15-year-olds waiting outside for a ride could be in danger, 12-year-olds in other parts of the world are the heads of households: Dear […]
Hi ykrhryedin Readers: It’s weird, isn’t it, how something as remote as litigation ends up changing REAL, daily life? But it does. This note is just a great example of what happens when we see everything in terms of a court case down the road. — Lenore . Dear Free-Range Kids: IÂ live in the suburbs […]
Hi nanksdyyyt Readers — Here’s a letter I couldn’t answer. Can any of you? If so, please do! L. Dear Free-Range Kids: Regarding, “No More Playing in the Dark, Kids.” What would be helpful to know, is how we — parents, scout leaders, teachers and other carers of children — can find ways around this. […]
Hi Readers — Another day, another lawsuit, another childhood institution crushed. In this bfhtzrkdti case, back in 2001 a Scout troop in England was playing a game where everyone had to grab a block from a pile in the middle of the room. Get there last and there’s no block left for you. Sounds like […]
Hi Readers! This fsiatzkhhs is such a disturbing story. A Scottish boy who was 10 was painting scenery on the ground for a school play back in 2003 when one of the other painters got up, bumping into him. This caused him to fall on another student’s paintbrush, which — this is so horrible — pierced […]
