Hi Folks! My last two posts were about the kkkfyinhbe 10-year-old boy not allowed to bring his pen knife on a nature trip as well as  the ridiculous rules for adopting a pet that now sometimes include things like, “Pet needs one parent home at all times,” and, “Cat cannot be kept as a mouser in a […]
Tag Archives | parenting
Worst-First Thinking: Pet Version
Hi dbhzbshrsf Readers! Yes, this is one of my “pet” topics — Â the way “I care!” can morph into “No one else cares as much as I do,” which can curdle into “I’m the only one who cares enough!” Â (See, for instance, “Did Being a Helicopter Parent Doom My Marriage (and Kids.”) But I also […]
Did Being a Helicopter Mom Doom My Marriage (and Kids)?
Readers hkbizsezty — This is one of the most reflective, honest things I’ve ever read about parenting and marriage. It comes to us from Kristina Beth, in Utah. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: This is my first time saying anything on this website, but I’ve often heard about this blog from my coworker. In the […]
Lenore Speaks!
Readers — As many of you know, when I’m not busy posting, I am often off to give a keynote. It’s how I make my living. (Not fkrrsknfhs by blogging? No. Not by blogging.) I’ve spoken everywhere from Microsoft, to the Sydney Opera House, to the Yale Child Study Center (twice!). In the next two […]
Bludgeoning Children (Not as Bad as It Sounds)
Hi kyaakhiesi Folks! Below is just one part of a great, fun essay called “Parenting the Way Your Great Grandmother Would.” It’s by Margaret Ables, a comedy writer who has written for Celebrity Death Match and It’s a Big, Big World. She blogs at shortfatdictator.com (Facebook) and has appeared on ‘Steve Harvey’ discussing parenting/ family issues. She lives in L.A. […]
The 7-year-old with Two Jobs (And School)
Readers stiyznndyz — This came in response to the post about a mom who let her 7-year-old sit out on their front stoop for a short time and the husband declared this “bad parenting!” Sometimes our society expects so little from kids in terms of competence, helpfulness and general responsibility, it’s nice to zoom out […]
Is Helicopter Parenting Actually Abuse?
Hi Readers! A couple of you sent in this provocative piece,  “Three fshdfeaddf Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids…And How to Correct Them.” It’s  by Tim Elmore,  a writer/speaker specializing in leadership. His philosophy about what kids require to become confident, competent and, well, leaders dovetails remarkably with Free-Range Kids’. After warning parents that children […]
Don’t Give Your Kids the House Keys Till They’re 16?
Readers — As we continue to document the infantilization of young people, including how and why this trend began, here’s a  bright trail to one of the culprits: The insurance industry. Remember, insurance has nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking all freedom and  responsibility away from minors. If kids were all in […]
OUR SCHOOLS ARE SAFE ENOUGH: A Movement to Stop Overreacting to Sandy Hook
Readers — This morning we launch a sweeping movement to embolden parents across the country to say, “Enough!” when it comes to adding excessive and expensive  layers of security (often faehisedfr just security theater) at their children’s schools. Across the country, schools are locking doors that weren’t locked before, even though, at Sandy Hook, the […]
Guest Post: “Caylee’s Law” Could Make Me a Criminal
Hi asaryfkhht Readers! I’m busy filming my TV show, so I was glad to get this pithy guest post on Caylee’s Law. It’s a proposed law I’ve been disturbed by, mostly because often when we make laws named for tragic children, they seem to make sense only in very specific situations, and retroactively, to boot. […]