It is better for pre-schoolers not to play on their new playground equipment at all — equipment that is on grass and dirt, not concrete — than to let them play without 6-inch-deep mulch underneath, according to regulators. A pre-school in a disadvantaged neighborhood of Charlotte, NC, received the equipment as a donation, Â which seemed […]
Tag Archives | regulation
Why Do I Keep Scaring People With Stories of Good Parents Hounded by the Authorities?
. A reader just wrote to ask why do I keep scaring Free-Rangers by publicizing the worst and rarest cases of cops and CPS overreach? Stories like what happened to the Meitivs kshkdidiyn of Maryland, or the family of the 11-year-old in Florida, or Debra Harrell, the mom in South Carolina who spent a night in […]
N.Y. State Senate Passes Bill Outlawing Kids Under 8 Waiting in Cars
Hi idsesihasf Readers — My very own state — New York — just passed an overprotective, unnecessary, parental-decision-damning bill. Here’s the scoop, according to the Queens Chronicle: In order to better ensure child safety, the state Senate unanimously passed a bill on Feb. 29 that would make it illegal for parents or guardians to leave […]
“The Seemingly Inexorable Transfer of Authority from Parents to the State”
Hi Readers — As you know, I am a big fan of helmets. Have been since I first started this blog, as you can see right there, on the left of this post. I also make my kids wear helmets when they ski and snowboard. BUT I am also a big fan of this helmet […]
Is a Child “Unaccompanied” if the Parent Is Close By?
Hi fstazezsfz Readers! Here’s a recent letter that makes me hot under the collar (but not hot enough to turn on the A.C.). — L. (who can’t figure out how to get rid of this LINE!!) Dear Free-Range Kids: Well, I did it again: I sent my 4.5-year-old inside the library to walk the 20 […]
New Outrage! Homeowners Assn. Proposes Ban on Kids Playing
Hi Readers — Just be glad you don’t live in the Persimmon Place subdivision in Edgewater, Fla. The Homeowners Association (HOA) there is considering new rules that will ban children from playing outside. I KNOW this sounds like a fantasy plot from one of the umpteen dystopian young adult novels out there, so let me […]
I Hate This! Student Suspended for Opening Door
Readers — As you know, Free-Range Kids is about trust, community and common sense. All of which a Virginia middle school student displayed the other day when he held open the door for someone he knew. For this, he was given a day long suspension. The reason? The school had just installed a $10,000 + […]
The Tree-House is Gone
Hi Readers. Yup. The one we nsrhrzasrs discussed a couple posts ago has been dismantled. Here’s the story. It was too dangerous, the local council deemed. Personally, I liked one commenter’s idea that the folks who voted against it should have been required to spend an afternoon in it first. But I guess that didn’t […]
Uh…Outlawing SQUIRT GUNS?
Hi Readers — Am I reading habnekndbi this proposed law correctly? It’s from Hawaii. Could it actually seek to outlaw… selling squirt guns to minors? I’m reading it wrong, right? Â Or it’s early and I’m still asleep? Or someone stole our planet and replaced it with the wacky one made out of Silly Putty? Help! […]
What Is The LEAST Dangerous, Cutest Thing We Can Outlaw Next?
Hi Readers: Here we go again. For the sake of the children (somehow), schools are looking at whether they should banish class pets. After all, they could spread DISEASE! And they are (somehow) a liability! And ________________! Â (Fill in the blank with something else bad they do. I know that’s kind of hard, but if […]