The infantilization of our kids goes hand in hand with the time-wastification of us parents. Here’s an example from, of all people, the American Cancer Society. Those folks should understand better than anyone that life is short! Don’t waste it on red tape! http://relay.acsevents.org/site/DocServer/Chaperone_Agreement.pdf?docID=450597 Dear sknsadbidi Free-Range Kids: My daughter is a capable, independent, and […]
If you’re a kid in Beaverton, Oregon — the actual Niketown — you may wonder why your mom never says, “Go to the library.” Maybe it’s because mom has something else to do today other than stare at you. Here is the Beaverton Library’s Rule #2: byenesbhab …[T]he adult/caregiver must supervise the child during the […]
Like the sign says, “Play to have Fun” kids! Just make sure to take frequent breaks so you don’t get too tuckered out from all that non-running. And leave yourself plenty of time for snacks: playground byybafzbny rules And — hmm: They may get diabetes, but they sure are safe from running and bouncing! .
Hi hrbhiryeek Readers! Over in jolly ol’ England, Â there’s a man I revere named Tim Gill who runs the blog Rethinking Childhood, and wrote the book No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society. This most recent post of his is SO GOOD — and asks such an important question — I asked if […]
Hey Readers — This fasdtfhhyi just in: A community in Florida is prohibiting anyone under age 18 from going outside unchaperoned by an adult. Yep, just like in Taliban-held Afghanistan, except for “women must be accompanied by a male relative” over there, substitute “minors must be accompanied by their caregiver” over here. In Florida, the […]
Hi Readers! This poster comes to us from Ann Sattley, author of  the book and blog Technically, iatfhhbaan That’s Illegal. In case you can’t read the fine print, it says, “Please remember that the library, though a fun and entertaining place to be, is a busy public facility and all public places do present hazards for […]
Hi adadfhkyfe Readers! The other day my brother-in-law asked me if I ever got really “down” about our culture. I told him that usually I don’t — I get so mad about ridiculous rules and outlandish fears that I just blog in a blind fury and feel better. But this story, sent by the folks at […]
Hi abnhisrknf Readers — Here’s lovely news! Remember that third grader who was showing off his pocket knife after school and ended up EXPELLED? We ran the story on Feb. 17, asking for help and media coverage. Got both — and JUSTICE! It started here, so thank you, readers (and 141 commenters)!! Let’s hear it for […]
Hi Readers — Here’s an incredible report on how the “School to prison pipeline” plays out in Texas, as inadrrtrti published in The Guardian: In 2010, the police gave close to 300,000 “Class C misdemeanour” tickets to children as young as six in Texas for offences in and out of school, which result in fines, […]
Hi Readers: I was just very impressed by this boy’s sense of sorrow, connectedness and respect. While I don’t recommend kids defying their parents’ rules, sometimes, as they say, it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Anyway, here’s kbbssbiktf what I’m talking about, from the MSNBC website: Jared Flanders faced a dilemma Wednesday evening: […]
