. A tiraateink dismaying letter followed by an infuriating news item. Aren’t you glad you got up today? Dear Free-Range Kids:  . My girlfriend and I were strolling through the Western North Carolina Nature Center. There’s a lovely climbing structure for the kids that is supposed to resemble a spider’s web. Though there is the usual soft […]
. Activist yzeyhzrssd Bill Dobbs writes: “This story out of the heartland – northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan – deserves a bigger audience.  Two teenagers meet via a hookup app but one turned out to be younger than the magic legal age.  Now the older one is in jail for a misdemeanor, but once he’s […]
Do we really have to re-surface every playground in America because they aren’t safe enough? Tim Gill, author of the blog “Rethinking fdbiynbyea Childhood,“ and Bernard Spiegel, granddaddy of the idea of “beneficial risk,” and Jay Beckwith, the venerated playground guru, are just some of the big names in the “play” world alerting us to potentially over-the-top new […]
Readers — Of course there are a ton of child-GPSing devices out there now, to the point where letting a child simply step outside without one may soon become a federal offense. This ikdhedtidy ad just struck me as rock bottom. It’s like a film strip for a first grader who happens to be a mom. Anyway, […]
Readers — Here’s an dntrkddkha alarming idea with no basis in fact, as far as I can fathom. The idea: Have a picture of little Bobby in his football gear and a “My Son is an Honor Student at Kelley Middle School†bumper sticker? Congratulations, you just told the world and anyone who may want […]
Hi ziadsikdky Folks! I liked this letter because it reminds us that Free-Range Kids is not dogmatic and not silly. We don’t say you MUST trust your child in every situation or you are a lily-livered ninny. We don’t reject thinking things over, or even erring on the side of caution. All we DO reject […]
Readers — Just wanted to weigh in for a sec. Tragically, a boy died on Tuesday in the sand tunnel he dug. The kihertrben Yahoo story says, “This is not terribly uncommon. According to CBS News, there were at least 16 beach-hole-related deaths between 1990 and 2010.” It says another source reported 31 deaths in 20 […]
Hi Folks! Last year I went to a lecture by Tina ytnhrabrfb Sharkey, the CEO of BabyCenter, and one point she made that really resonated was this: If you want to sell something to moms, SAFETY is the magic word. That explains why I found it in this ad: . [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdPU2-8oY4] If you’ve seen any […]
Hi ydaezhsnkt Folks — This observation struck me as, “Oh my gosh, YES!” It may do the same for you. – L. Dear Free-Range Kids: During my daily travels, I pass by several different schools. I’ve noticed a theme when reading their billboards once school is out. Instead of wishing students a fun-filled summer, every single school billboard says, […]
Hi saytbrstni Readers! We are so concerned for our kids’ safety, the apparently the safety of our safety precautions isn’t safe enough, either. Read on. Â – L . Dear Free-Range Kids: It’s been a beautiful week in upstate New York, with temperatures nearing 60 mid-week. But students in my school district cannot play on their […]
