Free-Range Parenting

[Amanda]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

 

[Lookout]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

There was a time in this country when this sort of thing was done as the norm. Kids walked to school alone, went to the corner store by themselves and played around the block at the other kids house without so much as a phone call. Those days are far behind us now though...too many sick and twisted people in the world now. Probably stems from the introduction of CRACK by our wonderful government and the acceptance of gays and homosexuality in our culture. Not to mention the chemtrails, fluoride, antidepressants, riddelin, and a whole host of other bad ideas and inventions.

 

[Nevadamedic]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

What is now days parents have to be there to watch their kids, or they get into to much trouble. With the internet, video games, movies, television teaching them innipropriate things are ok or things that are ok for older more mature people to do is ook for them to do.

I deal with kids all the time at work when they come in and steal. It is sad, I would say that over 60% of my stops are on kids under the age of 18. It all is a product of bad parenting and I get to see it first hand. Anytikme I stop anyone under 18, we have to either release them to their parents of the Police. It is easy to tell whiich ones have good parents, basically when you tell them that you are calling their parents the kids who ask you to call the Police instead ar ethe ones who have the better parents I hate it when I have some smartass kid in there who knows their parents wont do dick, and it is clear when the parents show up that they dont care or even encourage this kid of behavior(I have had kids whos parents have them come in and steal for theim and are out waiting in a car for them, makes me sick.)

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

There is something to be said of letting a child meet challenges, another to set them lose where they can meet there end.

 

[Anguille]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

Great new debate topic, Amanda. The board needs some new ones.

I think the hands off approach works best. As long as it's not a disguise for lazy parenting.

It's not good to instill anxiety in kids by letting your own anxiety get out of control.

 

[Cecilie1200]

On the one hand, I think my son needs unscheduled space in which to be independent and creative. On the other hand, he needs boundaries that keep him safe and make him feel protected and cared-for. There is no way in Hell I would let him (he's 13) ride the NY subway alone, or even the Tucson bus system. I do, however, let him roam our neighborhood, playing with his friends in the old-fashioned, "let's make up a game as we go along" sort of way, rather than the pre-planned, organized play dates that so many parents do. My only requirements are that he must let me know where he's going to be so that I can find him, he must stay inside the pre-approved areas (no crossing either of the major streets that make up our nearest crossroad unless he gets permission), and he must be home before dark unless he's gotten special permission ahead of time.

 

[Luissa]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

my parents let me have free range of course I grew up in a suburb but they didn't keep close tabs on us as long as we were home for dinner. We also road our bikes all over once we got older since we didn't have subways.
When I was in high school I didn't have to tell my parents where I was going, they had figured out by me there was no point because I would lie to them anyways. I also was probably one of the most responsible one of my friends at least in high school. I didn't date the losers, I didn't get pregnant, and I usually made it home by curfew.
Once I turned twenty one is a different story.

 

[Luissa]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

my parents let me have free range of course I grew up in a suburb but they didn't keep close tabs on us as long as we were home for dinner. We also road our bikes all over once we got older since we didn't have subways.
When I was in high school I didn't have to tell my parents where I was going, they had figured out by me there was no point because I would lie to them anyways. I also was probably one of the most responsible one of my friends at least in high school. I didn't date the losers, I didn't get pregnant, and I usually made it home by curfew.
Once I turned twenty one is a different story.

 

[AllieBaba]

Unfortunately we live in a very mobile society, where predators and psychopaths look for kids who don't have an adult with them.

Kids are yanked off country roads within sight of their homes. To put your kid on the subway these days is inviting abduction.

I taught my older boys to always stay out of reach of everyone. I told them to be polite, but don't get within grasp, don't get into a car, don't look for pets, and if anyone tries to touch you scream like hell, aim for the balls when you kick and punch them in the nose if you are that close.

My kids were never molested or abducted. And I would never put them on a subway alone. BTW, it's illegal to leave a kid under the age of 10 unattended.

 

[Anguille]

Currently my 11 year old nephew, who has lived all his life in a rural area, takes public transportation back and forth to school in the city where he is now living. Hasn't has a single problem. He doesn't even speak the language there very well.

 

[Agnapostate]

Unfortunately we live in a very mobile society, where predators and psychopaths look for kids who don't have an adult with them.

Actually, we y'know...don't. But thanks for providing us with an example of precisely what Skenazy was harassed with: ignorant objections based on misinformed extrapolations of anecdotal reports provided by the tabloidist media rather than actual large-scale analysis of the prevalence of abductions. That's a primitive mindset that we'll need to transcend if free-range parenting and generally libertarian approaches to childrearing are to become more dominant.

 

[goldcatt]

It’s a new, hands-off approach to raising kids. Should you give it a try?

Would you let your 9-year-old son ride the New York City Subway system alone? Columnist Lenore Skenazy did, and then she wrote about the experience in the New York Sun. What followed was a storm of media attention and a mix of accolades and accusations from parents everywhere. A new movement also grew from Skenazy’s bold move: It’s called free-range parenting.

Almost as a backlash to the overbearing, over-scheduling “helicopter” parent, free-range parenting is based on the notion “that we can give our children the same kind of freedom we had [as kids] without going nuts with worry,” Skenazy says. “When you let children out, all the good things happen - the self-confidence, happiness, and self-sufficiency that come from letting our kids do some things on their own,” she says.

Sounds great, but even non “hovering” moms wouldn’t dream of doing what Skenazy did.

Full article: Free-Range Parenting: Learning When and How to Let Kids Be

Discuss

Wow, great topic!

I have 5-year-old twins living in a small rural town. When I was their age, we were basically kicked out of the house in the morning and expected back for mealtimes and at dark. Things were different then, important things ranging from the relationships between neighbors to the amount of traffic on the roads to the expectations of the State. So yes, parenting has also changed.
I'm not sure it's any more "dangerous" out there now than it was then as far as freaks go, seems to me people don't change that much over time. But we see it more, hear about it more, talk about it more, and are more afraid and alone overall than "way back when".
I think a certain amount of common sense (and of course obeying laws regarding child supervision) is appropriate. But they also need to learn to negotiate the world as it is, and without an adult constantly interfering in their efforts. IMO any parent who doesn't at least sometimes question where that line is, is a little too complacent.

 

[Annie]

I know I've started and responded to this type of thread many times. Once again I'll state that my brother, a deputy chief of police, an instructor at both U of I and Northwestern has said that 'stranger abductions' have not changed significantly in 80 years. Familial abductions is another story, those involved with the potential should be aware of that. Same is true of sexual abuse, as that like rape has zero to do with the victim, everything to do with power and rage.

To me then it's a matter of deciding the pros and cons of giving your children the freedom to be without constant supervision and learning to make choices, assessing their environment and deciding on their own their movements or handling everything for them until at least high school if not college.