A friend of mine recently forwarded me an interview with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids: Giving our kids the freedom we had without going nuts with worry (Jossey-Bass 2009). What a great Mother’s Day present that was!
Skenazy is a syndicated columnist who got a lot of flak a few years ago after writing about allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway in New York City by himself. In her book, which I haven’t read yet, she writes about why Americans are so afraid to let their kids play outside, why she gives her kids more free rein than a lot of parents today, and the things we should really be afraid of (automobiles, for one).
I felt like I was meeting a soul-mate when I read the interview (click here to read it).
Of course I worry about my children, and do lots of things to ensure their safety. They use their seatbelts and sit in car seats and wear their helmets when riding their bikes. But at the same time, I have always allowed them to play in our front yard (not a single creepy character has bothered them in eleven years, knock on wood). We ride our bikes to school and all over the neighborhood, even to other neighborhoods, occasionally on busy streets.
I just gave my fifth grade daughter permission to begin riding her bike home from school with a friend a couple of days a week. I let my son out of my sight when we were hiking in the Gorge on Saturday (he’s so much faster than I, there was no way I could keep up with him!).
I’m one of those moms who believes inherently that, despite all of the information that we get from the media, our world is no more dangerous than it was when we were growing up, and that kids benefit from generous amounts of freedom and independence.
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this thinking. Thanks, Lenore Skenazy! I can’t wait to read your book!
Submitted by Anne

May 12th, 2009 | Category: Metro Parent