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How come we had so much more freedom when we were kids? How can we give our kids that freedom now?
When Lenore Skenazy wrote a newspaper column about letting her nine-year-old ride the subway alone in New York City, little did she realize that the response would spark a national movement. Her outspoken, commonsense approach to parenting galvanized a huge wave of supporters—and a counterstorm of protest from others who dubbed her "America's Worst Mom."
In this funny, fed-up book, Lenore encourages parents to let their kids be kids. She's all for helmets and car seats but insists children do not need a security detail every time they go outside. Armed with stories, wisecracks, and a battery of facts, she gleefully punctures modern-day myths about rampant kidnapping, marauding germs, and poisoned Halloween candy. After exposing where these worries come from, she gives tips on how to break free. Her Fourteen Free-Range Commandments include:
The book reads like a conversation with your funniest, most honest friend. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud while shedding their fears. For anyone who remembers the days of walking to school, playing outside, or eating a kernel of unwrapped candy corn—and longs to bring them back to childhood—this book is a must-read.
Introduction: Welcome to—Yikes!
Part 1 The Fourteen Free-Range Commandments.
1 Know When to Worry.
2 Turn Off the News.
3 Avoid Experts.
4 Boycott Baby Knee Pads.
5 Don’t Think Like a Lawyer.
6 Ignore the Blamers.
7 Eat Chocolate.
8 Study History.
9 Be Worldly.
10 Get Braver.
11 Relax.
12 Fail!
13 Lock Them Out.
14 Listen to Your Kids.
Part 2 The Free-Range Guide to Life.
Safe or Not? The A-to-Z Review of Everything.
You Might Be Worried About.
Conclusion.
About the Author.
Index.
Anonymous
Posted March 24, 2012
I loved this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 9, 2012
A book that needed to be written. Funny and insightfull. The going free range tips and baby steps at the end of each chapter are silly and trite but designed with good intentions. A good critique of the hover parent style of many parents we've all expernced. The basic point of the book is parents relax,your kids are going to be ok. Let them ake risks, play, explore the world on their own terms and not worry so much about their standardize test scores, college choices, or organized sports. Just let them be kids.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 5, 2012
I came to this book without knowing not only that there was someone who had let her nine-year-old ride the New York subway by himself, but also that that someone was the author of this book. So, I was unfamiliar with the author's blog and her other journalism. I think her humor, while often funny, probably works better in those shorter forms that in this longer piece. There are a few chapters late in the book where I felt she was stretching her point a bit. Still, I really enjoyed this book. It offers some refreshing perspective and a call for more perspective in parenting. I think this is a valuable message for those who are open to receiving it, as I was. I tend to be anxious (it is difficult not to be given what is reported in the news), but I also very much want to raise children who are confident and not themselves anxious. This book presents some facts and thoughts that I hope will assist me is better assessing what's really a risk to my children, and in so doing, help me let them go so they both fail on their own, and succeed on their own.
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Overview
How come we had so much more freedom when we were kids? How can we give our kids that freedom now?
When Lenore Skenazy wrote a newspaper column about letting her nine-year-old ride the subway alone in New York City, little did she realize that the response would spark a national movement. Her outspoken, commonsense approach to parenting galvanized a huge wave of supporters—and a counterstorm of protest from others who dubbed her "America's Worst Mom."
In this funny, fed-up book, Lenore encourages parents to let their kids be kids. She's all for helmets and car seats but insists children do not need a security detail ...