Contributing editor Lenore Skenazy is president of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence and resilience, and founder of the Free-Range Kids movement.
Lenore Skenazy
Latest from Lenore Skenazy
Pennsylvania Reminds Parents That Learning Pods Must Have an Evacuation Plan
"My daughter can have five friends over for a sleepover without my being fingerprinted and federally background-checked."
Should We Quit Teaching Cursive in a Digital Age?
While script may wire the brain, connect to history, and come more naturally to many kids, digital print is winning.
Cops Use Pictures of Adult Women To Trick Men Into Meeting for Sex, Arrest Them as Child Predators
Many alleged perpetrators, no actual victims.
Congress Would Like the CDC To Ruin Halloween
"We are writing to ask you to update your Halloween safety guidance to include considerations related to COVID-19."
No Qualified Immunity for Kentucky Cops Who Strip-Searched a 4-Year-Old and Threatened Mom
Judge: "America's founding generation... knew their fair share of unwelcome constables."
Tennessee Officials Wanted To Make Monthly 'Well-Being' Inspections of Every Child in the State
The crazy plan was called off after parents sensibly complained.
The Upside of a Blackout? People Take Care of Themselves and Each Other
Nobody can read the rule book in the dark.
Why Pandemic Pods are 'the Ultimate In Parent-Driven Education Innovation'
With public schools largely out of commission, parents are putting together their own ad hoc schooling alternatives.
Court Agrees Kids Can Ride the Bus Without Their Dad
Child protective services can’t take someone’s kids away just because the children are competent.
Why Are Bad Jokes 'Dad Jokes'?
Fathers used to be fonts of wisdom. Now they're the punch line.
Swiss Cops Investigate 8-Year-Old Boy for Trying to Use Toy Money
The boy will have his name in police records until the year 2032.
No, 1 in 3 Kids Coming Across the Southern Border Are Not Victims of Sex Trafficking
This preposterous claim is front and center in a new PragerU video.
Cops Arrest Brooklyn Rabbi for Letting Kids—Ages 11, 8, and 2—Walk to the Store
They even sent an ambulance, because it's not like there's anything else going on in New York.
A Kentucky Family of 7 Didn't Practice Social Distancing. Now Child Services Is Investigating the Parents for Abuse.
A Home School legal defense group calls it "a terrible thing and a waste of time."
Is Passover the Most Libertarian Holiday?
The annual retelling of the Exodus story reminds us not to take freedom for granted.
There's Light—and Growth—at the Other End of the Coronavirus Tunnel
"We are far more resilient than we give each other credit for."
Parents, Let the Coronavirus Quarantine Be an Excuse To Give Kids Some Free Time
You don't need to plan every minute of their day.
Coronavirus Is Causing Freaky Friday for Helicopter Parents
Now older folks are being treated to some (extremely necessary) overprotection.
Don't Worry About Your Kids Playing Too Many Video Games While Under Quarantine
In fact, maybe the parents should play, too.
Parents Don't Need Advice on How To Talk To Their Kids About Coronavirus
Not every situation requires an expert's guidance.
Video of an Alleged 'White Van' Kidnapping in Springfield Went Viral. Nothing Actually Happened.
Police say there were no reports of attempted kidnappings.
'Taking Our Baby to the Hospital Was the Single Most Harmful Decision We Made'
Child services falsely labeled this dad an abuser and took his adopted newborn.
Let Kids Have Recess Outside In Winter
What's with school districts canceling outdoor recess when the temperature dips below freezing?
Policing Parents and Kids: The Year's 8 Most Paranoid Moments
And five examples of parents wisely letting their kids go—and grow.
Government Standards Are Making 5-Year-Olds and Kindergarten Teachers Miserable
"I'm retiring earlier than I had planned because I just can't be a part of this any longer."
16-Year-Old Girl Admits Her Kidnapping Was a Hoax to Fool 'Overprotective' Mom
Stranger abductions are actually extremely rare.
Baltimore Mayor Says Men in White Vans Are Snatching Young Girls for Sex Trafficking
"It's all over Facebook."
3-Year-Old Dies in Freak Escalator Accident, Police Charge Mom With Child Abuse
If she is found guilty, she could face a maximum of 150 days in jail.
Halloween Is Supposed To Be (a Little) Scary
Halloween combines the two things we fear most in America today—kids actually leaving the house, and food other than hummus and baby carrots being fed to them.
An 8-Year-Old Girl Says She Was Almost Kidnapped. Media and Parents Freaked Out. It Was a Hoax.
Two days later, the cops figured out the story was make believe.
Florida Cops Went to Absurd Lengths to Entrap Man Who Showed No Interest in Underage Sex
Sarasota deputies violated best practices and ethical standards for sting operations.
Want Your Kids To Hate Reading? Have Them Keep a Reading Log
Reading logs rarely instill a love of reading in children. We ought to just drop the act.
Manchester Teen Faces Sex Offender Status for Touching 17-Year-Old on the Arm, Waist
"Touching someone's arm to get their attention, I would have thought was normal."
From Blaming God to Blaming Parents
Religion can explain a tragedy as God's will, or as karma coming around. But in a secular world, blame is often shifted to parents.
Don't Blame Bad Parenting for the Death of 6-Year-Old Carla Neems
The coroner's declaration is a cruel twist of the knife.
New York Dad Should Not Face Homicide Charges for Accidentally Killing Twin 1-Year-Olds in a Hot Car
Laws criminalizing the act of leaving children in cars are misguided.
Media Shames Tom Brady for Cliff Jump With His 6-Year-Old Daughter
She likely wasn't in any danger, but that never stopped the busybodies before.
14-Year-Old Posts Picture of Airsoft Gun on Snapchat, School Suspends Him for 3 Weeks
The principal calls it "very, very serious" wrongdoing.
Cop Arrests Mom for Letting Kids Wait in Car During 10-Minute Errand
A Pennsylvania mom faces reckless endangerment charges for assuming her children—ages 2, 5, and 7—could survive a very short wait.
Fisher Price's Rock 'n Play Recall: A Reminder That Perfect Safety Is Impossible
The toy company allegedly failed to test its miracle cure for cranky baby syndrome.
When Did Play Become Occupational Therapy?
Every kid is special, but not every kid has special needs.
Cops Strip-Searched a 4-Year-Old After Mom's Errand Took Too Long
Child services called because Holly Curry let her kids wait in the car while she bought a muffin.
Parenting Without Fear
Free-range mom Lenore Skenazy talks with sociologist Frank Furedi about what it means to be a kid in the 21st century.
