Founder, Free-Range Kids. President, Let Grow. Book: https://xitter.cf/t.co/L3PrcKpJcK Let Grow: https://xitter.cf/t.co/tDMm7FIwLc Me: Lskenazy at Yahoo
New York, NY
Joined February 2009
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Lenore Skenazy retweeted
If parents want kids off screens, the substitute can NOT be, "Do fun things together instead!"
Few adults have 6 hours free after school. And kids long to play w/ EACH OTHER, not us.
Solution: KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN FOR ALL-AGE, NO-PHONES FREE PLAY.
letgrow.org/program/play-clu…
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
Making breakfast… Getting a little lost…Walking the dog…Making dinner. What do these all have in common?
They are all small moments, but they carry real responsibility, which results in growing confidence for kids at school.
Explore here: letgrow.org/program/experien…
#LetGrow
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
Six free hours after school is the number that makes "just do fun things together" fall apart. An open gym full of other kids covers what a tired parent can't.
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
'Letting kids simply play when they could officially be “learning” has become almost taboo, and that doesn’t change across income levels.... The more extracurriculars, the better.' @FreeRangeKids of @LetGrowOrg in @WSJFreeEx. Must read!
Against optimizing human capital in children. Great piece by @LetGrowOrg's and @reason's @FreeRangeKids in @WSJFreeEx wsj.com/opinion/free-express…
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
Children really are human capital. But they’re also humans, period. Along with love, they need the time and independence to play, explore and make friends without constant adult oversight. Mopping some bathrooms is good, too, writes @FreeRangeKids
on.wsj.com/4e5UJD9
If parents want kids off screens, the substitute can NOT be, "Do fun things together instead!"
Few adults have 6 hours free after school. And kids long to play w/ EACH OTHER, not us.
Solution: KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN FOR ALL-AGE, NO-PHONES FREE PLAY.
letgrow.org/program/play-clu…
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
I'm Gen X. We were thrown to the wilds as soon as we could walk. I was little more cautious with my sun and waited until he was 7.
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
On Reddit:
"My parents didn't let me trick or treat w/out supervision until I was, like, 15 or 16. I always had my mom or dad with me thru the ages of 9-11."
IS THIS COMMON???
PARENTS: What age do you start letting your kids trick or treat (in groups) unsupervised?
19%6-8
44%9-11
35%12-14
2%15 & up
254 votes • Final results Lenore Skenazy retweeted
I never once went trick-or-treating with my parents. I don't think the idea even occurred to them (or me). And if they had suggested it: I would have probably preferred not to go at all 🤣 One of the main points for me was to wander around with friends or siblings: NOT parents!
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
A group of friends, a flashlight and a set time to be home teaches kids a lot more than how to fill a candy bag. It tells them we trust them. People will rise to the level of your expectations.
GUEST BLOG:
"How our neurodivergent son came out of his shell thanks to independence."
Parents started reading about why it's important to let go--and then did, as son hit tweens.
A few years later the son said to them:
“Mom and Dad, you were used to coddling me and protecting me then all of a sudden you switched gears into something completely radical and different — something you weren’t used to. It must have given you a lot of anxiety and stress but I’m thankful you pushed through it and helped me to grow up.”
Dad's letter is here:
letgrow.org/raising-an-indep…
Attn: @jonHaidt @DrCamiloOrtiz
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
Culturally amd historically, one of the whole points of Halloween for children is that it’s a an opportunity for them to safely practice freedom by independently going to their neighbors’ homes. My kids were equipped with walkie-talkies, roaming our neighborhood with peers by 6.
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
I would be comfortable letting my kids start at 8 if other kids were out walking, but everyone else in my town drives their kids door to door. Trying to navigate Halloween here without getting run over is a nightmare.
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POLL BELOW:
WHAT AGE DO YOU LET YOUR KIDS TRICK OR TREAT UNSUPERVISED?
On Reddit:
"My parents didn't let me trick or treat w/out supervision until I was, like, 15 or 16. I always had my mom or dad with me thru the ages of 9-11."
IS THIS COMMON???
PARENTS: What age do you start letting your kids trick or treat (in groups) unsupervised?
19%6-8
44%9-11
35%12-14
2%15 & up
254 votes • Final results Lenore Skenazy retweeted
Against optimizing human capital in children. Great piece by @LetGrowOrg's and @reason's @FreeRangeKids in @WSJFreeEx wsj.com/opinion/free-express…
On Reddit:
"My parents didn't let me trick or treat w/out supervision until I was, like, 15 or 16. I always had my mom or dad with me thru the ages of 9-11."
IS THIS COMMON???
PARENTS: What age do you start letting your kids trick or treat (in groups) unsupervised?
19%6-8
44%9-11
35%12-14
2%15 & up
254 votes • Final results Lenore Skenazy retweeted
From @WSJFreeEx: We all hate the schlepping, paying, rushing, waiting and dinners in the car that come with overscheduling our kids. So why do we keep doing it? asks @FreeRangeKids
on.wsj.com/4k2yu4v
What unsettled me about this dad's comment was that he felt that unless he knew every single person his child was going to interact with, they'd be in danger.
This replaces trust with terror, but most commenters agreed w/ him.
Psychologists, can you weigh in?
Lenore Skenazy retweeted
"There’s no way in hell I’d let my kids (9-11) wander around by themselves.... I don’t know every single neighbor and what they are capable of."
That's a guy's response to me saying kids that age can trick or treat together, unsupervised.
Does his attitude worry anyone but me?