Author and Humorist Says, "Let Them Roam Free"

With the title, "World's Worst Mom," it may be surprising that Lenore Skenazy's worst parenting advice is to let kids take on more responsibility.
With the title, "World's Worst Mom," it may be surprising that Lenore Skenazy's worst parenting advice is to let kids take on more responsibility.
 
Skenazy is the New York mom who made headlines in 2008 when she allowed her 9-year-old son to ride the subway and bus alone. That single decision, and her related column in The New York Sun, set off a worldwide controversy over the "right" way to parent in today's society.
 
At a recent appearance at Graland, a crowd of parents from 34 schools listened and laughed along while Skenazy confronted their irrational fears and gave practical tips for raising safe, independent kids. Hint: It involves a little letting go.
 
"I started out trying to learn why we think all children are in danger every second that they're unsupervised," Skenazy said. "I like to ask parents, 'What was your favorite thing to do as a kid that you don't allow your own kids to do?'" The audience answers were as varied as "build and ride go-carts," "cut down small trees with a machete and make forts," and simply, "walk to and from school alone."
 
After years of exploring these topics and talking to hundreds of parents, Skenazy believes our minds are trained to recall the worst-case scenarios first. If your child asks you for permission to walk to the bus stop alone, you probably won't think about the thousands of children who do this task safely every day. Instead, you might first recall the tragic story of Jessica Ridgeway, the child who was abducted and killed on her way to school in Westminster.
 
In reality, the world is much safer than we are led to believe, Skenazy says. "Nationwide, crime is actually at its lowest level since 1963. Kids are safer today than you parents were as children. Of course, nothing is perfectly safe, but we need to keep risk in perspective." 
 
In Skenazy's experience helping to reform fearful parents on her reality show, World's Worst Mom, she finds most look back and can't believe they were ever so paranoid.
 
"The truth is, I can't convince anyone of anything," she says. "What changes parents is when their kids come back proud and happy from doing an errand they trusted them to do. Suddenly the parents feel so elated -- like they've woken up from culturally-induced coma of fear."

For more on this topic, review Skenazy's book, Free-Range Kids.
 
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.