An “Anxious Generation” Reader Lets Go!

This wonderful note appeared in the mailbox of Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation” and a co-founder of Let Grow. While his book talks a lot about phones, it also states in no uncertain terms that kids don’t just need less time in the virtual world, they need more time in the real one. That requires parents to let go a little. The book asks schools to help them by assigning The Let Grow Experience, which has kids start doing new things on their own (with their parents’ permission). Here’s a slam dunk from one very happy mom (who sent this note in May and we are just getting around to running it!).

Hello!

I just wanted to tell you that after reading Anxious Generation I decided to finally allow my 6 year old son to ride his bike alone on the cul-de-sac near our home.

I was worried that my neighbors would judge me for not being outside with him or supervising him but he is capable and I knew after reading the book that it was more important for me to let him try riding alone than to worry about what other people think. So I let him go and he has ridden there — alone and happy — almost every day since.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and he gave me a card that he made at school. The card had a prompt that said “I love my mom because…” and he wrote “she lets me ride my bike up and down the street” with a little drawing of him on his bike.

I had no idea that that little bit of freedom would mean so much to him. To me what he is really saying in that card is “I love my mom because she trusts me.”

Thanks again, E. B.

Ps I am also a trustee on our local school board and I’m trying to think of ways to incorporate your suggestions for schools. Wish me luck 😉

LET GROW HERE: If you have been inspired to do something like this, please head over to our FB Group, Raising Independent Kids, and tell it to the world! Or at least, our corner of it!